Page 27 of Suddenly Yours

“That kiss…” I exhaled slowly. “It wasn’t nothing.”

She didn’t move for a long moment, then nodded once, a small but certain move. “No. It wasn’t.”

I felt the confession in my bones, a warm, sharp ache.

“But,” she said quietly, “we’ve been friends our whole lives.”

The words were soft, but they hit me like a damn two-by-four. I swallowed hard. “Yeah.”

“And what if we try… something… and it goes wrong?” She folded her hands in her lap, staring at them as if they held the answer. “What if we mess everything up? I can’t, Cade, I can’t lose you. I can’t risk losing what we already have.”

My heart squeezed. I’d had almost the exact same thought a hundred times since the other night.

“Our friendship’s the most important thing in my life too,” I agreed, my voice a little rougher than I meant it to be. “You know that.”

She nodded again. She looked up at me, and I could see she was a little overwhelmed.

I rubbed the back of my neck, searching for strength I wasn’t sure I had. “If we crossed that line… it would change everything. No way around it.”

Was I trying to talk her out of it or myself?

“And if it didn’t work out?” she whispered.

The image flashed unwelcomed through my mind. No more holidays, birthdays, or vacations with her by my side. All those dinner and movie nights we enjoyed together. Not to mention all the shared morning coffees and text messages that made my day instantly better.

If we messed this up, there would be no more Missy and Cade.

That thought nearly hollowed me out.

“I don’t want to lose you. I can’t afford to,” I admitted. “Honestly? The thought scares the hell out of me.”

Her breath hitched, just barely, and she leaned back against the counter, looking exhausted in a way that had nothing to do with baking.

“Me too. So maybe…” She chewed her bottom lip. “Maybe we shouldn’t risk it.”

The words sliced through me sharper than I expected.

But the fear in her voice… I couldn’t push her. I wouldn’t.

“Yeah,” I forced out. “You’re right.”

Her eyes lifted to mine, hopeful in the most heartbreaking way, hopeful that I agreed, that she didn’t have to choose between safety and desire, that everything could stay the same.

I nodded to reassure her, even though nothing inside me felt remotely reassured.

“We’re good,” I said quietly. “We’re… us. Always have been.” I reached over and took her hand in mine like I had done hundreds of times.

Her shoulders finally relaxed, the tension slipping out of them. “Yes, always.” She smiled and squeezed my hand lightly. “I can’t lose this.”

“You won’t.” I meant it. Even if it killed me.

She nudged my knee with hers. “And we’re still going to the resort this weekend. That hasn’t changed.”

“Nope,” I smiled lightly. “That hasn’t changed.”

But deep down, buried where she couldn’t see it, I knew the truth.

I wanted her. Badly. More than I’d ever wanted anything. And pretending it was nothing, pretending I could manage it, pretending I could just go back to being her best friend…