Page 43 of Instigator

She’s silent for a long time. “I think it’s happening right when it was supposed to.”

“I guess so.”

Ceci reaches out a hand and cups my cheek. It doesn’t feel romantic; there’s a mocking tinge in her gaze, and even as my stomach flips, it settles me. I find myself leaning into her touch, soaking up every ounce of her affection.

“It gave us seven years of friendship,” she says. “I wouldn’t trade those for the world.”

“Does that mean you don’t want to stay friends?”

“I do. I value what we have.” She pulls away, her eyes downcast. “I don’t know if you want to, though.”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re my best friend.”

She gapes at me.

“You’re my best friend,” I repeat firmly. “You give me an escape from the pressure of being captain. You don’t need me to take care of you like I do for my sister and all my teammates. And you let me be myself. I didn’t realize until now exactly how much that means to me, but damn it, I need it. I need you.”

She gulps. “Wish…”

“Nothing has to change.”

“But what if it does?” Her voice breaks.

“We won’t let it. I won’t let it change.”

Reaching across the console, I take her hand in mine, lacing our fingers together. She looks down at our joined hands, then lifts her chin until our eyes meet. Hesitation is sketched across her face, and fuck it, I’ll do whatever I have to in order to reassure her.

“Nothing has to change,” I repeat. “If you don’t want to play together anymore, if you don’t want to meet up in person again, I’ll understand it.”

It’s not what I want, but if it means keeping her in my life or letting her walk away forever…

This pesky attraction to her is annoying, but I can deal with it. So what if my best friend is a woman who makes my heart beat faster and my hands grow clammy, and all I want to do is pull her into my arms and kiss the fuck out of her? I can push it down, exactly like I do everything else.

We can go back to normal. We have to.

After a moment, I sigh, then pull my hand from hers. I step out of the car and jog around to her side to open her door, then dive into the back seat for her flowers. I used Ryan’s favorite florist, and damn, did they come through. I get now why he set up biweekly deliveries for Hailey.

Ceci starts up the stairs to her house, a red brick townhouse in the middle of the block. There’s a keypad, and she punches in a code, the lock tumbles, and she opens the door but doesn’t go inside.

“Well, um…”

“Have a good afternoon.” I push the vase into her arms, making sure she’s steady.

Then, before I can chicken out, I duck down and press my lips to her cheek, lingering there. Her intoxicating perfume wafts over me, and my blood rushes with the familiar pull of arousal.

Finally, I force myself to pull back. “I’ll see you online.”

nineteen

. . .

Ceci

I get a few texts from Wish through our shared game server, but the first time we’re able to meet up for a gaming session is three nights later, when the team is in Buffalo for a quick home-and-away series.

Now that I look back, I can see how his “work trips” coincided with the Grizzlies’ away games. I can’t believe I didn’t put it together. I go to enough games, and watch the rest at home, that I should have connected the dots.

He’s already in the waiting room when I log on, and his call rings through within seconds.