I stare into his smoldering gaze, as both of our chests heave like we’ve just run a marathon. I silently beg him to say something, anything, but he remains quiet, the look on his face a mixture of lust and confusion. Reluctantly, I release my legs from around him. Understanding what I’m silently asking, he gently sets me onto my feet. I turn back around to face the concert, but Alec doesn’t sit back down. Instead, he wraps his arms around my waist from behind and nuzzles his face into my hair, his scruff tickling my neck. My body sways to Kane Brown as he sings about lying next to the woman he loves, comparing it to what heaven must be like.
I don’t realize my butt is rubbing against Alec’s crotch, until he pushes my hair to the side and whispers into my ear, “That’s not wise, Lex.” His fingers dig into my hips, stopping my body from moving, and that’s when I feel it—his hard erection pressed up against my ass. Before I can react to it, he snatches his hat off my head and sits back down. I glance back at him and see the hat is covering his crotch. I throw my head back in a loud belly laugh, and he rolls his eyes.
When I look over at Georgia, I see her and Chase standing next to each other, laughing and swaying to the music. Her eyes meet mine and she shoots me a knowing wink, telling me she didn’t miss what happened between Alec and me.
The rest of the concert goes by way too quickly. The four of us dance and sing and Georgia even drinks some of my drink. Before we know it, everyone is making their way back onto the stage to say good night, and then we’re piling into my jeep. Alec only had one beer, so he drives us home.
We all go our separate ways once we’re inside. Georgia says she’s exhausted and is going straight to bed. Alec says he’s jumping in the shower, and I do the same. When I get out, I throw on a pair of boxers I stole from Alec years ago and a comfortable tank top and pad into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. I’m on my way back to my room when Alec steps into the hallway in nothing but a pair of loose sweats hanging low on his hips. His hair is still wet and beads of water are dripping down his taut muscles. His tattoos are shining bright from being wet. I watch, mesmerized, as the tiny droplets of water glide down his torso. Damn, I’m thirsty. I wonder if he’d let me lick him…
If Alec notices me staring like a damn perv, he doesn’t point it out. Instead he says, “I had a good time tonight.”
I give him a small smile. “Me too.”
There’s so much going through my head, but I’m afraid to voice my thoughts. If I say the wrong thing… if I’m overthinking what happened tonight, it could potentially ruin our friendship. Everyone witnessed what happened between Joey and Dawson on Dawson’s Creek. You don’t date your best friend unless you’re okay with ruining your friendship. Their experience should be a warning for everyone.
“Listen,” Alec says, stepping toward me. The way his brows are furrowed has my stomach twisting into a knot. This can’t be good. Nothing that begins with Listen is ever good. “Tonight, what happened between us…”
“Yeah?” I hold my breath, waiting for the blow to come, but praying it doesn’t.
“It shouldn’t have happened,” he says, knocking me right onto my ass.
“Okay.” I nod robotically. There’s more I want to say, but I don’t. The moment is already awkward, which is exactly why he’s right… Tonight shouldn’t have happened. All we did was kiss and everything’s changed. What would happen to us if we hooked up, or if we decided to give a relationship a chance?
“It’s just that—” he starts to explain, even though he doesn’t need to, because I get it. I do. No matter which way we go, we’ll end up at a dead end, and then nothing would ever be the same again. I would lose my best friend. Georgia would have to pick sides. Family get-togethers would be weird.
Alec isn’t my perfect path. And I need to accept that and stop trying to make this into something it’s not. Something it can never be.
“Sorry,” Chase mutters, cutting off Alec. “I’m just going to take a quick shower.” He slips by us and into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Alec’s eyes never leave mine. His lips part, about to continue, but I can’t deal with whatever he has to say, so like the coward I’ve apparently become, I speak first. “I’m going to head to bed. Good night.” And without waiting for him to respond, I slip into my room, closing the door behind me.