His best friend. Except that what they shared could no longer be defined as friendship, could it? They were lovers. And he wasn’t stupid enough to think that didn’t change everything.
He’d done the one thing he’s sworn he would never do.
I love you, Tyler.
Sweat broke out on his forehead, and he eased away from her, drenched in panic and regret. He had no doubt that those words had been heartfelt and genuine. He’d always known that about her, which was why he’d been careful to avoid this situation. He couldn’t be what she wanted.
So what was he doing here?
The moment she’d said those words to him in the den, he should have walked out of the room.
He should have explained that he wasn’t capable of giving her what she wanted.
Anything.
The only thing he shouldn’t have done was take her to bed.
Had she noticed that he hadn’t said it back?
What happened now?
Where did they go from here, and what would happen to the friendship they’d shared their whole lives?
This was his fault. He’d sat with her and spilled his guts, shared parts of himself he’d never shared with anyone before, and she’d done the same. For once in her life she’d spoken the truth, and that truth had snapped the strained leash on his self-control.
Unable to think clearly with her lying next to him, he slid out of bed and walked silently to the bathroom. Through the windows he could see the snow still falling, and it lay thick and deep over the trees and the forest trail. It showed all the signs of being a perfect powder day. Normally, he would have been hammering on her door, tempting her out before the rest of the world awoke but not this time.
Tyler ran his hand over his face.
He was afraid to wake her. Afraid to face what he’d done to their relationship.
He swore under his breath and stared at his reflection in the mirror. “You’re an idiot.”
“Why are you an idiot?”
He met Brenna’s eyes in the mirror and saw her expression change from soft to wary.
She’d tugged on his blue shirt, and he found it endearing that she’d be shy with him, that she felt the need to cover herself after the intimacies they’d shared the night before. But it didn’t surprise him, because he knew her and knew exactly how she’d react in any situation.
“Brenna.” What was he supposed to say? This was new territory for him. He couldn’t walk away. He couldn’t pretend it hadn’t happened.
He had to deal with it. Usually, he had no trouble speaking his mind, but right now, he didn’t know his mind.
He turned, wishing he had Sean’s smooth way with words or Jackson’s natural diplomacy.
“You regret it, don’t you?” Her voice was flat, her arms wrapped around herself, giving the comfort he should have been offering. “You’re sorry, and you wish you could turn the clock back.”
Did he wish that?
He didn’t know, but the delay in answering condemned him.
There was a flash of pain in her eyes, and then she turned away. Tyler ran his hand over the back of his neck, out of his depth.
“Brenna, sweetheart, wait—”
“For what? For you to find a tactful way to tell me you made a mistake? Forget it.” She grabbed her clothes from the floor and pulled them on, her movements ragged and uneven, her dark hair falling forward in a messy tumble. It didn’t help to know he was the one responsible for that glorious disarray. His fingers, his mouth, the movement of her body under his.
He wanted to grab her, and he wanted to let her go.