I shake my head. “I know this to be true, but there’s more.”
Her eyes burn into mine for a moment. “Yeah,” she says, looking away. “Maybe we should discuss it at dinner.”
I perk my brow. “Discuss? What is that about?” She looks at her watch, unsettling me. “I’ve never known you to try to get out of a conversation.”
Something flashes in her eyes. Fear, maybe. But she has nothing to fear. It’s me. “I sometimes forget that you know me inside and out.”
“Yeah, that shit you pull with guys who don’t know you won’t fly with me. What’s wrong, Ally T?”
She licks her lips and then kisses right below my bottom lip. Her lips stay there, and I know it’s so she doesn’t have to look in my eyes. “Can we talk tonight?”
I remove my hands from her ass, reluctantly, and grab her jaw. I pull back her head so I can see all of her face. “You have nothing to worry about, Ally. I got you. You know this.”
She swallows hard. “I know.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, but I’ve got to get to class.”
I nod. “Okay.”
She doesn’t move. “You’re annoyed.”
“I am, but you’ve gotta go to class.” I love that I can be honest with her. I always tiptoed around with Jasmine, but with Ally, it’s different. I feel different. That has to mean something. “We can finish this later, but know I’ll be thinking of you all day.”
“Good or bad?”
I pinch her jaw, moving my lips along hers. “In a great way…but also a naughty one,” I say roughly.
I wink with my pirate eye, and she grins. “I missed your winky face.”
“I’ll miss you,” I admit, kissing her softly. She kisses me back, holding me by the back of my neck.
“I’ll miss you,” she says tenderly and then kisses me again. “I gotta go.”
“Okay. Call me when you’re done.”
“I will. You have lunch with your dad, right?”
“Yeah.” I kiss her once more, not letting her out of my arms. “Not sure what he wants to talk to me about, but I’m sure I’ll be uncomfortable.”
She scoffs. “Why?”
“Because! I always feel inadequate around him. I’m not Aiden—”
“No, you’re Asher,” she says simply, holding my jaw. “Pure perfection in your own way.” Man, something shifts in my chest for this girl. “I don’t know what it is about you and Posey and this older sibling thing you’ve both got, but y’all are the most amazing people in my life. He probably just wants to have lunch to spend time with you.”
I kiss her nose. “Thanks, Ally T.”
She beams. “Anytime, Ash B.”
I know she wants to say more. But instead, we kiss again, and then she rushes out since she’s now late. I want to stop her, I don’t want her to leave, but I always have been and always will be supportive of her. Just as she has been for me. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about what she needs to talk to me about. I’m pretty sure I know what it is, especially with the talk of resumes, but I’m not ready to cross that bridge yet.
As much as I didn’t want to come back to Nashville at first, now that I’m here, I’m comfortable. I love my condo, I love being close to my family but far enough away that I’m not in the line of fire between Stella and Emery, and I have two incredible jobs. Add in the fact that I now realize my best friend is more than that, and it’s easy to say, I don’t want to leave.
But if she is planning on leaving, what does that mean for us?
See? This is why I’ve never wanted to invest in a relationship.