“I know I just kissed you and everything, but I need you to know that we can’t be more than friends.”

My stomach dropped all the way to my feet. It was like she’d given me the moon and then snatched it away.

“Why not?” I asked, wanting to cry again.

“Shit,” she said, rubbing her hands on her legs. “I told you I was bad at talking about this. Fuck. Okay, so I didn’t end up staying with that cheerleader in college, but she had a friend that I ended up getting close with. Even after I broke up with the cheerleader, we stayed friends and one thing led to another. I’d never been serious about someone like that. But I saw a future with her. We got an apartment together and a dog and made plans to get married. I proposed and she said yes.”

I imagined Theo getting down on one knee and making a romantic declaration and failed.

“Everything was set. We had a date. I’d ordered a custom outfit. And then one day I came home and found her ring on the coffee table and a note saying that she was leaving me. I never saw her again. I don’t trust people for a good reason, Kendra.”

Fuck. That was awful. My heart ached for Theo and I wanted to go back in time and strangle her ex. How could you do something like that to someone you claimed to love? Just leave them like that? It wasn’t right.

“I’m so sorry, Theo,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

So that was the reason she didn’t want to get close to me. It broke my heart, but I understood.

“I’m sorry. I’ll leave you alone,” I said, getting up from the couch.

“It’s just easier if we don’t, Kendra. I just can’t do it.”

I nodded. “I understand. I’ll leave you alone.”

“It’s better this way,” Theo said, and I didn’t know if she was trying to convince me or herself.

“It’s okay,” I said. “Thank you for dinner. Bye, Scout,” I said, but Scout was asleep.

I didn’t look back at Theo, and somehow I made it to my car before I started crying.

Chapter Eleven

I was blue when I got home and didn’t feel like doing much of anything except lying in bed, but then the bed made me think about Theo, so that made me even more sad. It was a vicious cycle.

The memory of Theo’s kiss would not leave me alone, and I wished I could wipe it from my brain because I knew it was never going to happen again. Theo had made up her mind and that was that. In time, once things had cooled off, maybe we could try being friends again.

It wasn’t like I had time or energy for a relationship, even if she’d wanted me. I had a business to create and a house to finish and there just weren’t enough hours in the day. It was probably for the best. Things probably wouldn’t have worked out anyway.

On Friday I forced myself to go have lunch with my friends at the café, even though it took so much energy putting clean clothes on and brushing my hair.

“What’s wrong?” Paige asked, her face a mask of concern.

“Nothing, I’m fine,” I said, giving what I hoped was a cheery smile.

“No, something is definitely wrong. What is it?”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing, I promise. I’ll get over it.”

Sasha, Hollis, and Hayden shared a look but didn’t say anything.

“Okay, but if you want to talk about it, we’re all here,” Paige said.

“Thanks, I really appreciate that. In other news, I have figured out what I want to do.” I paused for dramatic effect.

“What is it?” Paige asked.

“I’m going to open a bookstore,” I said. My pronouncement was greeted with complete support and all of them said what a good idea it was.

“If you can open one in Castleton, I will live there,” Paige said. “I will volunteer, you don’t even have to pay me. We’ll have Non Book Club there every month!”

I laughed. “Thanks. I’m still in the very, very early stages, but it’s nice to know I haven’t completely lost my mind.”

“No way, it’s a great idea,” Hollis said. “You’re going to kill it.”

“I can probably talk a few of my authors into doing signings,” Sasha said. “And then there’s always my future father-in-law, who has written a book or two.”

“And I happen to know an author that might not do a signing, but she will sign books for you,” Hayden said. “Maybe I can finally convince her to be open now that she’s leaving her job.”

“You don’t have to, but that would be really cool,” I said.

The four of them bombarded me with questions and they even had some suggestions that I ended up writing down.

I left the café feeling much brighter and then as soon as I got home, I was deflated again.

Tags: Chelsea Cameron Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net