My Best Friend's Boyfriend

“I didn’t feel like I was really living in that apartment, merely residing in it. I was cooped up by it. I felt like I had to be there because I had nowhere else to be. But once you came along—once I opened my mind and my life up to this entirely new experience—I felt like I was flourishing, really living out of that apartment instead of being held captive by it.”

Logan brought my hand to his lips before he kissed my skin softly.

“And now?” he asked.

I turned my head and found his gaze as I drew in a deep breath.

“Now? I feel ready to move on,” I said.

“Then it’s a good thing I enlisted a bit of help.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look out the window.”

I turned to look out the window and saw Camilla coming out of the building. Beside her was her boss, looming tall and proud as they approached Logan’s car. My eyes whipped back over to him and narrowed, then my car door opened and Camilla’s voice hit my ears.

“You two coming up or what?” she asked.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I unbuckled my seat belt.

“The question is, why the hell didn’t you call earlier? Logan said something insane about hauling some thirty odd boxes or some shit? Was he exaggerating?”

“I wish.”

I stepped out of the car and embraced Camilla tightly before she pulled back and smiled.

“Ava, I want you to officially meet my fiancé. This is Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Ava.”

“Nice to meet you,” he said.

I took his hand and shook it as Logan came to stand behind me.

“So, I’ll ask again. Why didn’t you call us to help?” Camilla asked.

I looked back at Logan before I cleared my throat.

“Girl, I’m just playing. I know why you didn’t call. So, I’m here to kill two birds with one stone. We’re going to help you guys finish this shit up, and I’m going to prove to you how not awkward things can be.”

“Then lead the way,” I said.

I looked back at Logan one last time before the four of us headed into my apartment. In less than two trips, the last of my boxes were piled into Logan’s car. I went to go climb into the passenger’s seat so we could drive to his place and unload, but instead of him cranking up the car, he came around and opened my door.

“Nope,” he said.

“What do you mean nope?” I asked.

“Out.”

“What?”

“Out of the car and get up to your apartment.”

“Why? Did I leave something behind?”

“Jeremy’s going to help me unload the last of your stuff at my place. Camilla’s waiting for you upstairs. Says she’s got a surprise or something,” Logan said.

“She’s going to kill me, isn’t she?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t put it past her sometimes,” Jeremy said.

“At least you know what you’re getting into,” I said.

“She’s a good woman. Complicated, and not without fault, but she’s good,” Jeremy said.

“So come on. Get out and get upstairs,” Logan said.

He unbuckled my seat belt and helped me out of the car, then pulled me in for a kiss. I drew in a deep breath, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. I smiled before I relinquished him to our last box haul, Jeremy climbing into the front seat with him. It was an odd thing to see, and I still wasn’t sure the two of them were completely okay with one another. But at least they were putting on a good front.

I watched Logan’s car pull away from the curb, then started back up to my apartment.

Well, what used to be my apartment anyway.

“Remember when you first moved in?” Camilla asked.

I walked in and shut the door behind me as she thrust a glass of wine into my hand.

“I do,” I said.

“You had five boxes of stuff, a suitcase of clothes, and a blow-up mattress.”

“I had nothing.”

“And now you’ve purged half your damn place and still had forty boxes of shit to haul,” she said.

She clinked her glass against mine before we tipped them up to our lips.

“Is Jeremy about to kill Logan?” I asked.

“No. Not at all,” she said, grinning.

“And you’re not about to kill me?”

“You’re my best friend, Ava. I may want to kill you sometimes, but I’d never actually do it.”

“At least you’re honest.”

“The truth is, Jeremy and I had a few nights there where we completely opened up to one another. He said that one of the things that would help him get past my whole thing with Logan was answering any question he had about our relationship.”

“Oh, so he knows all the things,” I said.

“So many things I’d rather not tell anyone,” she said, snickering.

“You two seem happy.”

“We are happy. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, Ava. And it hurts that you didn’t think you could call on me to help you with this.”