The Best Friends Anthology (A New City Story Book 5) Read online

  “That’s fair.”

  “Okay, I’m head over heels in love with him, and I don’t know what to do.”

  I’d not said it to anyone. Ceeli knew he meant a great deal to me, but I tried not to think about it too much.

  The guys came back from the bar, laughing.

  “Everything okay?” Will looked at me and then her as she finally lowered her brows.

  “Yes.”

  Claire kept glancing at me. I wondered what she saw. The afternoon was nice, and they were a lovely couple.

  We went to mine when we said goodbye.

  “Is everything all right? I think today was too much.” He frowned as he asked, and I sensed his caution.

  “Not too much.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m sweaty, I need a shower.”

  “No,” he took my arm. “Tell me, I can see it, something is wrong. Are you questioning this? Did today trigger something?”

  I guessed it was time. I didn’t look at his face or gaze into those beautiful brown eyes. Instead, I pulled at a button on his linen shirt. Heat radiated off him as he pulled me closer.

  “Look at me.”

  I shook my head.

  “Do you want to end this?” Emotion cut his voice, and I looked up at him. For such a manly man, he was quietly sensitive. I loved it. He’d cry at films with me, be emotionally vulnerable and open with me. I could trust him with this.

  “I love you.”

  He blinked once. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let me go. “Say it again.”

  My eyes filled with tears, and I let them fall. “I’m in love with you. I love you. I want to be with you.” I still couldn’t meet his eye.

  He swallowed. “You don’t seem happy at the revelation.”

  I closed my eyes. “Because I know what this is. We don’t talk about the future or us other than play and aftercare because we defined that so I’m not renegotiating what we are. I know you care about me, and things have shifted for you to let you be able to do this, and I’m not naïve enough to conflate love with the bond that regular play creates. I listened to the panel. I understand it. I’m not asking anything from you, I guess I just have to compartmentalise it in order to carry on, but if it’s too weird for you, I’ll understand.”

  “I hoped you might be able to love me.”

  I whipped my face up.

  “When I came back, I knew it then.” He cleared his throat. “but I thought, wow Will, that’s weird, hold back and see if it really is love. I fall in love hard and fast. I’ve only been in love twice. You’re my second time. But this time, I didn’t want to rush and push it too hard. I’ve…”

  “Will.” I clung to his shirt, gripping it hard.

  “I love you. Deeply. I want us to be together, I want my life to be with yours, but we mustn’t rush.”

  I pulled him into a kiss. “No, we shouldn’t rush.”

  “Uh-huh.” He kissed me so hard, we nearly fell over.

  “It’s hot, let’s take a shower.”

  “Okay.” He stripped us so quick, I started laughing, and couldn’t stop.

  “When do you want to move in?”

  “We said no rushing.”

  “Yeah, so Christmas then?” He picked me up, and I kicked off my knickers he’d yanked down.

  “Will. Stop.”

  He did. “No rushing.” He gave me a firm nod.

  “Christmas sounds good.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. Ceeli loves you and will mercilessly goad you about seeing you naked forever. You have to give her a nice bedroom.”

  “We. We’ll give her a nice bedroom. You can pick the furniture and anything you want. Anything. I’m yours.”

  “Yes, you are mine.” I cupped his face. “And I am yours.”

  We had a long cool shower and played into the early hours. For the first time, I had the sex I wanted with a man I trusted, my own income and autonomy. We were partners and equals. The trust and communication we shared governed my choices, but they were my choices.

  I was free.

  The End

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Thank you, as ever, to my beta readers, the Witling writers, Twitter and Wattpad.

  Not Going Anywhere was long listed for the Wattys 2018, and it gave me confidence in this direction for my contemporary romances, and I’m so thankful to every reader who’s taken the time to read my work.

  Thank you especially to my husband for his continual support and inspiration.

  ✽✽✽

  Stefanie Simpson is a British disabled romance author, professional cat bed and author of two contemporary romance series and can be found here:

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