Read Online More Than Friends by Susan Mallery - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan Mallery
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wasn’t about sex, it was about healing—the completion of what should have been, if only fate had been more kind.
He reached up and touched her cheek, brushing away the tear she hadn’t felt fall. “What happened to us, Jenny? Why did we have to become enemies?”
“I don’t know. It’s late. We both need to get some sleep.”
He stiffened at her words. “I should leave.”
“You don’t have to.” She held his palm tightly against her face, savoring the rough calluses against her smooth skin. He asked silent questions. “I have a spare room. You’re welcome to use it. I know how you hate the big house.”
His fingers tightened slightly, pulling her closer. His free hand cupped the back of her head. “You shouldn’t trust me. I’ve turned into one hell of a bastard.”
There wasn’t a whole lot more damage he could do. The man had already broken her heart. “Maybe. But you can stay anyway.”
She led him down the short hall. The spare room held a daybed and an old dresser. The white ruffled spread looked especially feminine as she watched Chase look around the small space.
“Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate this. I really didn’t want to go back to the house.”
Jenny pulled linens and a blanket out of the hall closet, while Chase went to retrieve his luggage. Their good-night was brief and awkward, consisting of avoided glances and mumbled words.
Lying in her own bed, listening to the muffled noises of the shower, she wondered if she’d been mad to invite him to stay. If her father found out… Jenny chuckled, already hearing his lecture on morals and behaving like a lady.
Plumping up the pillow, she turned on her side. Part of her prayed that William Jackson would outlive them all. Most of her believed that was unlikely. That the old man had survived this long seemed a miracle. And when he was gone, Chase would leave, too.
It wasn’t just about leaving, she thought, staring at the sliver of light shining under her door. Chase had always believed in looking out for himself. Time and both their fathers had only reinforced the lesson. Once, she’d believed that, too. But the last eleven years had taught her that family was everything. When she’d expected them to turn away from her shame, they’d stood by her, offering support and a place to live. She couldn’t turn her back on what she owed them. Not for herself, not even for Chase.
Once she and Chase had been two halves of the same whole. Now they were just two people who’d once been in love.
*
Chase looked out the window and watched the sky lighten from black to gray to pale blue. From his place on the daybed, he could see a little of the roof and part of an old gnarled oak tree.
Sleep had been welcome, if unexpected, but he’d suddenly awakened a little after five a.m. and had been unable to relax since. His mind leaped from topic to topic, thinking about his father lying in the hospital, shying away from his responsibility to the mill, wondering how it was possible Jenny had become more beautiful and how he could still be attracted to the one woman he’d done his damnedest to hate.
He heard her alarm buzz, then the soft pad of her feet as she stumbled to the bathroom. She’d never been a morning person. He still recalled the time they’d gone camping together. He’d risen with the sun and caught fish for their breakfast. When he woke her up to proudly show her his catch, she’d screamed so loud, he’d dropped them in the fire and they’d ended up eating cold cereal, without milk.
Ah, Jenny, he thought. If only they could go back and make it all right between them. If he could take back leaving and she could take back being with—
He swore under his breath. After all this time, it still bugged him. Telling himself it shouldn’t matter didn’t seem to help. In Phoenix it had been easy to forget, but here, there were too many reminders. When would he learn to let go?
They were different people now; adults carrying
He reached up and touched her cheek, brushing away the tear she hadn’t felt fall. “What happened to us, Jenny? Why did we have to become enemies?”
“I don’t know. It’s late. We both need to get some sleep.”
He stiffened at her words. “I should leave.”
“You don’t have to.” She held his palm tightly against her face, savoring the rough calluses against her smooth skin. He asked silent questions. “I have a spare room. You’re welcome to use it. I know how you hate the big house.”
His fingers tightened slightly, pulling her closer. His free hand cupped the back of her head. “You shouldn’t trust me. I’ve turned into one hell of a bastard.”
There wasn’t a whole lot more damage he could do. The man had already broken her heart. “Maybe. But you can stay anyway.”
She led him down the short hall. The spare room held a daybed and an old dresser. The white ruffled spread looked especially feminine as she watched Chase look around the small space.
“Thanks,” he said. “I appreciate this. I really didn’t want to go back to the house.”
Jenny pulled linens and a blanket out of the hall closet, while Chase went to retrieve his luggage. Their good-night was brief and awkward, consisting of avoided glances and mumbled words.
Lying in her own bed, listening to the muffled noises of the shower, she wondered if she’d been mad to invite him to stay. If her father found out… Jenny chuckled, already hearing his lecture on morals and behaving like a lady.
Plumping up the pillow, she turned on her side. Part of her prayed that William Jackson would outlive them all. Most of her believed that was unlikely. That the old man had survived this long seemed a miracle. And when he was gone, Chase would leave, too.
It wasn’t just about leaving, she thought, staring at the sliver of light shining under her door. Chase had always believed in looking out for himself. Time and both their fathers had only reinforced the lesson. Once, she’d believed that, too. But the last eleven years had taught her that family was everything. When she’d expected them to turn away from her shame, they’d stood by her, offering support and a place to live. She couldn’t turn her back on what she owed them. Not for herself, not even for Chase.
Once she and Chase had been two halves of the same whole. Now they were just two people who’d once been in love.
*
Chase looked out the window and watched the sky lighten from black to gray to pale blue. From his place on the daybed, he could see a little of the roof and part of an old gnarled oak tree.
Sleep had been welcome, if unexpected, but he’d suddenly awakened a little after five a.m. and had been unable to relax since. His mind leaped from topic to topic, thinking about his father lying in the hospital, shying away from his responsibility to the mill, wondering how it was possible Jenny had become more beautiful and how he could still be attracted to the one woman he’d done his damnedest to hate.
He heard her alarm buzz, then the soft pad of her feet as she stumbled to the bathroom. She’d never been a morning person. He still recalled the time they’d gone camping together. He’d risen with the sun and caught fish for their breakfast. When he woke her up to proudly show her his catch, she’d screamed so loud, he’d dropped them in the fire and they’d ended up eating cold cereal, without milk.
Ah, Jenny, he thought. If only they could go back and make it all right between them. If he could take back leaving and she could take back being with—
He swore under his breath. After all this time, it still bugged him. Telling himself it shouldn’t matter didn’t seem to help. In Phoenix it had been easy to forget, but here, there were too many reminders. When would he learn to let go?
They were different people now; adults carrying
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