Read Online Out Of The Friend Zone by Stephanie Nicole - Free Book Online Page A

Brynn didn't want to feel like she was constantly competing with a ghost, the ghost of his wife, his first love. She didn't want to give in and end up falling for him, when he was just going to hurt her somewhere down the road. After all, someday he'd realize that Brynn would never measure up to the woman that Brooklyn had been; where would that leave Brynn?
    But on the other hand, he was such a good kisser, and he could sure shake his ass on the dance floor. He was such a good friend, and he was always there to talk, or listen, or just hang out. He was a great father to Willow, and a great male role model for Barrett. He was a genuinely sweet man; she didn't think Chandler had it in him to hurt anyone, especially not her.
    But then again, he was a man, and what man hasn't hurt a woman at some point in his life, intentional or not?
    By the time the morning sunlight arrived, Brynn knew her line of questioning was getting her absolutely nowhere. How could she even know what he was feeling? She stared at the clock for a few minutes, gave up on sleep and rose to get her shower.
    Brynn then headed downstairs to get a Pepsi. She got the drink out of the fridge, grabbed the morning newspaper from the front porch, and headed out to the back deck to read. She flipped through the paper, looking at all of the articles, but not truly absorbing any of the words she read. Just when she was about to give up, she looked over and saw Chandler walking toward her. He smiled at her when their eyes met, and she put down the newspaper.
    "Good morning. I see you're up early," Chandler said as he reached her deck.
    "Morning. I didn't exactly get much sleep last night. How about you?" Brynn asked, giving him a shy smile.
    "Yeah, not so good. I don't think either one of us is going to get much sleep until we talk about what's happening."
    "I agree," Brynn said nervously. "Are the kids up yet?"
    "Yeah, my mom just came and picked them up. She wanted to take Willow for the day, to go to the beach and offered to take Barrett along with her. I hope you don't mind that I said he could go. I sent them with plenty of sunscreen and strict orders not to go near the water without an adult with them."
    "Oh, that's fine. I trust your mom. After all, you made it out of your childhood alive." She laughed, still nervous. "Besides, I think it's good if we have some time to talk without interruption."
    "Agreed. So, let's talk."
    "Now?" Brynn stammered.
    "Yes, now. I think we need to clear the air, and do it as soon as possible."
    After a few minutes of silence, Chandler took the lead. "Okay, since you don't want to start, I guess I will." He reached across the patio table and grabbed Brynn's hand. "I don't know what's happening between us, but I have to tell you, the feeling I get kissing you is indescribable. I haven't felt this way about a woman in a long time, and quite honestly, it scares me."
    Brynn took a deep breath. He had been incredibly honest, so it was her turn to do the same, no matter how much it made her blush. "Glad I'm not the only one then. I get this tingling feeling every time I'm around you, and it scares me too."
    "Why does it scare you?"
    She sighed. "I really like the friendship that we have, and I don't know where I'd be without you as my friend."
    "I completely agree. Our friendship is very important to me, more important than pretty much anything, other than Willow of course." Chandler paused for a long moment, gathering his thoughts. "When you came into my life, I felt like a part of me had finally been glued back together. I have been broken for so long, but I also don't know if I am really over Brooklyn's death."
    Chandler looked into Brynn's eyes, trying to read her reaction to what he was telling her. "I am so confused. One minute I think I'm ready to move on, then the next I feel so guilty that I am even thinking about it."
    Brynn felt the tears building up in her eyes. She had known this would be hard if they ever pursued it, but now