Pepper never meant to lose her best friend. Lucas never meant to fall in love.
Yet the aftermath of broken hearts leads them to blur the lines of their friendship forever. When Pepper is dumped by her boyfriend and Lucas is led on by his crush, they...
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A LIST OF EVERY STEP I need to take to be the best date for Pepper is circling my head in a mindless chant. Shower. Shave. Cologne. Iron button-up. Prepare two compliments. Three mints swallowed. Four blue lilies sit tight in my sweaty palm as I adjust the collar of the suit Dad rented for me. I stand at the bottom of her staircase and resist the urge to ogle as she glides down in a sleek, cyan dress.
It hangs off of her small frame with an almost deadly elegance. Her hair is straightened, surely costing her hours out of the day, and falls down her back like a river of obsidian. Sandals that strap up her smooth bronze legs complete the look.
I've already forgotten my two compliments.
Sweet vanilla radiates from her and hits me as she stands right before me. Every cell in my body is aching to lift her chin and steal a kiss from her shy lips. "Hi," I mumble while trying to grasp one of the charming compliments I had planned. I jerk my hand out to give her the flowers.
Delight fills her gaze as she takes them from me. "Hey. These are so pretty. Thank you."
"You look fucking stunning."
Wrong compliment.
Her smile broadens, becoming radiant and making her that much more breathtaking. "Thank you. You're very handsome in a suit. As I thought you'd be."
I pretend to dust myself off and rub my freshly shaved jaw. "You think so? I was tempted to just wear the shirt and some slacks."
She snorts and runs her hand down the blue button-up I tried to match with her dress. "You wouldn't betray me like that." She pats my jawline. "And you know how happy you make me when you shave."
Pleasant tingles work through my body and my heart leaps at her approval.
"Oh my God!"
I jump and jerk my attention up in time to see Mrs. Young clamber downstairs with her phone raised and ready. "You two are stunning. Oh my goodness. Stand next to each other. Quick!" She makes wild motions with her hands to signal for us to stand closer.
Chuckling, I pull Pepper to my side and rest my arm around her waist, trying my hardest not to think about how good she smells or how nice her body feels against mine. We pose and her mother takes a series of pictures, oohing and aahing in continuous awe.
"I wish Mason were here." Disappointment draws over her features and she pouts as she scrolls through the photos. "This is your special night with him." She lowers her phone and hits us with a saddened look. "Make sure you take plenty of pictures with him, okay, honey?"
"Yes, Mama." Pepper pretends to be cheery and smiles, but her posture shrinks into me.
She still hasn't told them. Which means she's still holding on to hope that they'll get back together. Guilt bubbles in my stomach and bile burns my throat. I know why Mason had to leave her. The fact that she's trying not to love him over a misunderstanding hurts me. Then there's a part of me that's glad he hasn't told her the truth just yet. It gives me time to work my way in.
