Crushing On The Billionaire (Part 1) (8 page)

I opened my mouth and closed it again as Shawn parked. I had to do this. It was the right thing to do. I felt sick with the truth inside, and sick at the thought of letting it outside, letting it be known. All I knew was that I was hiding something from my best friend, and it didn’t feel right or good.

“Shawn, I have to tell you something,” I said, touching his knee softly. I didn’t care what Patrick might think about telling his son about us. There wasn’t a reason to hide. If what Patrick and I had was real, then we had every right to shout it from the rooftops. At least that’s what I kept telling myself, building my confidence even though my heart was pounding.

It just had to start here, with Shawn. He had to know first.

“I have something to tell you, too,” he said, capturing my hand, and I wondered, foolishly, if he already knew. If he’d guessed. Or if Patrick had already told him. “Can I go first?”

“Sure,” I said, my heart hammering against my chest. His hand was overly warm on mine, and although we were often physically affectionate with each other, this handholding was a first. I wondered if I could gently extricate my fingers, but his grip was pretty tight.

“You’ve been my best friend throughout all of college, and I’m so excited we have the chance to work on our senior projects together,” he said.

That was it? The tension in my muscles slackened. “You’re my best friend, too, Shawn, and I’m thrilled we get to collaborate. We’re going to have an amazing senior project.”

“I wasn’t finished,” he said, laughing. “I get along better with you than with anyone else, and I really feel like you understand me. I can be myself whenever I’m around you, and you’re always pushing me to be better.”

The world was starting to turn a little slower, and the tension was back. I was gripping his hand just as hard as he was holding mine out of sheer nerves.

“I guess what I’m trying to get around to saying, Loren, is that I love you. I’m in love with you. And when I picture us together, taking our friendship to the next level, well, I’ve never been happier.”

The world ground to an abrupt halt, and my stomach flip-flopped, thrown completely off balance.

Shawn leaned in and kissed my cheek softly before I could do anything about it, and I swallowed hard.

“Now,” he said, patting my trapped hand with his other hand. “What did you want to tell me?”

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