She nodded. “Right now you’ve got to fake this relationship, right?”
“Yes.”
“The entire world thinks it’s true, and the only people who know differently are me, Mike, Noah, and our folks. Don’t let our parents know there’s anything between the two of you yet. If they find out, they’re only going to butt in. I’m pretty sure your father is putting on a show. I can’t imagine him not wanting you to be with Landon. Malcolm knows how much Landon adores you.”
I nodded.
“It’s the idea of it. Everyone has always thought the two of you would end up together, our folks included. If they know that you’re dipping your toes into something more than friendship, it’s only going to make this harder.”
“So, you want us to pretend to the world that we’re engaged and lie to our family that we’re not attracted to each other while secretly exploring what this is between us?”
“Exactly!”
I closed my eyes and dropped my head. “I have a headache.”
“Mike is over with Landon now telling him the same thing I’m telling you. Emme, I love my parents with every breath I have. But they tried so hard to micromanage my relationship with Mike in the beginning.”
I felt my eyes widen in surprise. “They did?”
“God, yes! My mother was the worst. She asked me constantly how things were going, offered suggestions on things Mike and I could do for dates. God love her, but she is a classic Southern, busy bee mother. With Mike working so much in Dallas, my mom is constantly offering her advice when I don’t ask for it. She actually asked me once if I had enough sexy outfits.” Hailey closed her eyes and shuddered. “She wanted to take me shopping for some. And Paislie is no better. Hell, if it were up to our mothers, Clarisse would still be our nanny simply so she would have someone on the inside to report back!”
I couldn’t help but giggle, because I knew it was true. Clarisse had worked for our parents as our nanny for as long as I could remember. They even kept her on when we were in high school, in case we ever needed her.
“I’ll talk to Landon and see what he wants to do. I mean, all we did was kiss. Twice.”
The corner of Hailey’s mouth rose into something that looked like a smile but was a bit more wicked. “How was it?”
Then she closed her eyes and threw her hands out in front of her and gagged. “O-M-G. I feel like I just crossed a line by asking that.”
“So don’t answer?”
She sighed, shuddered and then said, “No, I really want to know. You’re my best friend and he’s my brother. I want you both to be happy.”
Closing my eyes, I sighed as I buried my face in my hands. “So amazing. It made me…” I dropped my hands to my lap and looked at her. “It made me want…”
She nodded and motioned with her hands. “Made you want what!”
“More.”
Slapping her hand on her leg, she jumped up. “Then tell him that! Christ, Emme. If you want more, take it.”
“Take it?”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “Yes. Take it. Dig down deep and let the inner sex goddess you have hiding in there out.”
I laughed. “This is Landon we’re talking about.”
Her hands went to her hips. “Okay, let me attempt to forget this is my brother we’re talking about for a moment so I don’t throw up.” She paused. “Close your eyes.”
“What? Why?”
“Just do it!”
Closing my eyes, I waited for her next direction.
“Now, remember how your body felt when Landon kissed you. Either kiss. The one on the dance floor or the one y’all shared in the limo. How did that make your body feel?”
“Hot,” I answered without thinking.
“Was it the kiss that made you feel hot, or Landon who made you feel hot?”
My eyes snapped open, and I met her gaze.
She waggled her brows and asked, “Well?”
“It was…it was Landon.”
“There you go. Stop thinking of him as Landon, your best friend, and think of him as Landon, the guy you want to have hot sex with.” She frowned. “Eww, I think I might gag.”
Laughing, I stood and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, Hail. I’d be lost without you.”
“That’s what best friends are for.”
Her phone rang, and she smiled. “That’s my mom. She’s asking when we’re heading down to the bar; they’re waiting on us.”
I nodded and reached for my phone to send Landon a text that I was nearly ready. Hailey texted Mike as well.
Walking over to my bag, I pulled out my sneakers and socks and sat down to put them on. A knock on the door had Hailey heading over to answer it. I looked up to see Mike and Landon standing there.
“Hey, my mom wants us to get down there,” Hailey told Mike.
“We’ll see you down there then, Landon,” he said.
Landon and Hailey walked past one another, switching places. She and I exchanged another look, and she smiled as Landon told them to let our folks know we would be right down.
When the door shut, he turned and then leaned against it. God, he was so handsome. I’d always thought he was, truth be told. I had just never wanted to explore that thought process too much.
After tying my sneaker, I dropped my foot to the floor and glanced around the room, really taking it in for the first time. The large, floor-to-ceiling windows took up one whole side, with the bed, a dresser, and a desk filling the rest of the room. It was elegant, but nothing too fancy.
“So, Mike thinks we should keep what happened between us in the limo to ourselves.”
I nodded. “So does Hailey.”
Landon walked over and pulled the desk chair out, swung it around, and sat down on it. He had changed into a long-sleeve black shirt and jeans. He had on sneakers and a baseball cap with the number of the car he owned on the front. Lord, he looked so yummy sitting there.
“What do you think?” I asked as I twisted my hands together in my lap.
Landon looked out the window and stared for a few moments before he faced me again. “I think first we need to be honest with one another.”
My heart felt like it dropped to my stomach. Why did those words create both panic and excitement? I nodded. “Okay.”
“Emme, my feelings for you are not platonic, and they haven’t been for some time.”
His words made my eyes widen. “How long have you felt this way?”
He swallowed hard. “Years.”
“Years!” I nearly shouted. “How many years, Landon? One, two, five?”
With a shrug, he said, “Since middle school.”
If I wasn’t already sitting down, I was positive my legs would have given out. “Why…why did you never say anything?” I brought my hand up to my mouth as I gasped. “All those times I shared my breakups and…and…and more with you. Oh my God, and you felt that way about me, and I had been talking about other men?”
“It’s okay, Emme. The only thing I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy. For you to find the person who makes you happy.”
“Yet, you didn’t think it was important to tell me you had feelings for me? Romantic feelings?”