“Is this how it’s going to be?” he asks between harsh breaths. “You hit a rough patch with Ryan and you use me to make yourself feel better? To remind yourself that I’m always going to be there for you?”
“You told me you were always going to be there for me,” I point out, confused by this entire mess. I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have kissed him. I’m a total tease and I don’t even mean to be.
Which means I’m an awful, terrible person.
“You need to make up your mind who you want, Olivia.” I watch him warily as he moves about my room so casually it’s like he belongs here. “You can’t have us both.”
With that final statement, he goes to the window and opens it up, crawling through it. I hear his feet hit the ground, hear the slide of the window as he pulls it shut.
He’s gone.
I flop backwards on the bed, pissed at myself. Dustin is right. I totally used him because I’m angry with Ryan. I can’t deny that I have feelings for Dustin, but my feelings are stronger for Ryan.
I need to focus on him—no one else but him.
If Ryan hasn’t already moved on from me.
Want to know what happens next? The second book in the Friends series, MORE THAN FRIENDS is coming soon! Check out the next page for an unedited sneak peek!
MORE THAN FRIENDS
Prologue
Amanda
I’m cruising on my bike, contemplating everything Livvy just told me. She’s going to lose her mind being grounded that long, unable to see Ryan unless we’re at school. At least I’m not in trouble like she is. Guess it pays off to have a trouble-making older brother.
Liv’s going to stress out over Ryan though. She worries about him all the time. I get it—sort of. He seems to play games, and that must get exhausting.
Truthfully, I wouldn’t put up with that crap. But I’m not Livvy.
Thank goodness.
The wind blows through my hair as I make a right into my neighborhood, turning the wild strands into a tangled mess. Not that I care. There’s no one I’m hoping to impress. It’ll just be Sunday night dinner with the family, as usual. I’m not even sure if they’re home yet. Dad mentioned something about going to Home Depot to pick out fall flowers for the yard.
Bleh. I’m glad I made my escape when I did.
My house slowly comes into view and I smile to myself. I might not live in a giant mansion in a fancy neighborhood like my new so-called friends, but our house is nice. Small and on the older side, but it’s cute, with a pretty front yard and a cute porch with a white swing…
Oh. Crap. There’s someone sitting on the swing. His arms are spread out along the back of the wooden frame, his gaze locked directly on me, like he knew I was going to appear at any second.
It’s Jordan Tuttle.
My heart is racing as I press gently on the brakes. It’s like I want to slow down the moment, revel in the anticipation of finding him waiting for me. He rises to his feet, runs a hand over his hair almost nervously and a shuddery breath leaves me.
I remember what it felt like, having those hands on me just last night. His mouth on mine, the words he whispered in my ear. It wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t something I made up inside my head, because seriously. I was starting to wonder if I really was losing my mind when it came to Jordan Tuttle.
But no. Jordan is real. He’s in my life because he wants to be here for some crazy reason. And now he’s waiting for me, his hands on his hips, the faintest smile on his face as he continues to watch me.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as I make my approach, hopping off my bike so I can roll it up the front walkway.
We meet in the middle, Jordan stopping just in front of me. “Nice way to greet me.”
I frown. “How should I greet you?”
“Like this.” His hand is suddenly on my nape when he pulls me in for a too quick yet somehow lingering kiss. My lips tingle when he pulls away and by the smug expression on his face, I know he knows the affect he has on me.
“Jordan,” I chastise, stepping away from him and nearly tripping over my stupid bike. Luckily enough, he catches me by the elbow, steadying me before I fall over like an idiot. “What if my parents are inside?”
“They’re not.” He grabs the bike from me, nudges the kickstand down and sets it in place on the sidewalk a few feet away from us. “Where’ve you been?”
His confidence makes me crazy. He’s so sure of himself and I wish I had even an ounce of his self-assuredness.
I don’t. Not even close. He lives in another realm. I’m just a lowly peon compared to His Majesty, Lord Jordan Tuttle.
“I went over to Livvy’s,” I tell him when I realize he’s waiting for my answer. As usual, my mind wanders when I’m in his presence. “I wanted to make sure she’s okay.”
Jordan frowns. “She is, right?”
“Oh yeah, her mom just grounded her for life.” When he sends me a come on face, I readjust. “Fine, she’s grounded for a couple weeks. No phone. No Ryan.”
“It might do her some good, the no Ryan thing,” he mutters.
I say nothing. I don’t understand the relationship he has with Ryan. They’re friends. Then they’re not. They’re teammates always, and that’s something Jordan has to deal with no matter what.
“What are you up to right now?” I ask, hoping to change the subject.
He smiles. Reaches out to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. I feel that innocent touch all the way down to my toes, which are currently curling in my battered white Converse. “I want to take you out.”
My mouth drops open. “In public?”
The frown is back. It’s not fair, how attractive he still is despite the scowl he’s currently wearing. “Of course, in public. What the hell, Mandy.”
I shrug, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. “We haven’t actually been seen together.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me in close. My body immediately goes hot and I wonder if he has some sort of powerful force field I can’t resist. “I want to change that.”
My gaze meets his and I can’t look away. He’s so sincere. So serious. “What happened between us last night was…”
“Real.” He kisses me again. Another brief brush of lips on lips yet I’m decimated. Shaky all over when he pulls away. When my ex Thad kissed me, I never felt like this. Ever.
Never.
Ever.
Never.
“Maybe we were just caught up in a moment?” I ask tentatively. It’s like I’m always waiting for the bomb to drop. For the joke to be on me. No one in a million years would ever match me with Jordan Tuttle. Not even me. So what’s his deal? Why is he so persistent? I don’t get it.
I like it, but he also scares me. I don’t want to get hurt.
I don’t want my heart to be broken.
“Every time I’m near you, I get caught up in a moment.” One side of his perfect mouth tips up in this semi-smile that is absolutely adorable. I wish I had my phone out so I could snap a pic of him. “Maybe we need to give this a try and see if all we ever experience together is one giant moment.”
“That’s impossible.” The words are out before I can stop them and I slap my hand over my mouth, my eyes wide as I stare up at him.
Jordan actually laughs, shaking his head. It’s a rare sound, but wow, is it amazing. “Nothing’s impossible if you want it bad enough.”
I drop my hand, gaping up at him. “So are you saying that you want—me?”
“Yes.” He dips his head, his mouth hovering above mine. “I do.”
Check out the prequel to JUST FRIENDS, entitled ONE NIGHT, which is available for FREE over on Wattpad! Here’s a sneak peek!
Olivia
“Where’s Em?” I ask as I pull the Jeep door shut, then glance over my shoulder. There’s no one in the backseat, though really I always expect my best friend to call shotgun and sit in the passenger seat. She knows I tend to get carsick but she doesn’t really care.
M
y best friend is kind of selfish sometimes yet I still manage to adore her.
Dustin, my other best friend, smiles in my direction before he puts his car into reverse and backs out of my driveway. “She said she’ll meet us there,” he tells me as we pull out onto the road.
Huh. We always go to parties together. That’s just how we roll, especially during the summer. This is my last party before I leave for Dad’s house in Oregon and I really want to spend my last few hours in town hanging out with Em and Dustin.
“She better,” I mutter, keeping my gaze locked on the window. It’s just past eight-thirty and the sky is twilight blue streaked with varying shades of pink and purple. Normally I wouldn’t notice, but without Em’s constant chatter to distract me, I’m already feeling a little sad.
A little lost.
“Hey.” Dustin rests his hand on my bare knee, giving it a squeeze. I turn my head to look at him, our gazes meeting. His eyes are a warm, dark brown that I usually find comforting but right now, he seems so serious. I drink in his familiar features, a face I’ve stared at for what feels like forever. He’s actually a pretty good-looking guy and yeah, we might’ve fooled around a time or two in the past.
In the not so distant past...
And I’m not sure how I feel about it. We’re cruising into different territory and it scares me.
It also excites me.
“What?” I finally ask, hating how my voice cracks. I clear my throat, try to smile at him and he squeezes my knee again, his hand creeping a little higher up my thigh. I shove his hand off my leg and he shakes his head, laughing.
“Don’t act all down and out because your twin isn’t here. She’s going to be at the party, I promise. She knows how important tonight is to you and I’m sure she won’t leave your side all night,” he reassures, keeping his gaze on the road.
He sounds almost...jealous. Em and I drive him crazy half the time and I know sometimes he feels like the third wheel in our friendship. Other times, it’s like Em’s the third wheel when Dustin and I would rather be alone. It’s hard. I don’t like feeling torn between them.
And I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
“How is she getting a ride to Tuttle’s house?” Jordan Tuttle is the most popular boy in our class, probably the entire school, though most of the time he’s aloof and kind of an asshole. Everyone knows who Tuttle is. He has the most epic blow out parties since his parents are never home. Plus, he’s rich as hell and his house is amazing.
“She got her car back.”
I frown, fighting the irritation that threatens to take hold. Em is constantly getting her car taken away by her parents. Her grades for the last quarter were awful so they took it away for the entire summer, supposedly.
Looks like that idea fell apart after approximately two weeks.
“And you know this how?” I cross my arms in front of my chest, sinking low in my seat. The back of my thighs stick to the soft leather and I grimace, irritated. This is what I get for wearing such short shorts.
“She told me.” He shrugs and my gaze snags on his broad shoulders bared by the tank he’s wearing. I’ve never really been a fan of tanks on guys—or so I thought. I can’t help but notice how defined Dustin’s arms are, the skin smooth and already a warm golden brown from the sun. “She wanted it to be a surprise for you, so put on a good show when you see her next, okay?”
“Weird surprise, but I’ll roll with it,” I say, hating that I feel a little put out. I know how Em usually operates. She’s spontaneous. Erratic.
She’s usually fun. I’m the steady one who needs to plot and plan. Not Em. She’s up for anything, anytime. She needs me to hold her back. I need her to push me forward.
It’s the perfect friendship.
“You leave tomorrow, right?” Dustin asks after a few minutes of no talking, the only sound filling his Jeep coming from the radio. Some obnoxious song that they can’t stop playing is blaring out of the speakers and I’m ready to suggest we hook up my phone playlist or even Spotify, which is my favorite obsession.
“Yeah.” I pluck at a loose thread unraveling from the leg of my jean shorts. They’re so short my pockets show and the hem is completely frayed. “I fly out in the morning.”
“Extra early?”
“Not till nine.” Though that feels early since I’d been sleeping in since school ended. “Knowing my mom, she’ll make us leave by six-thirty in order to get to the airport on time.”
“You can sleep on the plane.”
“Sort of.” Planes are uncomfortable and Dad doesn’t put me in first class so I suffer in the cramped seats sitting next to weirdo strangers who send me sympathetic looks when they figure out I’m traveling alone.
It sucks.
And my attitude sucks even more, I swear. I need to get over myself. Focus on tonight. Focus on the party, spending time with my friends. I need to soak it all up as much as possible before I leave for the rest of the summer.
“I’ll miss you.” Dustin’s voice goes soft and it has the same effect on my heart. He meets my gaze once more and I smile at him, reaching out to touch his knee this time around.
“I’ll miss you, too,” I tell him. It’s the truth. Dustin is my best friend, my everything. We’ve been through a lot, we’ve known each other for what feels like forever, and there is no one else I’d rather have by my side but him.
And Em, too—the three of us against the world is how we’ve always played it.
“You won’t run off with Em all night, will you?” He settles his hand over mine. “I want to spend the last night you’re here together.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back,” I tease, trying to pull my hand out from his, but he tightens his grip, not letting me escape.
“I know you will, but I want to—be with you.” His fingers curl around mine but he never says anything else. I guess he doesn’t have to.
Because he sounds serious and I know what he’s implying. Yes, we’ve messed around. Yes, I’ve never stopped it. Yes, I’ve even enjoyed it, though sometimes I feel guilty afterward, which is stupid, right? Or sometimes it just gets...weird between us, because we’re friends and I know he wants more, and I sort of do, too. But maybe I want something different.
Truth? I’m scared, afraid I might end up stuck with Dustin forever. I know that sounds mean and awful, and I’m a horrible person for even thinking that way, but I can’t help it. I’m only seventeen, and I know there’s more out there. More to explore, more to see, more people to meet and things to do...
And I want to experience all of it.
Just not always with Dustin?
Yeah, fine. I sound like a total bitch. I do love him. He’s always there for me, no matter what. I need to be there for him. I need to let go of my fears and insecurities and focus on the good stuff. How good Dustin and I are together.
Because we really are so good together...
Want to read more? Go to the ONE NIGHT page over on Wattpad!
Read other books by Monica Murphy
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Just Friends
Copyright 2016 by Monica Murphy
This ebook is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web site
s or their content.
Published in the United States of America
First electronic publication: September 2016 by Monica Murphy.
www.monicamurphyauthor.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Books by Monica Murphy
About Just Friends
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Just Friends Page 28