Kyle knew that John's friends were nosy and up each other's asses, but he didn't realize Becky was as bad as the guys. He motioned for her to go into the living room and went to the kitchen to grab two waters. When he got back, he flopped down onto his couch.
“We're just friends. She says it all the damn time. I think you're smart enough to know I like her. I've liked her since the day I first saw her. Gavin gave me shit and told me to stay away from her. I'd just moved here. My goal was to build my life into something great where I would be able to take care of a family. I knew I needed to impress Ethan and work hard. I did everything I could to stay away from her. She fucking got married. Then she got divorced. We started hanging out right after Hawaii.”
“You've been talking for two months?” Becky interrupted.
“Yes,” he said. “She stays here on the weekends. We run together every morning.”
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said. “I got her a laptop and loaded my games on it. She's even been coding herself.”
“No shit!” Becky said.
“She's pretty good at it. We cook together here and hang out all weekend. It's absolutely perfect. I've never made a move or anything. I know she doesn't like me. I was right fucking there, and she married that asshole. I was going to invite her to that event. She told me she was busy that night with Gavin. I didn't even think about it. Some slut started hanging all over me as soon as I got there. You know how they are. Now that they know who I am, they're all over my ass. I can't stand it. I couldn't shake this one. She even sat in Ethan's chair for dinner. I sent Jenny a text and asked her to dance. I was ready to put it out there. Gavin would have been pissed, but I didn't care. I wanted to dance with her so damn bad. She was beautiful. She said no. She seemed mad. We were at tables across the room from each other. The next thing I knew, she was gone. We were supposed to come back here after, but she text me that she wasn't coming. I was pissed. I felt like I was good enough to spend time with here but not good enough to be seen with at some fancy event. I took off for a run. When I got home, my house key and laptop were on the table and everything she had in my guest room was gone.”
“She had a key to your house? She had her stuff in a room here? You two never even kissed, right?” Becky asked.
“We only kissed once in Hawaii. You already knew about that. Here's the text she sent. It tore my heart out.”
Kyle showed her Jenny's text and his response.
“If all I can have with her is friendship, I'll take it. I can't fucking lose that.”
Becky looked up at him with sad eyes.
“You really like her,” she whispered. “She likes you too.”
“Bullshit,” he said. “She doesn't.”
“I've seen the way she looks at you, Kyle. She really cares about you. She liked someone before she got married, but she never thought he liked her. I think it might have been you. If she didn't like you, why would she have gotten all pissed off that there was a woman hanging all over you?”
“You have no idea how hard it was seeing her married to someone else. Why didn't Gavin threaten him? He ended up hurting her.”
“You be at that running spot tomorrow morning. What time do you usually run?” Becky asked.
“Seven,” he answered. “You can't tell her you talked to me, Becky.”
“She'll be there,” Becky said. “You just make sure you don't look like this. You'll scare her ass away.”
Kyle wrapped his arms around Becky and laughed.
“Thank you,” he said. “Your man will be pissed if he finds out you helped me.”
“I'll deal with his ass,” she said. “Get some sleep and clean your ass up.”
“I'm on it,” he said, as he closed the door behind her.
Chapter 26
Jenny
Jenny was under her covers with her tablet in her hand when Becky walked in. She approached with caution. If Jenny wasn't so sad, she would have burst into laughter. Becky sat down at the end of the bed quietly. After a few minutes of Jenny saying nothing, Becky finally spoke.
“What has you in a funk?” Becky asked.
“Nothing,” Jenny answered. “Don't feel like getting out of bed.”
“Why were you crying?” Becky asked.
“Just thinking about things. I'm fine.”
“How was the event?”
“Good,” Jenny answered.
“You're not going to give me anything here are you?” Becky asked.
“Nope,” Jenny answered.
Jenny was relieved when Becky left the room. She didn't hear from her the rest of the night. Jenny read Kyle's last text over and over. She couldn't decide if she was going to show up in the morning or not. There was no way she was going to get hurt by another asshole. Kyle had the ability to hurt her beyond repair. She had no claim to him. They'd said the entire time that they were friends. He was allowed to fuck whoever he wanted. Seeing that woman's hands on him made Jenny sick to her stomach. She couldn't be friends with him and see him with someone. It would eventually happen. There was no way he was going to stay single forever. He obviously wasn't interested in her. She'd slept a room away from him so many times, and he'd never made a move on her. She wasn't going to be the one to put her heart out there. What if he rejected her? What would she do? What if they got together and he decided she wasn't enough anymore? There were bound to be women all around him. What if she walked in on him and someone else? She couldn't do it. There was no way she could ever recover from that. She had too many feelings for him.
Jenny jumped when she heard her door open. She looked over at the clock. It was just after six in the morning. What the hell did she want? Maybe it was Gavin or the kids, she thought. Jenny sat up in bed.
“Is everything okay?” Jenny asked.
“With me, yes,” Becky answered.
She flipped the light on and started pulling out the drawers on Jenny's dresser.
“What are you doing?” Jenny asked.
Becky pulled out a pair of shorts, t-shirt, and sports bra and threw them on the bed.
“I'm not doing anything. You're going running,” Becky said in a demanding tone.
“No, I'm not,” Jenny said, as she pulled the covers up and fell back onto the bed.
Becky jerked the covers from the bed and threw them on the floor.
“You're damn lucky I don't sleep naked,” Jenny snapped.
“You're right about that. You didn't run yesterday. You go every morning. Get your ass moving,” Becky said, as she stood at the end of the bed.
“No,” Jenny said.
“You're not giving up the information here. I'm not dealing with another day of your moping. Get your ass out there and run.”
“I can't,” Jenny said.
“You can, and you will,” Becky said. “Do you want me to go with you? You run at the park over by the school. Come on.”
“You can't go,” Jenny said.
“Why is that exactly? Will I find something when I get there? I'm not stupid, Jenny. You're going for that run. I've seen the way you look at him. I figured something out yesterday.”
“What's that, smarty pants?” Jenny asked.
“It's him,” Becky said. “When you got married, you were settling. You never got the man you wanted. That man was Kyle.”
Jenny knew her eyes were wider than they had ever been in her life.
“He likes you,” Becky said. “I don't give a shit what Gavin or anyone else thinks. I am here as your friend. You are not going to ruin your friendship over something stupid. I don't exactly know what it is, but I do know that it's not worth it.”
“I don't belong in his world. I figured that out at the event. He's so much better than me and way the fuck out of my league. I'll never be good enough for him,” Jenny said.
“Am I good enough for Gavin?” Becky asked.
“Of course,” Jenny answered. “That man is so in love with you.”
“I was j
ust a developer. He was my boss. You do remember that, don't you?” Becky asked.
“That's different,” Jenny said. “I never even went to college.”
“Did you ever think to ask Kyle if you belonged in his world? That's not your decision. He watched you marry someone else.”
“He doesn't like me,” Jenny said.
“Bullshit,” Becky said. “I know different. I can't tell you how I know, but I do. I get that you're afraid to get hurt, Jenny. I feel for you. I really do. Are you willing to let a great guy pass you by just so you don't get hurt? What if you don't? What if he's the one? Would you rather never know just so you can keep your heart whole? Gavin does not know I am in here. He'd be pissed if he heard me. You are my friend and my family.”
Becky picked up the clothes she had gotten out of the drawer and held them out toward Jenny.
“You can't let yourself lose this friendship. I've never seen you as happy as I have since we got back from Hawaii. I can't let you do this. Put these damn clothes on and get to that park, or I'm going to drive you there myself.”
“Don't say anything to Gavin,” Jenny said.
“I'm here as your friend,” Becky said. “He'll know when you're ready. He feels bad that he didn't save you from that asshole. It's his way of showing that he cares. Clean yourself up. You're a mess.”
Jenny got out of the bed, snatched the clothes from Becky's hand, and stormed off to the bathroom.
When she pulled her car into the parking lot, she was so afraid he wouldn't be there. He was sitting on a bench, looking down at his phone. She got out of her car, and he looked up at her.
“I'm sorry,” they both said at the same time.
Jenny laughed.
“It's none of my business what you do. It was stressful being there around all of those people. I'm not sure why Gavin took me with him. I'm sorry for getting crazy about everything and saying that you act like you don't know me. I do believe that I don't fit into that world. That won't change. Seeing you standing there after donating five million dollars was an eye opener. You've done great things. It's great that you and Ethan do what you do.”
“I don't want to lose what we have, Jenny. I like spending time with you. I get that you didn't want to dance with me. I'm okay with it. I just want to get back to where we were,” Kyle said. “You ready to run?”
She nodded. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she was too afraid to say them. Why wasn't she more like Becky and Julie, she wondered? Why was she so afraid to speak her mind?
They ran longer than normal. Jenny didn't want her time with him to end. When they were finished, she wasn't sure what to do. She knew if she just walked away there would be a chance they would stop talking. There was no way she was ready for that.
“You hungry?” she asked. “Let me take you to breakfast.”
“In public?” he asked with a laugh. “I need a shower first. Why don't you come over my house. We can make breakfast after we take showers. I'll let you take me out later. Stop and get clothes at your house on the way.”
“I already have them in my car,” she said.
She saw the question in his eyes and didn't want him thinking that she planned to spend the day with him.
“Don't get a huge ego. I never emptied my car when I came to get my stuff. I'll see you there.”
Jenny got into her car and pulled away. She hoped that they could just pick up where they left off without everything getting awkward. When she pulled into his driveway, she got out and went to sit on the swing to wait for him. He pulled in moments later. When he walked up, he had a smile on his face. Then he unlocked the door and opened it for her.
“Are you coming?” he asked. “I was out running the other night when you came over to drop the key and laptop off.”
“Can we not talk about that?” she asked, as she walked into the house. “It was a rough night for me.”
“It was a rough night for me too,” he said. “Go shower. You know where your room is.”
Jenny walked up the stairs and down the hall to the guest room. She couldn't help but wonder if she would ever be more than just a friend to him.
Chapter 27
Kyle
Kyle went to his room and took the longest, hottest shower he'd taken in a long time. She was only one room over. What he wouldn't give to have her pressed up against that shower wall, he thought. Being friends would be okay for a bit, but that would need to change. He'd almost lost the relationship they did have, and he wasn't going to risk it again. If he was going to lose her, it would be with her knowing exactly how he really felt. He knew after what had happened between them that he needed to give it a little time. A little time was fine, but he was going to put it all out there. What happened that Friday was bullshit. She should have been there with him, he thought.
When Kyle finally turned off the water that had gone cold, he got dressed and headed downstairs. He could smell the bacon before he turned the corner. She was standing at the stove, with her wet hair down to her shoulders, cooking and singing. Kyle could see her every day and never get tired of being around her. He walked up behind her quietly and wrapped his arms around her.
“I'm sorry,” he said, as her body shivered in his arms. “So damn sorry.”
“Me too,” she said.
He felt her body relax against his before he pulled away. A little time, he thought. He could do that.
Life went right back to the way it was between them, but he could feel the tension. He wasn't sure which of them was holding back or why they were doing it, but something was different.
The next three weekends, she went to his house. They spent time on the laptops playing and learning. They cooked, watched movies, and relaxed in the hot tub. She met him each morning to run as well. Kyle did notice that she hadn't left anything in the guest room like she had before. She brought things with her and took it all home at the end of the weekend.
Kyle couldn't take it anymore. He wanted things to change. They were in the basement on the laptops, and she'd made her first program that she'd be able to use at work. It was going to save her time, and she was excited. Kyle stood up and looked down at her.
“Get ready,” he said. “We're going out to dinner.”
“No,” she said. “We can just cook here.”
“You said you weren't embarrassed to be around me in public. Isn't that what you said?” he asked.
She looked at him and laughed.
“I'm not embarrassed to be seen with you, Kyle. I enjoy cooking with you. It's a lot of fun for me.”
“Me too,” he said. “I want to take you out to dinner tonight. You should be so proud of what you just did. Look at how fast you're learning. I'm so damn proud of you, Jenny. Go get ready.”
Jenny looked at him and shifted from foot to foot.
“Go,” he said in a rough tone.
She turned and took off up the stairs. Kyle changed into jeans and a t-shirt and sat in the living room waiting for her. When she walked in, he could tell she was nervous. He'd seen her a million times dressed up for work. He'd even seen her in formal wear at the charity event. Seeing her with her hair done in jeans and a t-shirt had him just as turned on. She was beautiful inside and out.
“You ready?” he asked.
“I don't know about this, Kyle. You sure you want to go out there with me?” she asked.
He shook his head and laughed.
“There's nobody I'd rather take than you. Come on,” he said.
He opened the car door for her to get in. She laughed when he walked around and got in.
“What's so funny?” he asked.
“I've never been in your car,” she said.
“This is it,” he said. “It's nothing impressive. I spent all my time working on the house when I wasn't at work. The last few months, I've spent my time with you. I never really thought about getting another car.”
“This is a nice car,” she said.
Kyle took her to an Ita
lian restaurant he liked. They laughed and joked all through dinner. She didn't think twice about reaching over and taking a bite of his food. After she'd done it, he watched her eyes widen.
“I'm sorry,” she said. “I shouldn't have done that.”
“Why not?” he asked. “You do it at home all the time.”
He reached over with his fork and took a bite of her food.
“See,” he said. “I like that you're comfortable around me.”
They ordered three desserts and both ate off of each of them. Kyle had never been on a dinner date and had so much fun before.
When they were finished, he opened her door for her and then got into his car.
“What do you want to do now?” he asked.
“I don't know,” she said. “I'm about to bust. That food was amazing. I can't believe I haven't gained a ton of weight being around you.”
“That's why we run,” he said with a laugh.
“Can we just go back to your house? Do you have anything you want to do?” she asked.
“Would you like to go shoot pool?” he asked.
“I'm not good at it,” she said.
“I'm not that great either. It's fun though,” he said. “We don't have to go.”
“I'd like to,” she said.
Kyle showed her how to break. He won the first game, but he noticed her getting better as they played. She was laughing so loud by the time they finished their third game. Jenny left to get them each a soda. When she came back, he saw a difference in her attitude. Kyle walked over to her and put his hands on her arms.
“What's wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she said.
“Jenny,” he said sternly. “Talk to me.”
“It's not your problem,” she said.
The Future of Love (Bachelor Billionaire #6) Page 12