Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama, #2) (75)

“Logan and I kissed last night.”

She blinks, but otherwise there’s no reaction. It’s as if we’re in a TV show and someone hit pause. I want to fill the silence with all my rationales and explanations, but I hold back. I owe her time to process too.

“You kissed?” she whispers finally. “How? I mean I know how, but why?” She shakes her head. “Sorry, I’m not making sense. I guess I know why—because you wanted to—but I’m just…”

“Kashvi, I’m sorry. All this stuff with Andrew aside, I know you like Logan. You told me that and I kissed him anyway. Not to mention that we all agreed we wouldn’t get together with anyone in our group, and I broke that trust.”

“Give me a second….” She leans back onto the booth cushion. “I knew you were friends, obviously. And I knew you’d spent some time together helping your grandma, but…did this just come out of nowhere?”

I hesitate. She might be more empathetic if I softened the truth a bit, but I’m tired of keeping secrets. She needs to know what’s really been happening if there’s a chance for us to move past this.

“No, there’s been something growing between us for a long time now. I promise I’ve been trying to fight it—we both have—but Grandma and I got into a car accident last night, and—”

“Wait, you got into an accident? You should have led with that! Are you okay?”

“We’re both okay. It was scary, but neither of us is hurt. It happened close to Logan’s farm, so I called him to pick me up, and…well, things happened.” I avert my eyes like a coward.

“Things like him kissing you.”

“I actually kissed him. But I’m pretty sure he would have done it if I hadn’t.”

I expect her face to contort with shock and anger. But she only sits there, her head cocked to the side, studying me. Then the corner of her mouth quirks up and she leans forward. “Is he a good kisser?”

My mouth drops open. “That’s what you want to know?”

Her grin spreads. “I have to say, I’ve always been curious. He seems like he would be.”

I blink and look around the cafe in case a group of choreographed actors is about to jump out and scream, “Psych! You’re the worst friend to ever exist!”

“Why aren’t you mad right now?”

She laughs and shakes her head.

“But I broke all the rules! I kissed someone you had a crush on?”

“Did you do it to hurt me? Or mess with the group?”

“No. Of course not. We decided we’d stop being alone together, we made promises, but…”

“You couldn’t stay away from each other.”

I nod slowly.

“It sounds to me like you might be falling for him.”

I freeze. I’m scared to admit it aloud, but that’s exactly what it feels like. She must be able to read my expression, because she raises one eyebrow and gives me a knowing look.

“Quinn, how could I be mad about the fact that you’re head over heels for one of my closest friends? You may be trying to hide it right now, but everything about you is screaming it. It’s in your expressions and your voice and the way you talk about him. I wouldn’t deny you that…no real friend would.” Her curls are falling in her face, and there’s such sympathy in her expression that tears prick at my eyes.

“But what about all the things you said before about Logan? You have every right to hate me.”

“Logan is cute, and he’s crossed my mind on occasion, but it’s not like I was dating him. It was only a crush. But I am hurt that you didn’t tell me sooner.”

Now it’s my turn to lift an incredulous eyebrow. “You are literally on a secret date with my brother right now.”

She laughs and holds up her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, you have a point. In my defense it was only coffee, but all right, we’ve clearly both been keeping some secrets. Although my secret is like two days old. How long have you been holding yours in?”

“Since maybe the first day I met you all?”

“Quinn! You liked him all this time and never told me? I thought we were friends!”

“We were! We are, hopefully! That’s why I didn’t want to tell you—I was scared of losing you.”

She blows out an exasperated breath. “That last group really messed you up. You’re lucky you found us.”

My heart soars. “So you really aren’t mad?”

“I’m not mad.”

I take a deep breath. I feel better than I have in months. I could run a marathon. I could bench-press this entire coffee shop.

“Thank god. Logan and I are planning to tell everyone else today at the game. What do you think they’ll say? Because I’m willing to step down if it makes things easier.”

“You absolutely will not do that! Where did you get that idea? Did Logan suggest it?”

“No, he reacted about the same as you.”

“Good,” she huffs, “or I was about to lose all respect for him.” She gives me an encouraging smile when she sees my worried expression. “No one is quitting. They love you and they love Logan—it’ll be fine.”

I’ve tried giving myself the same pep talk, but I never believed it until this second. I think everything is actually going to be okay. We’ll win them over.