Crushing on my Billionaire Best Friend - Jolie Day Page 0,88

did my best to swallow it down. I was already on course. Backing down now was not an option.

I saw the light on in Laney’s room the moment I walked in. I almost flung the door right open but skidded to a stop just in time to knock. Barging in on her and that moron certainly wouldn’t help the nerve I’d built up.

I rapped on the door three times. Knock. Knock. Knock.

No answer.

Before knocking again, I got an idea. I looked down to the bottom of the door and slid the napkin underneath.

Three more knocks.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I chewed the inside of my lip and waited.

And waited.

I let out a huge breath when the small corner of the napkin disappeared under the door.

The door opened a few seconds later.

“Oliver?” Laney called out. The napkin was still folded in her hand. “I didn’t hear you. What’s going on? Did you slide this under the door?”

I wanted to tell her to just read it already, but then I noticed the stacks of boxes behind her. “What’s all this?” I pushed past her.

She was packing up everything.

“My building manager called today,” she said. “The renovations are complete, so…I’m going home.”

I looked across the stacks of boxes and then back to her. Fuck.

“Is that what you want?” My throat closed up. “Babe.”

29

Laney

I watched Oliver glance between the boxes and then back to me—his shoulders dropping, and his eyes filling with desperation.

“Babe, talk to me,” he pleaded again, wrapping his hands around my shoulders.

My confusion boiled over, finally pushing me to snap. My throat tightened with burgeoning tears, but I did my best to hold them in.

“What do you want, Oliver?” I shook my head in exasperation. “I’m not sure why you keep asking what I want, but never really answering that question for yourself.”

“Does it matter what I want?” he fired back. “You’re the one who said you didn’t want to risk ruining our friendship. That kind of closes off all the options.”

“Well, what we’re doing now isn’t helping much to save our friendship.”

“Okay, fine. You know what I want? What I really want?” His voice grew desperate, earnest.

“Tell me,” I said.

“But don’t freak out. And don’t run off.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“I want you to stay.” He reached out and caressed my cheek with his thumb. “I never want you to leave. I want to be the only man that you kiss or go on dates with. I want to be the only man that sleeps with you. I want you to be in my bed, every night. I want all of it. I want you, Laney.”

My chin quivered, and I was dangerously close to crying. Seeing his glossy brown eyes searching mine and hearing him say everything I’d always dreamed of him saying since I was fourteen… It was too much.

It all swirled together, snatching up my breath.

I collapsed onto the edge of the bed and buried my face in my hands to cry. The napkin he slid under my door was still balled up in my hands, and I nearly wiped it across my face. But just as I lifted it up, I caught the sight of ink scribbled across it.

I unfolded it slowly and read the words: I’m madly in love with you, Laney.

“What’s this?” I sobbed, growing still despite sniffling. “Did you write this?”

He knelt in front of me, wrapping his hands around mine. “I’m sorry. It’s stupid. I just thought it’d make it easier to… Ah, dammit, Laney. I’m not good at stuff like this. You were right about what you said. But then this—”

“This?” I stared at him, full of hope.

Was this really happening?

Could Oliver really, truly be in love with me? I was dizzy, and my eyes kept reading and rereading his words. Part of me was too afraid to believe it and wondered if I was dreaming, and the other part was overwhelmed with happiness I’d never experienced.

It was so enormous and shattering that my heart began to beat so quickly that I thought I might faint or die and go to heaven.

“I thought it was just an accident. What started happening between us.” His voice was low and raspy. “But maybe deep down I knew what I was doing all along. I love you.”

“Oh, Oliver…”

“I kept trying to block the bigger picture, but the more I had of you the more I wanted. I want you to stay. I don’t want us to have to avoid each other because we might sleep together again. I want