Friend Zone to End Zone - Judy Corry Page 0,28

mountain road at night.

“Y-you told her she was wrong, right?” he asked, his words stumbling out of his mouth. “You didn’t let her keep thinking that I don’t date women because I’m secretly playing for the other team.”

I laughed, enjoying how flustered he was. But since I could see that he was actually worried that I might believe that about him, I decided to put him out of his misery. “I told her she was wrong, and that there was no way you were into men.”

“Good.” He released a long breath, his body relaxing against the leather seat. “Because I am very, very much attracted to women. And only women.”

I grinned. “I figured.”

“You said she had multiple theories.” He peeked at me again, a wary expression on his face. “Were the other theories just as ridiculous as that one?”

“Not quite. But while I said you haven’t dated much in the past few years because you were focused on being the best wide receiver in the league, she thinks it’s more fun to entertain herself with the idea that you’re completely smitten with some woman you’re forbidden from having.”

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel.

“She wasn’t right, was she?” I sat up straighter, suddenly wondering if Hannah had actually been on to something.

But then he said, “I don’t know what Hannah thinks she knows, but if I was secretly in love with someone, you would be the first person to know.”

“That’s what I told her.” I relaxed against my seat again.

We drove in silence as we listened to the soft music from the radio as blue spruce trees passed us by. My mind drifted back to yesterday with Chad and everything I’d been thinking about since he’d humiliated me in front of my followers.

He had to know what he’d done, right?

He was a smart guy.

“What are you thinking about?” Cole asked gently.

I sighed. “I was just trying to figure out what I’m going to do about Chad.”

Cole swallowed before giving me a tentative look. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked when I was quiet for a beat.

“How many pennies do you have?” I asked, because these thoughts were heavy.

“As many pennies as you want.”

I gave him a wry smile, appreciating his patient nature. How many times had we been in this scenario before?

How many times had Chad done something to make me question whether we were really compatible—or that he even valued me at all—and I’d turned to Cole and his strong shoulder to cry on?

Too many times to count.

And maybe it was time to stop counting and stop expecting a different outcome.

Wasn’t that the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

I closed my eyes and focused on my breath for a moment as I tried to decide whether I really wanted to say my thoughts aloud. Because if I said them to Cole, it would make everything all the more real. And I didn’t know if I was ready to accept the reality of everything just yet.

Didn’t know if I was ready to face the fact that I had wasted so many tears on a man who didn’t value me the way I thought he should.

I knew I wasn’t perfect. I had messed up a lot in my life. But I’d thought I was at least good enough for someone like Chad.

It’s not like I’d set the bar so high that I was aiming for someone like Cole.

I knew my place in this world and people like me didn’t end up with guys of the same caliber as my best friend.

“I won’t pretend like I can read your mind,” Cole said in a quiet voice when I didn’t say anything. “But I hope you know that any guy would be lucky to have you, Arianna.”

I must have been feeling a lot more vulnerable than I thought because after he said those words, tears sprang to my eyes.

“You know that, right?” he asked, sounding unsure. “You know that you deserve someone who will thank the gods every day for putting you in their life. You deserve so much more than you’ve put up with.”

And when he looked at me, my stomach felt hollowed out, because he looked so sincere—like he truly believed what he was saying was true.

Instead of telling him he was wrong and listing off all the reasons why, I simply nodded and wiped at the tears escaping the sides of my eyes.

Cole reached over, smoothing a comforting hand along my