How to Steal Your Best Friend's Fiancé - London Casey Page 0,57

kind of reasoning for…

“Don’t get too close to the edge,” Emily said.

She opened the door and stepped out to the roof.

I curled my fists tight and shut my eyes for a second.

What the hell are you doing, Liam?

My internal voice was confused. As was I.

I moved out to the roof and looked around.

“This is kind of my secret place to hide from the world,” Emily said.

She looked back at me and her hair danced across her face.

“I can see why,” I said. “This is quite the view.”

“You should come to the edge,” she said. “I won’t push you. I promise.”

Maybe you should. Before things get…

I wasn’t even sure how to finish that sentence.

I walked by chairs, tables, lights… a full setup like an outdoor living room.

“This is perfect up here,” I said.

“I know,” she said. “The building isn’t the greatest. My apartment isn’t the biggest. But up here… it makes it all worth it.”

Emily leaned against the edge, which was about waist height for her.

I crept closer to the edge and looked over.

I wasn’t afraid of heights, but from this high up, it was impossible not to feel a little jittery.

There was another view that was better to me. Another view that made me even more jittery.

I glanced at Emily. “Tonight.”

“Tonight,” she said.

“Carla, Faye, and Robin.”

“Yeah,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll forget them.”

“You said Faye gave her number to you?”

Emily nodded.

“Are you going to call her?”

“It’s not like I’m calling someone for a date,” Emily said with a laugh.

“Wait,” I said. “Don’t dismiss it, Em. That’s a big deal. Music. Singing. That’s your thing.”

“Liam…”

“Come on,” I said. I leaned against the edge of the building with my left side so I could face Emily. “Don’t just let that pass you by.”

Emily shook her head.

She pushed away and I refused to let her get away that easily.

I gently grabbed her arm and pulled her toward me.

Now what?

“Liam, please don’t.”

“What? Tell you the truth?”

“There is no truth.”

“Yes, there is. There’s always truth, Em.”

“This is why I didn’t want to do that tonight.”

“Why not? You’re an amazing singer. You always have been. Nobody is saying you have to give up your life for it. But you have people who want to sing with you.”

“So what?”

“You get something for yourself,” I said. “And you’re damn good at it. I’ll be there for every show, Em. Okay?”

“Stop.”

“I’m serious. I’ll be front row, singing along…”

“Liam, please, don’t ever sing again,” she said.

“Ouch.”

“You know you suck.”

“And you know you’re a great singer,” I said. “I don’t want to tell you what to do… but this…”

“This is the past, Liam,” she said. “That’s the thing with us. We’re the past.”

That felt like she punched me right in the heart.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “We were the past. But this is now. Right now.”

“It was one night,” Emily said. “We had fun. And we weren’t even supposed to be doing that. I feel like-”

“Did you enjoy it?” I asked. “Singing?”

“Of course I did.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“There is no problem,” she said. “You’re making it one.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Did I ask for your help?”

I sucked in a breath. “Damn.”

“See my point?” Emily whispered.

“Yeah, I do. I’m overbearing. I’m a pain in the ass. I get in the way. I push at you. I fight through your stubborn walls…”

“And I didn’t ask for it,” she said.

“But I can’t help it, Em. I have to…”

I caught myself inching closer to her.

And she wasn’t inching away.

That meant we were both getting closer to one another…

My head and heart battled louder than anything I ever heard or felt in my life.

Yet my version of peace was just one life changing decision away.

“Em…”

Her lips moved but she didn’t say anything back to me.

The door to the roof flew open with a bang.

Emily jumped away from me.

I shut my eyes and hated myself. For a ton of reasons.

“Hey, Buzzy,” Emily said.

“I can’t believe… oh… sorry.”

I watched as a young girl froze in place, looking between Emily and I.

Emily’s cheeks were flushed.

“Buzzy, this is Liam,” Emily said. “He’s, uh, my friend…”

Friend.

I moved away from the edge of the roof. I gave a quick wave.

“Liam, this is Buzzy,” Emily said. “She lives in the building.”

“This is a great spot up here,” I said. “Sorry for crashing it.”

“Are you two on a date or something?” Buzzy asked.

Emily and I both laughed.

“I was just getting ready to leave actually,” I said. “Have to get some sleep. Work in the morning. Be careful growing up. Sometimes it’s a