Free Fairytale Love - Becca & Brian by Melanie Shawn

turned up in the most adorable lopsided smile. “Yeah. Of course.”
    She smiled. She might not know how to handle this whole thing with Brian, but she knew she was happy that he was staying for dinner. Very happy.

Chapter Six

    B rian opened the front door to his parents’ dark house as quietly as possible. He felt like he was a teenager again, sneaking in the house, as he slipped off his shoes so that he could walk soundlessly across the hardwood floors trying not to wake anyone. His dad was doing a lot better, but he still needed all the rest he could get. The last thing Brian wanted to do was wake him up if he’d just fallen asleep.
    As the floor creaked beneath his feet, Brian still couldn’t believe that this was his life. Being back in Harper’s Crossing, working at the shop, caring for his parents and little sister. Not that he would want it any other way. His family needed him, so he was here. But there were definitely moments that his reality seemed surreal, like he was sleepwalking through a bad dream.
    He’d worked so hard to transfer as a true junior to NYU and had only been able to spend one year there before life had cruelly ripped his dreams away from him. A part of him wanted to believe that he’d get back there. His dad was getting stronger every day. Actually, aside from working at the garage, Brian hadn’t really done all that much in the way of caring for his parents in months. His sister was about to leave for college, so his parents would have an empty nest. No little birdies to keep track of.
    Maybe he’d be returning to New York in a few months. Maybe not.
    Honestly, that sounded so far in the future that Brian really wasn’t going to pin any hopes and dreams on it. What he needed to do now was figure out how he was going to make it through this summer and still have his best friend come fall.
    Once he’d opened the refrigerator, Brian pulled out a bottled water and opened it. After taking a swig, he grabbed a bag of tortilla chips and some salsa. He was still pretty hungry. He hadn’t eaten much during dinner with the Sloans. He’d been too busy freaking out. All Brian had been able to think about was how close he’d been to kissing Becca before Krista had interrupted them. And not just how close he’d been but also how close Becca had been. He’d seen the look in her eye, heard the catch in her breath.
    Or maybe he’d just imagined it. It had happened so fast. He was so confused. And his go-to move was useless considering the source of his confusion and his sounding board was one and the same.
    His life had had a lot of unexpected detours, but through it all, he’d had one constant…Becca.
    He pulled out the oak kitchen chair and the legs scraped against the tile flooring. As he sat down and opened the bag of chips, he thought about the same thing that had been dominating his thoughts for the past year—his feelings for his best friend.
    After spending the day with her, he knew that he had to do something or he was going to seriously jeopardize the most important relationship in his life.
    What would have happened if he had kissed Becca in his Jeep?
    Would she have kissed him back? If she had, would she have regretted it since this lip lock would have happened when she was stone-cold sober?
    Yes. They’d already kissed, but Brian would bet money that Becca didn’t remember it. If she had, things would be different between them. Except…things were different between them. He knew he wasn’t acting like himself and figured that it was making Becca act differently.
    When he’d hugged her goodbye tonight, her body had stiffened and she awkwardly patted his back. That had been a first. They’d always had a fairly affectionate relationship. When they’d watched movies together when they were growing up, Becca would always cuddle up next to him. When she’d been cold at high school football games, he’d given her his jacket and she would scoot as close as possible to him,