Where We Belong (A Touch of Fate #1)(3)

I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. It’s now or never. “I love you.”

Smiling sweetly, he replies, “I love you, too.”

I shake my head, pinning him with my stare, trying to convey how much my feelings have morphed from friendship into something more. “No. I love you, love you, Ty."

At first he just looks at me, and I’m not completely sure he understands what I’m saying.

But then I see it.

Acceptance, relief, and fear flash quickly through his eyes, before settling on the one thing that makes this all worth it: love. Pure love.

My body sags with relief. This was the right move.

My small bubble of hope is quickly popped as Tyson's expression changes. His face turns cold. His eyebrows narrow. He shakes his head slowly. He looks over at me and then stares at the ground, clenching his fists. When his eyes land back on mine, the love that I saw a second ago is gone. But it was there. I saw the adoration in his eyes. He can fight it all he wants, but it was there.

“Don’t leave. Please don’t leave," I beg, my voice panicky. Desperation takes over. I cling to his arms, trying to get him to look at me, but he shrugs me away. “Stay. Please stay. Stay here with me. I love you." My words rush out, tumbling over each other. I can’t stop them. “I know you’re my best friend, but I love you. I’m in love with you. I want to be with you, Ty. Give me a chance...give us a chance." I reach slowly for his hand, needing to make some sort of contact, but he pushes me away. With his fingers tightly laced together, he placed his hands on his head and paces in circles.

"I know I'm asking a lot," I say, my voice thick with emotion. "I should have told you a long time ago, but I didn't, and I can't change that now."

Tyson keeps walking in circles, clenching and unclenching his fists.

I take a hesitant step toward him. "I know that this is incredibly selfish of me. I know I'm asking you to give up everything, but—"

"I can't believe this is happening," he interrupts. I don't respond because he doesn't give me the chance. "How long, Harley? How long have you felt like this?"

"Years."

"Years?" he asks incredulously, his eyebrows arched.

I nod my head, swallowing hard, suppressing the tears threatening to fall.

His head drops down. His voice is quiet but full of curiosity. "Why now, Harley? Why not a year ago, a month ago, or hell, a week ago? Why now?"

"Because you're too important to me, Ty. I was scared." My voice cracks when I say his name and a fat tear streaks down my cheek. "I didn't want to risk our friendship. I didn't want to lose everything we have if you didn't feel the same way." I squeeze my eyes shut and hang my head in regret. I should have told him sooner, but I've come this far, and I'm sure as hell not giving up now. Wiping away the wetness under my eyes, I step in Ty's path, preventing further pacing. "Would it have mattered? If I would have told you a year ago, a month ago, or a week ago...would it have mattered?"

His eyes are downcast, his lips tilted in a frown. My chest tightens and my hand twitches, wanting to touch him, but I don't.

"Yes," he whispers, looking up at me. "It would have mattered."

"Then it matters now!" I snap. "If it would have mattered then, then it matters now. We can do this, Ty. You just have to take the chance. Please take the chance. Please," I beg.

His emotions shift once again, anger and resentment visibly overtaking the sadness. Reaching for his head, Ty grips his hair tightly and a deep growl rips from his throat. "Damn it, Harley." His voice is low and hard. My eyes widen in shock at the menacing glare he shoots at me. "What the f*ck do you want me to say to that? You're doing this because I told you I'm leaving. Do you realize what you're asking? You're asking me to uproot my entire life. Do you know the work it took to transfer medical schools? And what about Brit?" His mouth parts and a look of horror overcomes his features. "Brit," he mutters to himself. “Fuuuuuck. Brit was right.”

He begins to mumble and I’m not sure if he is talking to himself or to me. “Brit told me you had feelings for me. I didn’t listen. I defended you. I mean...I had hoped you did, but I didn't know. I told her she was wrong and that she was just jealous." He looks at me, eyes wide with shock. “But she was right. My God! All those times I left her to spend time with you...” His words drop off but quickly resume. “I told her there was no way you felt that way about me because you're my best friend." He stops pacing and turns to face me, but his eyes are trained on the ground.

Silence consumes us. Tension fills the air.

“Ty, say something please,” I whisper. “Please tell me what you’re thinking. You’re my best friend, and I know you feel like I’m just throwing this at—"

“But you are,” he interrupts loudly. “You are just throwing this at me, Harley!"

I grip my hands tightly in front of me, wringing my fingers together in pure desperation. My heart slams in my chest. I know he feels the same way. He loves me. I saw it in his eyes. I just have to convince him that this is right. I wait patiently for him to continue, but when his hard gaze lands on me, my hope vanishes into thin air and my heart plummets to the ground. His lips are set in a firm line, and his eyebrows are dipped low in disappointment.