Seducing My Dad's Best Friend novel · Chapter 16 of 24

Chapter 16: The Word

The rock cut came up on the left, a wall of gray stone with ice hanging off it.

I kept my speed at thirty.

The new guardrail ran along the lake side, bright in the sun, and the road bent around the stone.

Gabe's hand was locked on mine so hard it hurt.

I let it.

"Breathe," I said.

"I am."

"You're not."

He took a breath, shaky and loud.

We went past mile four at thirty miles an hour with nothing on the road but us.

On the other side the road straightened out and ran flat along the water, and he laughed once, a cracked sound.

"That's it?" he said.

"That's it."

"Fourteen years."

"It's a road, Gabe."

"It's the road."

"It's both."

I drove another mile and pulled onto the shoulder, because I needed to say something and I did not want to say it at thirty miles an hour.

I turned off the engine.

The lake lay flat and pewter beyond the rail.

"Rule three," I said.

"Vic."

"We said neither of us says it. I'm breaking it."

"Don't."

"I love you."

He went still.

"I've loved you since you carried me up the dock steps with my knee open," I said. "I loved you at twenty-four when you almost kissed me. I love you right now, and I'm furious at you, and both of those are true."

His eyes were wet and he did not look away.

"I'm not asking you to say it back," I said. "I'm telling you so you can't pretend I don't know what I'm doing."

← Chapter 15 · All chapters · Chapter 17 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend