More Than Friends (9 page)

“Jenn, wait.” Her brain won over the arousal beginning a slow pulse in her blood. She took a step back, still holding Jennifer’s wrists. “You’re drunk and your feelings are hurt. You should figure out what you have with this new girl.”

“She’s out with someone else.”

“But you don’t want her to be, do you?” Jennifer shook her head petulantly, and Evelyn had to smile at how adorable she looked. “Then don’t use me as an excuse to tank it. Because we both know that this,” she released Jennifer and gestured between them, “isn’t going anywhere.”

“When did you get so honorable?”

“Hmm, I don’t know.” She’d never thought of herself as particularly
dishonorable
. Had she been perceived that way? She didn’t screw around with attached women, but she didn’t necessarily get attached herself. “Good luck, Jenn. I hope things work out for you.” She smiled before she turned away.

Melanie had settled at a table on the edge of the dance floor, and Evelyn cringed when she realized Melanie had a perfect view of what had just transpired with Jennifer. The only thing worse would be if Kendall were here to bust her balls about messing with Jennifer again.

“Evelyn, so help me,” Melanie began talking as soon as she reached her side, “if you leave me here to sleep with Jennifer Prince—”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Really?”

She nodded.

“Impressive.”

“What?”

“She was all over you. And you’re here with me. You have some kind of willpower.”

“Nah, been there done that,” she said with a fake leer as she slid into the seat next to Melanie. Then she smiled genuinely. “She’s got a girlfriend.” She looked at the crowd of women around them and didn’t see a single one worth turning her attention away from Melanie. “But what about you? See anything that interests you?”

“I’m not ready.”

She shrugged. “When you are, let me know. I’ll fix you up with someone.”

“No way. All your friends are cops. When I do start dating again, I won’t be seeing any police officers.”

She pressed her lips together tightly and nodded, trying not to take the bitter edge of Melanie’s tone personally. Given the demise of her relationship, Melanie’s reluctance to date another police officer didn’t surprise her. “It’s settled then. Tonight is about having fun, not hooking up.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Melanie lifted her beer bottle and touched the neck of it against hers.

So they drank. Melanie already knew most of the other girls they were meeting out, Evelyn’s co-workers. A couple of them, having heard about Kendall’s breakup and trying to be friendly, bought a few rounds. And Jennifer even rejoined them and sent her an apologetic smile, presumably for her behavior on the dance floor. Evelyn nodded in return and gestured toward an empty seat at their table.

After another beer, she switched to water. This was Melanie’s night to cut loose, and she wanted to be a sober, safe ride for her. While she enjoyed her tapering buzz, she watched Melanie chat with the others. She couldn’t remember having been in a social situation like this with just Melanie. When Kendall was around, her outgoing nature commanded more attention, and Melanie had always been in the background, seemingly content with her role as Kendall’s loving partner.

But tonight, she watched as Melanie’s warmth charmed several of the women who had probably barely noticed her before. When Melanie was ready, she wouldn’t have any problem finding someone new to date—cop or no cop.

*

“We’re home,” Evelyn said as she pulled into a spot in front of Melanie’s apartment building.

“Your home?” Melanie mumbled, her words slurred into each other.

“No, yours.” When Melanie didn’t move, Evelyn got out and circled the car. She opened Melanie’s door and caught her as she leaned too far out and nearly lost her balance. She wedged her shoulder under Melanie’s arm and circled her waist tightly.

Melanie cooperated, wrapping her arm around Evelyn’s shoulders. As they headed toward the apartment, Melanie rested against her and they walked in stride together. Maneuvering to Melanie’s door was easier than she would have thought.

“Got your keys?”

“In my purse,” Melanie answered, but she made no move to retrieve them.

Evelyn shifted until she could slip Melanie’s purse off her shoulder, then dug through it until she found her keys. The second one she tried allowed the knob to turn.

“Are you coming in?” Melanie said, her voice husky from the alcohol and the smoke in the bar.

As Melanie draped against Evelyn, her fingers rested against Evelyn’s neck, toying with the collar of her shirt. Her body reacted to Melanie’s suggestive tone and her soft touch, but she mentally chastised herself. Melanie was drunk. Though it wasn’t fair that she should have to turn down two beautiful women in one night, she refused to give permission to her reckless libido. Melanie was definitely off-limits, so she’d already passed up her only viable chance to get laid tonight. But she’d rather be here with Melanie than anywhere else.

“Let’s get you inside.” She shoved the door open with her foot.

Melanie stumbled in ahead of her, leaving her keys hanging in the doorknob. Evelyn pulled them out and closed the door behind her. She would just make sure Melanie was okay. Then she’d leave.

By the time she dropped Melanie’s purse and keys on the hall table, Melanie was well into the apartment. She found her in the bedroom, shoving pale-green and lavender decorative pillows from the bed onto the floor.

“I can’t sleep in this sweater.” Melanie pulled it over her head, then reached behind her and flicked open her bra. When she pulled it off and tossed it onto the dresser, Evelyn forced herself to turn away.

“Okay.” She drew the word out, trying to keep the image of Melanie’s full breasts from imprinting itself in her mind. She jerked open the nearest dresser drawer, muttering to herself, “T-shirts. Where are the T-shirts?”

“Second drawer down,” Melanie answered.

She grabbed the first one she saw, spun back around, and froze. Melanie stood in the middle of the room, making no effort to cover herself. Only the tan lines on her biceps and her rosy nipples broke up the creamy skin of her torso. When Melanie started working at the fly of her jeans, Evelyn threw the shirt at her on her way out of the bedroom. “I—uh—I’ll give you some privacy.”

As she wandered through the apartment, giving Melanie time to change, she noticed things missing. Picture frames, a lamp, Kendall’s favorite chair, all things that now resided in Kendall’s new condo. Their absence left deep shadows.

Over time, Melanie would probably bring in new things to fill those spaces, or maybe when the lease expired, she’d move someplace else entirely. Tonight, Melanie and Kendall had both taken steps toward adapting to their new lives.

Kendall’s social nature helped her cope. She was always the first one to chat up the new rookies on their shift. And her return to dating hadn’t surprised Evelyn anymore than Melanie’s reluctance to do so. Melanie needed time to think, to reflect, and—she would say—to process.

Evelyn sat down on the sofa and swept a hand over the cool leather. Countless nights, she’d hung out here with the two of them. She hadn’t expected the adjustment to be so polarizing for her. Initially, she’d rushed to defend Kendall because she’d seemed so broken right after the breakup, but tonight she’d seen vulnerability in Melanie as well.

She’d been concentrating so much on each of her friends that she hadn’t given much thought to how the change would affect her. She hadn’t considered the void their former relationship left in her life. Maybe Melanie and Kendall’s breakup had been more stressful for her than she thought. Perhaps that’s why she’d had a lapse back there in the bedroom.

For a moment, when Melanie had taken off her sweater, she’d seen Melanie as a woman—not as Kendall’s girl. And when Melanie reached for the fly of her jeans, the jolt of arousal that shot through her had been dulled only by the wave of guilt that followed. She’d always thought Melanie was beautiful, and maybe she’d even had a bit of a crush on her. Who wouldn’t? Melanie was amazing.

But Kendall was like a sister. By extension, shouldn’t the sledgehammer of arousal Melanie’s breasts inspired feel incestuous?

She shook her head. Nothing had happened that she needed to feel guilty about. Stress and the unfamiliar feeling of socializing with Melanie alone had caused all this craziness in her head.

She sighed. She’d go tuck Melanie in, then head home. Certainly, she’d feel more able to cope once she’d gotten some rest. She went back down the hall. The bedroom door was open a crack and she paused outside, listening for sounds from within. She knocked softly and didn’t hear a response, so she eased the door open.

“Melanie,” she said quietly.

Melanie came out of the bathroom wearing the T-shirt Evelyn had tossed at her. Beneath the hem, her firm thighs were bare. Melanie yanked back the comforter and flopped onto the bed.

“Okay, it’s bedtime.” She eased the sheet over Melanie. “Sweet dreams, I’ll call you tomorrow.” When she turned to leave, Melanie rolled over and caught her hand.

“Stay.”

“Mel—”

“Please.” When Melanie tilted her face, the bedside lamp illuminated the loneliness in her eyes.

She sighed, climbed onto the bed next to her, and stretched out on her back. She’d stay until Melanie fell asleep.

“Thank you,” Melanie whispered, as Evelyn switched off the lamp.

Melanie moved closer and rested her head on her shoulder. In the darkness, she pretended not to notice that Melanie’s arm lay across her stomach.

*

Evelyn slammed her hand down on the nightstand, but the blaring sound of her alarm clock didn’t stop, and her fingers encountered only smooth wood. She opened her eyes and stared across the surface of the nightstand at Melanie’s clock, several inches past where hers should have been sitting. She stretched and turned off the alarm. Over her shoulder, Melanie still slept soundly.

She rolled to her back and shoved a hand through the front of her hair. She’d slept in her clothes, and the sheet was twisted and tangled around her waist. She slowly worked herself free, trying not to wake Melanie.

“Oh, hell,” she groaned. She had to meet Kendall in thirty minutes and pretend she hadn’t slept next to her ex all night.

Melanie murmured and shoved her arm farther under her pillow. A strand of hair fell across her face and Evelyn gently swept it back with one finger. She didn’t want to hurriedly throw her clothes on and scramble off to breakfast. She wanted to stay.

The guilt that followed in the wake of that thought compelled her off the bed—quickly. She strode across the room and studied herself in the mirror, finger-combing her unruly hair. Her clothes were a lost cause, but she kept an extra pair of jeans and T-shirt in a backpack in her car. She never knew when she might draw a special assignment with vice that required civilian clothes.

“Hey,” Melanie said from behind her, her voice rough with sleep and last night’s activities. “You stayed.”

“Yeah. I did.”

Melanie propped herself up on her elbow and rubbed her eyes. “Thank you. I’m sorry you had to babysit me last night.”

She sat on the edge of the bed. “Please, I had a good time. How are you feeling this morning?”

Melanie winced. “Uh, hung over. You?”

“I’m good.” She’d stopped drinking well before she’d have to worry about a hangover. “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

“Are you sure? I could make you breakfast.”

Evelyn laughed, a short bark born mostly of the awkwardness of the situation. “I’m—um, supposed to be meeting Kendall in twenty minutes.”

“Post-date breakfast?”

Shit
.

“You didn’t have a date last night.”

She stood quickly, searching for her shoes. Before she could string together an explanation that wouldn’t be a lie, Melanie spoke again, quietly.

“Oh. I see.” Melanie’s expression filled with pain and she wanted to erase it.

“Mel, I—”

“Please, don’t.” Melanie held a hand up. “I don’t want to make you feel you have to lie to save my feelings.”

She sighed and sank back onto the bed. Melanie scooted up until she leaned on the headboard. She let her head fall back against the wood with a dull thud, but she didn’t speak. Evelyn remained silent as well, not sure what to say—what Melanie would want to hear right now. So she covered Melanie’s hand with her own, and when Melanie laced their fingers together, she held on, not caring that she’d be late.

“I’m trying not to ask you when she started dating again,” Melanie said after several minutes of silence.

“Last night was the first.”

“I guess four months is long enough.”

“Are you having second thoughts?”

“No. I can’t say I don’t miss her at times, but when you spend so many years with someone…”

She nodded.

“The separation was the right thing to do. But I hadn’t thought about how I’d feel to hear she was going out with other people.” Melanie smiled, but the usual spark didn’t light her eyes. “It’s partly ego, I guess. I’d like to think I’m hard to get over.”

“You were. But I get it. You don’t want her to be miserable but not necessarily happy either.” She squeezed Melanie’s hand.

“Exactly.” Melanie squeezed back, then released her. “Go. You’ll never make it there in twenty minutes.

“You okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks for making me go last night.” Melanie slid out of bed and followed her to the front door. “And for seeing that I got home safely. I needed to let loose, and knowing I could trust you to take care of me really helped.”

She stopped in the doorway. “I’ll call you later?”

“Absolutely.”

Evelyn tightened her hand on the door casing. Melanie was beautiful, sitting there in her soft T-shirt with her sandy hair falling around her face in sleep-mussed waves.

“I uh—better go. Kendall will be waiting.” She heard the tremor in her voice and forced herself to say Kendall’s name aloud, to remind herself who Melanie was.

Chapter Eight