Chapter 6
Chapter Six
HUNTER
BACK INTO A PUMPKIN
Shouldering open the front door, I balance the coffee, bagels, and plastic bag dangling from my fingers.
“Hunter? Is that you?”
A groan echoes from deep inside Ollie’s house.
“It’s me.”
Toeing off my boots and shaking the snow from my coat, I drop everything onto the counter, grab the one thing I need, and find Ollie slumped over his toilet.
“How you feeling there, champ?”
“Ugh. Why did you let me drink so much?”
“I tried stopping you, but you’re the one that decided to keep going.”
He peers up at me, one eye open, sweat clinging to his forehead. “Isn’t that your job as my boyfriend?”
“Technically, I’m no longer your boyfriend. And I did try to stop you.”
“Why didn’t I let you?” he groans.
“Because you were the life of the party. Talking about making crackers.”
“Oh, God, really? Ugh. Remind me never to drink that much again.”
I unscrew the cap of the bottle I’m holding and hand it over to him. “Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.”
He shakes his head, closing his mouth. “I don’t know if I’m going to be able to stomach that.”
“I got the blandest flavor I could. Electrolytes help everyone.”
“I usually make myself soup and then curl up on the couch and watch movies all day.”
“Well, then,”—I grab a washcloth from the cabinet and wet it down—“if you can pull yourself together, I’ll order us some soup and we can watch some Christmas movies on the couch together.”
“Is this part of your boyfriendly duties?” he asks, eyes closing as I press the cool cloth to his forehead.
“Nope. Boyfriendly duties ended at midnight.”
“Are you a pumpkin?”
I laugh, tossing the damp rag into the sink.
“Not a pumpkin, but I don’t want to leave you hanging out to dry on your own. Besides, I don’t have anything going on today.”
“That’s a lie,” Ollie says, pushing himself to stand.
“What do you mean it’s a lie?”
“I know for a fact that you’re supposed to be at Naughty Pine.”
“Naughty Pine can get by without me for a few hours. Perks of owning the place.”
“Are you sure?” Ollie asks.
“Yes, I’m sure.” I nod and steer him out toward the living room. “Trust me, if I really needed to be there, I’d be there.”
“Have I ever told you what a great friend you are?” Ollie gives me a thankful look as I help him onto the couch and cover him in a blanket.
“Not in the last week.” I smile at him.
“You’re a really good friend.”
“You know I’d do anything for you.”
Ollie wraps himself like a burrito in the blanket and starts flipping through the streaming services on his TV while I order us some soup.
This isn’t how I planned on spending my Saturday, but it’s a pretty good interruption in my usually busy schedule. I order Ollie soup and bread—the blandest I can find to not upset his stomach—and get myself a few more things. I know the bagel isn’t going to cut it today.
When I take the spot next to him, Ollie scoots over and burrows in close to me.
“This will make me feel better,” he sighs, sinking into me.
“Then I won’t go anywhere.”
Huh. This is nice.
Ollie and I have always been touchy-feely with each other, but why does this feel different?
I’m tempted to kiss the top of his head. To pull him closer and run my fingers through his hair. But that’s not something friends would do.
Boyfriends? Yes.
Friends? No.
The boyfriend clock expired at midnight. I’m back to being Hunter, Ollie’s best friend. A title I wear proudly.
I kick my feet out onto the coffee table, and Ollie does the same. I ignore the zing of electricity that shoots through my leg as his toes brush against my calf.
That is definitely not a best friend feeling and something I definitely don’t need to be experiencing right now.
This is Ollie. He knows everything about me. And I know everything about him.
Well, almost everything.
Because I did just learn the other night that he’s still a virgin.
Not that it matters to me, but it has my wheels spinning on who deserves Ollie. He shouldn’t give it up to just anyone at this point. No. It needs to be someone who sees him for the special person that he is.
So why does the thought of him dating anybody make me inordinately angry?
“You okay, Hunter?” Ollie asks, peeking one eye up at me.
“Fine, why?”
“You’re starting to growl.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Is it because the princess is running away and she won’t get her Christmas miracle?”
“Yet,” I point out, turning my attention back to the movie. “She has to come back to the palace for the miracle to happen.”
“These movies are so predictable.” Ollie laughs.
“But I still love watching them.”
“And it’s why you love Celine Dion so much,” he chuckles.
“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with loving a good power ballad every now and then.”
“More like every time you’re in the car.”
“Hey.” I nudge him in his side. “Keep that up and I’ll head home.”
“Then how will you know if the princess gets her miracle?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
One movie turns into two, which turns into three. Ollie’s half asleep in my arms now, half-eaten soup sitting on the coffee table. I don’t think I’ve moved in three hours, but honestly, I can’t remember the last time I felt so content.
Usually during the holiday season—from the beginning of November all the way through January—I’m busy. It’s hard to take even one minute to myself just to sit down. Being with Ollie like this? I never even gave it a second thought to be honest.
And I love it. Possibly a little too much.
I know he’s fast asleep when his hand drops, resting on my thigh.
Crap.
That is a little too close for comfort. I try to shift away, but it just moves with me. Shit. I don’t want to think about that hand wrapped around any parts of my body. How good it would feel. How good it would feel to be the one to finally have sex with Ollie.
Ollie. My best friend.
God, sex would complicate things way too much. It’s the last thing I need to be thinking about. But now that the thoughts are there, they won’t go away.
Of peeling him out of his sweater he always wears to work. Of seeing a blush creep up his cheeks. Hell, I wonder if it creeps up anywhere else.
Nope, danger zone.
I do NOT need to be thinking about that.
I need to get out of here before I can act on these feelings. Not when Ollie is tired and vulnerable after last night.
Seeing that darkness has finally started to settle through the windows outside, I extract myself from Ollie’s hold.
I lay him down on a pillow and tuck the blanket around him.
“Hunter?” He stirs.
“Sorry. I got called into work.”
“Sorry.”
I smile down at him. “Nothing to be sorry about.”
I pull his glasses off his face and set them on the coffee table. “You rest. I’m sure you’ll be feeling a lot better tomorrow.”
I turn to leave, but Ollie grabs my hand before I can go.
“Thank you for being here today. And last night.”
“Like I said, Ollie,”—I squeeze his hand—“there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Now get some rest and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Stepping into my boots, I head outside. A cold bite of wind slaps me in the face and fuck, did I ever need that.
It helps cool every racing thought in my head. Ollie needs to go back in the friend box. Opening that boyfriend box was way too much for me.
Friend zone, friend zone, friend zone.
That’s all we’ll ever be. And I’ll be damn lucky to get to spend my life as his best friend. We’re too ingrained into each other’s lives to want to risk messing things up by turning this into something else.
Something different.
Sex complicates things. It always does.
Friend zone, friend zone, friend zone.
Now if I keep repeating that to myself, maybe I’ll start to believe it.