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it.
    “Attitude dropped. Were you sleeping?”
    “No, watching an old black-and-white movie.”
    “I’ll watch with you.”
    As I snuggle into his side, we watch the movie in silence, not needing to fill the room with long explanations. I can tell we’re both just happy to be together again.
    The credits are rolling when I open my eyes.
    “You should go to bed, Hayley. It’s late,” he says. His voice is gruff, his eyes are tired, and his expression is more serious than usual.
    There’s no room for arguing. I’m exhausted and just slept through the last hour of the movie. He takes my hand, plac es a kiss on my knuckles, and it makes me realize that it’s not normal. What we have. What we do. How we treat each other. It’s not normal compared to my other male friends. What we have is special and unique, and it always has been.
    He loosens his grip as he lies down behind me and stretches out on the couch. “Good-night,” he whispers.
    I’m suddenly not ready to walk away from him. I’m attached in more than ‘ just a s a friend ’ way. “Nick?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Stay with me?”
    “I am.”
    He’s going to make this difficult. That’s us. I smile though he can’t see it before I ask, “In my room?”
    “I don’t want to sleep on the chair.”
    “You are so frustrating. In my bed. There? Are you happy?” I stop talking, already sensing his ego growing to mass proportions. “Stop smirking, you fool, and come to bed.”
    “You’re so demanding when you’re horny. I mean, lonely .” The room goes dark when he clicks off the TV. He stands and follows without further argument.
    I whack him on the shoulder. “I’m not horny and only a little lonely. Okay, maybe a little horny too, but you’re not getting any from me, so paws off the goods.”
    He chuckles as we enter the bedroom. “Oh, and what lovely goods they are.”
    “Maybe I should leave you on the couch,” I say , playfully threatening him .  “I don’t want you getting any funny ideas or anything.”
    “Too late for that. I’ve already got a head full of funny ideas.”
    “You’re incorrigible.”
    “And you’re hot when you use big words.” He climbs into the bed on the opposite side.
    “Only when I use big words, huh?”
    “Ha! Good try. I don’t show all my cards on the first date, Ms. Harper.”
    “Is that what we’re calling this? A first date? That sounds about right for you.”
    “Sounds less sleazy that way.”
    I pull the covers up to my chin and reply, “There’s nothing sleazy about two friends spending time together.”
    “Friends with benefits?” He sounds hopeful.
    “Friends with non-sexual benefits . ”
    He sighs, but I can hear the lightness in his tone. “Let’s go to sleep. I can’t keep up. I’m too drunk to continue this conversation.”
    “Admit it. I’ve outwitted you.”
    “It’s a cheap victory. Now, come here and let me hold you good and proper.”
    I arch an eyebrow then realize it’s lost on him since he can’t see me in the dark. I scoot over to the right and cuddle into his side .   “I thought you were going to hold me good and proper? Doesn’t that include touching me?”
    “You sure you can handle this? Once I snuggle with a girl, she usually falls in love.”
    I smile against him. “I think I’m immune, or I would have fallen for you ages ago.”
    “O uch ! That hurts, Hayley Girl. And here I thought you were just kidding yourself all of these years.”
    I think I might have been kidding myself, too.
    His breathing deepens and slows as he relaxes. “At minimum, you don’t even find me irresistible? C’mon, you can give me irresistible.”
    I giggle. “You’re definitely drunk and forward. I can give you that. And just because it’s you, I’ll toss in ‘irresistible’ because you probably won’t remember in the morning anyway.”
    “You’re probably right.” He kisses my eye, making me inwardly laugh because I think he was aiming for my temple . Then he