Lizzie

I groan as I hear a knock on my bedroom door. I hardly slept at all last night. "Hey, honey, are you awake?" Mom's voice is on the other side of my door. I check my mobile; it's eight already. Shit. I said I'd meet Lilly at Doogle's diner for nine before we head off shopping. I rub my sleepy eyes, thinking I must have dropped off around three a.m after Brandon left.

Brandon. About that. First, I need to respond to my mom. "Hey, Mom. I'm awake but not up."

"No worries, darling. I've bought you a nice cup of herbal tea." She opens the door and steps in. Wow, she is looking amazing for this time of morning. Her hair is blow-dried, and she's wearing hot pink, straight trousers that skim her ankles and black kitten heels. Her pale pink blouse contrasts beautifully with her bottoms.

"Wow, you look like a vision out of that movie, Legally Blonde." She smiles.

"Thanks, honey. Here you go. What time are you off out today?" She places my favourite Frozen mug on the bedside, careful to move my book I didn't end up reading last night after Brandon left.

"Nine-ish. I need to message Lilly and tell her we're running late." I slide myself up in the bed and make myself comfortable against the pillows.

"Nina is making pancakes; I'll tell her to keep yours warm until you are ready. It's Saturday, baby. Don't rush." She knows how hard I've been working with my school stuff; it's been a hard slog, and I can't wait for summer vacation to be here. Maybe Brandon and I can take that trip to Oregon, camp for a few days, and hit some trails. That sounds amazing to me. By the way, Nina is our housekeeper/cleaner/cook. She's been with our family ever since I was a baby. She's like a second mom to me; I adore her.

"By the way, why are you so dressed up?" I ask my mom. Don't get me wrong, she always dresses really smart, but it's early, so early.

"Ah, your father and I are going to the club for breakfast, then we're taking a trip to Napa Valley to meet some friends. Which reminds me, we won't be back tonight. I forgot to mention it." I stretch my arms above my head and yawn. "Sleepy head." She says and affectionately ruffles my head, leans forward and plants a kiss on the top of my head.

Mom smells of Coco Chanel, her all-time favourite fragrance. When I'm grown up, that's what I will wear constantly. For now, I'll settle with my Intimate Fantasy by Britney. Chanel is still a bit too heavy for me right now.

"Sure, no problem. I'll just catch up with Brandon if he's free and we'll have a movie binge-watching night." Mom smiles. She knows she can trust me; I'm one of those good girls who never gets into trouble. I don't have wild parties when my folks are out of town. I don't need the hassle or stress, and I do want to get to Paris, and if I fuck up, they'll never let me go.

So, back to Brandon. Back to last night. What the fuck was that all about? He felt amazing with his body pressed up against mine, okay, so I know he was only seeking comfort. I could tell before he even arrived at mine that something bad happened last night. He'll talk to me when he is ready, and Lilly will no doubt bring me up to speed when I see her soon.

I had this overwhelming urge to turn to him and kiss him, to feel his tongue lingering in my mouth. It's making me flush, and my stomach is filled with a creeping warmth. I feel myself tighten. I squeeze my legs together. Shit. It's pretty difficult, let me tell you, being so close to someone you're crushing on so badly and not doing anything about it. My mind was racing with all the things I wanted him to do to me with those sexy, large hands of his. They're strong.

I bet he can be pretty forceful with them if he wanted to be. I bite my lower lip.

I wonder if he talks dirty in bed, like the men in my romance books.

I'm not going to lie, it felt out of this world to have his strong arms wrapping me close to him, to feel the warmth of his body and his breath against the back of my neck. Only I want more. I want so much more and I can't. I just can't because he's my best friend and the way I feel is going to fucking ruin everything if I let on how I feel. I sigh and reach for my mobile after taking a sip of tea to message Lilly and let her know I'll be closer to nine-thirty than nine.

Sure, no problem. See you then. That suits me better; I didn't sleep great either, and I still haven't heard from Denver. She messages back.

They're okay; Brandon stopped by last night. I'll catch up with you later. I tell her and push the duvet back and swing my legs over the side of the bed.

My stomach grumbles; I'm hungry, and I can smell the pancakes wafting up the stairs. Nina makes the best pancakes ever, and I'm so ready to eat a stack of them. I push all thoughts of Brandon and last night from my mind. I shelve it. It's not something I can think about right now. Today is Saturday, and I just want to go out and enjoy myself with Lilly. I'll hook up with Brandon later and see if he wants to come over for a movie night binge-watching session.

Or should I not? I mean, I might start having those damn feelings and sensations again.