For the last few days, all I've been able to think about is Liam. Every time I daydream, I see those green eyes behind those freaking Ray-Bans. All because he said he wanted me to call him Liam...I am so ridiculous. He said he asks all his clients to call him by his first name. It wasn't anything special just for me. 

"I'm at the store, but I will be home in a few minutes," I said to Julia as I prowled the aisles of Publix looking for something easy to cook the two of us for dinner.

"Did you invite Andrew?" she asked, and I could practically see her eyebrows wiggling.

"Julia, give it a rest. Andrew and I are not a thing. Yes, I invited him. He's my best guy friend, and this is Best Friend Dinner Night. But he has to work."

"That's right, Best Guy Friend. The runner-up to the Best Best Friend. Who never misses a Best Friend Dinner Night," she said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, yes. You're the queen. Now let me go so I can get this stuff bought and get home before you get there."

"All right, be careful."

"Yep."

I was loading my groceries into the car and returning the cart to the nest when I stopped dead in my tracks.

A black BMW was parked right behind me. My breath quickened and my heart beat out of my chest as I shoved the cart into place and nearly tripped over my feet getting inside. I sped away before the driver had a chance to show themselves, and it wasn't until I got home that my heart stopped its hammering.

But even through dinner with Julia, I kept seeing the car in my head...and the bloody knife from my nightmare. She asked me several times what was on my mind, but I dodged her question every time. I couldn't talk to anyone else about this; it sounded silly even to my own ears. 

That didn't stop it from terrifying me. 

My next appointment can't come soon enough.

And the disappointments just kept coming when I got a call the next morning informing me that Liam got called out of town to an emergency conference, so all of his appointments have been pushed back a week. They offered to let me see one of his associates, but I didn't want to explain my whole situation to a new doctor. Plus, except for the paranoia about the car, I've been doing well this week, and had only had one panic attack. To be honest, I felt worse about not getting to spend that hour with him.

And if I thought I was disappointed to hear about the appointment being canceled, it just got worse over the course of the week. This crush, or whatever you want to call it, is getting out of control. It's been almost four days since my missed appointment with Liam and I feel like I'm having withdrawals. It's like I'm in high school again, pining over the popular guy way out of my league.

Seriously, the more I stop trying to think about him, the worse it gets.

Even work today was a disaster. I was so on edge; I snapped at least three coworkers and even got a little snippy with my boss. I needed a distraction. A hot male distraction. Over the weekend, I had accepted that a sexual tryst with Liam would not happen, even when he got back in town.

But I had another person I could always count on...Andrew.

Andrew and I have been best friends since kindergarten when he made me eat paste. Even then, he was a total cutie. Chestnut brown hair, crystal blue eyes...he had grown into a slender yet solid man who had the best biceps I'd ever seen and stood at 6'2". And I won't say I never had feelings for him. But our timing has always been off. Every time he was single, I was seeing someone. Every time I was unattached, he had some blonde model for a girlfriend. Not that I cared. And not to mention, we didn't want to mess up our friendship by complicating it with a relationship. And I know sex is complicated too, but it never has been for me and Andrew.

Julia had this theory that Andrew and I were meant to be, and we'd end up married one day. And every time she mentioned it, I made sure I let her know that would never happen.

But I had to admit Julia wasn't completely wrong when she teased me about there being something between us. We weren't together, but we were...friends with benefits.

We've hooked up a time or two...or fifty. I know it's wrong and it will probably end up in heartache for one of both of us before it's over, but we just can't help it. It's like we're magnetized. No matter what, we always find our way back to one another.

Which was why I knew his response before I even read his text.

Be there at 7, Char.

Damn, I had almost forgotten how that boy could blow my mind. At 7:05, I answered the door and holy shit, he looked good. I hadn't seen him in a month, and if it was possible, he had gotten hotter. He was wearing slim fit jeans and a red Polo, his face flushed from the heat, brown hair a little messy, his bright blue eyes shining as he looked me over.

"Char!" he exclaimed, coming through the door and pulling me into an embrace that swept me off the floor. I laughed and wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Hey Drew. How have you been?" He placed me back on the floor and I straightened my shirt.

"I'm good, just staying busy with work." Andrew is a banking executive for one of the biggest banks in the South; our senior class voted him most likely to succeed, and so far, he's living up to the title. Andrew has never been the guy to brag about how wealthy he is, which makes him even hotter.

Andrew threw himself down in my recliner and put his hands behind his head. "So, how are you?" he asked, glancing over at me. Even though I hadn't talked to him about it, I knew he could tell something wasn't exactly right.

I sighed. "I've been going through a bit of a rough patch to be honest." I paused before adding the next comment. "I've been going to a psychiatrist."

"What? Really?" Andrew sat up, and his demeanor changed from relaxed to concerned.

"Yeah, but listen, don't worry about me. I promise I'm doing better."

"Are you sure? Did something happen?" Andrew got up and squished himself onto the couch next to me. I scooted over to allow him a little more space, although I had to admit his closeness was what I needed.

"I'm sure...and no, nothing in particular. I was just feeling so down, and it was scaring me." Talking to Andrew about this was making all the real feelings come back in. The ones I'd pushed aside in the attempt to be positive about therapy.

The deep-seated ones that hadn't really gone anywhere.

"Are you okay now?" He reached for my hand, and at his touch, the tears I'd been trying to hold back spilled over onto my cheeks. He pulled me into him, and I buried my face in his shirt. His smell was so comforting, so familiar...fresh cotton and laundry detergent. He ran his hands through my hair, and pressed a kiss to my temple. 

"I don't know. My heart just hurts so much...after everything that's happened over the past few years. Then getting stood up after having several disastrous dates really didn't help." I sighed, putting my head in my hands.

"Aw, hell. Only a fucking moron would stand you up. He has no clue what he's missing," Andrew whispered, kissing my forehead. I couldn't help but smile. "There's my girl." He leaned further toward me, and instead of kissing my forehead again, he brushed his lips against mine.

It wasn't until we connected that I realized how much I wanted him...no, needed him. I deepened the kiss and pulled myself on his lap, with one leg on either side of his waist. He tangled his fingers in my hair and kissed me with a hunger I had never felt from him before. I pulled away and looked him right in the eyes.

"Take me upstairs," I commanded, keeping my gaze locked on his. 

"Yes ma'am," he growled and swept me into his arms.

Once we got upstairs, Andrew placed me on the bed. He pulled his shirt off, leaned over me with one arm on either side of my shoulders, and kissed me with such fervor I could hardly breathe.

"Andrew, are you sure?" I asked him this every time before we slept together. I don't know if I thought his answer would change, or if I just felt deep down that what we were doing was wrong.

He chuckled in response, glancing down at his lap. I laughed as he slid out of his jeans, and when he slipped my tank top over my head, brushing his hands across my bare breasts, the laugh turned to a gasp. Yanking my shorts down, I kicked them across the room before pulling him on top of me.

Andrew gazed down at me, pushing an auburn curl from my eyes, and I melted into his touch.

"I want you to know sometihng," he whispered against my lips as he ran his hand down my waist, gripping my hip.

"Yeah? And what's that?" 

Planting a kiss on the corner of my mouth, he ran his tongue along my jawline and moved his lips across my collarbone. Between kisses, he murmured, "You are worthy of only the best this world has to offer. I need you to believe that, Charlotte." Lifting his gaze to mine, he searched my eyes pleadingly. "Believe me." 

My breath caught and I pulled his bottom lip between my teeth. "I believe you believe that, and I adore you for it." 

Placing both palms on my cheeks, he pressed his forehead to mine. "You have to believe it. You're my best friend, Char, and I want you to be happy." 

I pulled him flush against me and whispered in his ear, "I promise you, I will try." 

When I woke up, I rolled over and saw Andrew snoozing next to me. That was one thing I loved about these encounters with him; he always spent the night. He never left me, and I never felt used by him. Who said men and women couldn't be friends with benefits?

I couldn't help but smile as I rolled over to check the time. 8:00 am. When I turned back over, Andrew was awake.

"Morning, sunshine." I poked him, and he looked back at me with heavy eyelids.

"Good morning, Char," he yawned. "Damn, you just keep getting better and better at that as time goes on," he joked, poking me in the side.

I laughed. "Same to you, big boy."

"Well, we have been doing this since our senior year of high school, so I would hope we've improved some." Rolling over, he sprang out of bed. Where did the boy get all the energy?

I chuckled and got up too, stretching my arms over my head. I needed to get ready for work; it was my day to come in at 9:30 and stay until 7:00.

"Are you off today?" I asked as he pulled his jeans back over his hips.

"Yeah, I've got a lot planned...like binge watching Dexter until dinner."

"I better get ready...hope you have a good day," I said, realizing that I didn't want him to leave.

"You too, Charlotte. Hang in there, okay? If you need to talk, you know I'm here."

"I know. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and everything."

"Oh yeah, I meant to ask, what doctor are you seeing?"

"Dr. Liam Covington, over on the east side," I said with a shrug.

"Oooooh, Liam...Sexy," he teased.

I rolled my eyes and whacked him on the arm. "Stop it." I shoved him with my hip as he made his way out the door.

"Call me if you need anything, alright?"

"I will. Now go, so I can get ready."

I listened for the click of the door as it shut and gathered my undergarments and towels to take a shower, ready to start my day so it could be over...and tomorrow would be here.

When I turned to reach for my shampoo, I heard a noise, the creak of my hardwood floor, a sound created only by a person walking on it. Alarmed, I shut off the shower.

"Andrew? Is that you?" I called, sliding open the shower door. There was no answer. I put my head back in the shower, held my breath and stood in silence. I stuck my head out, and as soon as I did, I swore I heard my front door open and close—again. "What the hell?" I whispered, abandoning the shower and grabbing my fuchsia silk robe from the back of the bathroom door.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled out the kitchen knife I keep in my dresser drawer for all those made-up scenarios in my head...except this time it seemed to be real.

When I reached the bottom stair, I peeked around the corner. There was no one in the living room. I slid along the wall into the kitchen. No one. I flung open the door to the laundry room. Once again, no one. The house appeared to be empty, except for Millie sitting on top of the couch.

I grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter where I left it last night. 15% battery...enough to text Andrew.

Did you come back to my house just now?

I waited a moment. My phone chirped.

Umm, no?

Are you sure?

Yeah, I'm sure. Charlotte, what's going on?

I decided I didn't want to worry him, so I lied.

Nothing, nevermind. It was just Millie.

Ok...Charlotte, you're freaking me out.

Don't worry, I promise, everything's fine. Go watch your show. :)

Alright—see ya.

Bye! Call me later.

Okay, so it wasn't Andrew. Who the hell was it then? There's no way little 5-pound Millie could've made the wood creak like that. I glanced at the counter and noticed my medicine. I twisted my mouth in thought. Paranoia as a side effect of Zoloft. That's all this is. Nothing more.

But I kept that knife with me until I got into my car.