It was afternoon, when Meg went to Tyler's apartment. She had taken a long run earlier hoping to pound her problems into the pavement, but it didn't work. There were no excuses that would prevent her from spending the night with Tyler. Never had she been so happy to get her period. It wasn't because she feared pregnancy. She and Cade hadn't been reckless. The bleeding gave her a pass from sex. If she hadn't been so busy, she would have realized she was on day twenty-eight.

Blue greeted her, as Tyler smiled. "She missed you too."

"I love her." Meg didn't struggle with the sentiment for the dog as she nuzzled her face against her head and petted her soft fur. "You smell good."

Tyler chuckled. "She went to the groomers this morning."

"She didn't like her bow?" Every visit, the groomers attached a bow to her collar.

"She's not a frilly dog."

Meg knew Tyler would make an amazing father. He was a great dog dad already. She imagined a beautiful Christmas card with Blue and baby, but Meg wasn't ready to have a baby. Women started families later, and the ticking went silent.

"I might get jealous." Tyler winked.

She reached up and ruffled his hair. He caught her by the waist and drew her in. She was ready for his touch. She wished for a feeling down below, but all she felt were mild cramps. When his tongue pressed into her mouth, she resisted the urge to pull away. He tasted minty and his lips were soft. His hand grazed her breast as his lips traveled over her jaw to behind her ear.

His voice was husky. "Last time I touched these they weren't as..."

She slapped him. "Pervert. How do you remember?" They were seventeen.

He looked into her eyes. "I remember everything. I loved you then, now, and in between."

Another girl would melt, but Meg felt only a warmth inside. Feeling loved fed a human need. Tyler could offer everything a girl dreamed off. Why wasn't it enough?

"Um, let's go for our walk." The minute she said the word Blue pushed her nose between them.

Once they set out along the path, Tyler sighed. "I promise to give you all the time you need."

"I know you don't understand, but I thought you were just my best friend. You are years ahead of me." Even in the movies friends to lovers was never a straight path.

"Why was it so easy to fall all over a stranger?"

Thinking about Cade wouldn't move her towards Tyler. "It was exciting. Plus, I was celebrating my birthday."

"But you know me. You got naked with a stranger." He winced.

"And you have too. You have dated more than I ever have. I know you keep some from me. None of your relationships lasted."

"All women want to feel love, but all they felt was jealousy. They knew I wanted you."

Shaking her head as she remembered Bella, she mumbled, "I think we should change the subject."

While they walked in silence, she contemplated his question. Why was it so easy to get naked with Cade? Her brain had programmed Tyler in as a friend. She never thought about his penis before and suddenly he wanted to become intimate, but to her, it felt incestuous.

Others in the park held their attention. Both enjoyed people watching. When a couple walked by with a baby attached to the front of the man, Tyler turned to her and smiled. She feared she had a black and white choice when she wanted gray. Choose Tyler, or lose him.

Could she blame her mood on being a woman? Hormones didn't affect her, but she felt weighted down. The week before, when she entered the club with her friends, she was still her bubbly self. If only Tyler had liked Lucy. She had been so jealous, but it provided the gray area she longed for.

On their walk back, they discussed plans for the evening. Their friends were coming over. Meg said, "We can cook."

Ty laughed, "My kitchen has a few pans. I've seen you cook. You need more."

Meg didn't want to move into a home without any kitchen gadgets. At home, they had a housekeeper who cooked some meals, including the post-birthday dinner. Often when her mother entertained, Shannon had it catered or cooked it herself. Growing up, Meg helped in the kitchen.

"Fine. We can order Chinese." Their friends expected it anyways. Tyler had a reputation for ordering way too much food.

"Order whatever kitchen things you need, if you want to cook." Meg didn't have the energy to tackle stocking his kitchen.

Mick arrived first, since the two men had made plans to watch the baseball game. Meg sat with her phone feeling bored. The magazine had released a teaser online for the next cover story. She scrolled through the comments. Most people were excited. She was the only person not thrilled about the crime bosses.

During a commercial, Mick looked over. "I can't wait for the mob article. Did you read it?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's my job." Next month's article would be about flower gardens around the city. At least, she wouldn't have a dark cloud over her while she edited. "Am I the only one who finds the thought of them in our city frightening."

"They don't bother regular folks." Mick countered.

Meg frowned. "Except the women they traffic and the people who die from their drugs."

Tyler stood up and walked over to her. "Sweetheart, I know it bothers you. Tonight is a mafia free zone." He leaned over and kissed her lips.

Mick chuckled. "Seeing you two is weird. It's not high school."

"Why?" Tyler glared at his best male friend.

"Ty, I knew you had the hots for her. You told us enough."

Meg looked at Mick. "I didn't."

"Exactly. Meg, you've been firmly entrenched in the friendzone. I thought it would take heavy equipment to pull you out."

"Heavy equipment? Are you being dirty?"

Mick laughed. "No, Ty, you are. I work in construction. I meant a crane or something. Maybe some jackhammers to chip away the cement."

As a structural engineer, Mick wore a hard hat and worked on large construction projects. Usually, he took assignments away from home and traveled for months at a time. His current project was just outside of Boston. Meg considered Mick for a moment, he was an all male specimen. Girls flocked to him, but Meg never went outside the friendzone with him either.

The two men argued the merits of Mick's statement and Meg slipped away. The apartment was small, so she went into the bedroom and sat on the chair.

Although she was not a fan of social media, she clicked on Lucy's page. Why hadn't she and Cade taken a selfie? Maybe Lucy had a picture of them together. She scrolled through pictures of Lucy with the guy she met. Then she clicked on his account. Smiling, he looked young, only about twenty-five. He posted more pictures including with his friends. One of his friends had photos in the VIP lounge with the bridal party. In one she saw Cade's outstretched legs from where they sat in the corner.

Only a bridesmaid was tagged. Meg was suddenly curious about the bride. Was the wedding still on? Maybe she had been forced to marry her best friend. There weren't any wedding pictures, but the event could be weeks away.

A knock on the door made her look up. Mick stood in the doorway. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Do you remember the bachelorette at the club?" He nodded. "By the end of the night the bride was kissing some random guy."

He smirked. "So were you. And Lucy."

"I know but none of us are getting married."

"Are you sure?" He smirked.

She sighed, "Where's Ty?"

"Emily called. She's stuck at her sister's in the burbs. Ty went to get her."

Only Tyler would drop what he was doing and drive to the suburbs for a friend.

"I feel sorry for the bride-to-be?"

"Why? She sowed her wild oats one last time."

"But if she really, really loved him, she wouldn't have cheated on him."

"Meg, come out. Let's talk."

She stood and followed her friend into the brightly lit space. He was Tyler's best friend, but she had been friends with him forever.

He cleared his throat. "I'm confused. One minute you are plastered against a dude, and the next Tyler is telling me you two are a couple. The guy thinks you're heading down the aisle."

She put her hands in her face. "That's what our parents eant. That's what Tyler wants."

"What do you want?" She looked up at his brown eyes. He had lashes long enough to make her jealous.

"You're his best friend."

He nodded. "I'm your friend too  but he's been in love with you. Meanwhile, you were having fun on the dance floor. Trust me our conversation is between us."

"Feelings don't just change on a dime."

He shook his head. "His have been growing for years."

"I didn't know."

"He didn't want you to. Seeing you on your birthday wasn't easy for him."

"I wasn't trying to hurt him."

Mick laughed. "You wouldn't willingly hurt a flea."

She shut her eyes. Cade didn't even kill bugs. "I'm afraid I'm gonna hurt Ty."

"You'll hurt him more if you keep pretending."

"I need time to figure it out, but I don't want to stay with him for the wrong reasons. I love him."

"You need to figure out how much."

She looked down and nodded. "I know. I hope I don't tear apart our group of five."

"Come on, give me a hug. I'll do my part by reminding Ty to give you time."

She stepped into his embrace. His strength and scent were comforting. "The good news is even though you are sexy. You're in the friendzone too."

He laughed. "Good thing because I'm not going there with you."

"What about Lucy?"

He shook his head. "She and I are too different."

Tyler and Meg weren't different, but maybe they were too much of the same thing. Mick went back to watching the game, and she shut her eyes. A week ago everything felt right. So much had changed, especially because she continued to think about Cade.

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