What's better than sex? To Naomi, it's going out with friends for delicious food, winning softball games, and having a whirlwind romance with her close friend. The only problem: despite a decade of friendship, she has yet to come out to him as asexu...
More than anything, I want to be with you, to hold you, to wake up with you every morning. To build our life together because I love you so much. But this stupid longing keeps growing, and that's not fair to you. If I let it continue, I'll either resent us or do something unforgivable. You deserve someone who loves all of you. I wish with every fibre of my being that person was me, but it's not.
Greg had tried to cheer her up throughout. He'd drag her out on adventures even if all she'd do was mope. He showered her with compliments and adoration. In retrospect, it was his attempt to show her how much he liked her and wanted to be with her. But she ignored it because her asexuality would have driven him away as it had Luke.
Two years had passed since then her worldview had grown less jaded and melodramatic most of the time. While she doubted Kieran loved her asexuality, he seemed to understand it and respect it. She felt better about it than she ever had. Perhaps she and Kieran were good for each other, but they could also support each other as friends.
Do you want to wait around as his friend for ages like you did with Greg? If you like him romantically, be honest about it now, so if you're not compatible, you don't spend years waiting on false hope.
The signs were there: her heart raced when their eyes met, and she swooned at his compliments and raw honesty. Turning down the offer to have him attend the game sucked since he always boosted her mood, but she wasn't lying about fearing Greg's reaction.
The curveball with Brinny confessing her feelings was hard to judge too. Naomi had tried watching for signs of the two flirting during the last training session, but she didn't catch any. Either Kieran had been honest when he'd said he didn't want a relationship with her or he was a very skilled liar. But he had no reason to lie. That look in his eye had made her heart flutter, anticipating his question, although it never came. That was both a disappointment and a relief.
Now that she'd had more time to consider it, she wanted him to ask, or maybe she'd swallow her uncertainty and do it herself.
She grabbed a flattering royal blue romper out of the closet that tied at the waist. It dipped low enough to show a bit of her chest but without drawing too much attention to her body. Although if any of her allo guy friends got her asexuality, it was Kieran.
Shivanna smiled at her and stood from the bed. "Cute choice. He is always welcome around the house, especially if he's still bringing pizza."
Naomi chuckled. "I think we're past the point where he needs to pull me out of my misery." But she'd be open to a different type of pizza with him.
The softball game couldn't end quickly enough, and when it did, she ran to the washroom to change. She wiped away some of her sweat with scratchy, uncomfortable paper towels. She rolled on deodorant, rinsed her face, and applied a light coat of mascara and eye shadow. It wasn't her best result, but Kieran had witnessed her full meltdowns, so this would pass.
When she got to the parking lot, her two goofy teammates catcalled her and called out, "Looking good, Naomi!"
She shook her head as she walked toward Ian and Marc with a grin she couldn't shake. "You guys need to chill out."
"You're too busy for drinks and take off looking like that." Ian raised an eyebrow.
"It's a romper. Relax." The shorts were shorter than she remembered, and her long legs made that quite obvious. They were one part of her body she liked and was proud of. She walked with them toward her car.
"Where are you off to?" Marc asked.
"A friend's place for a game night."
"Which game are you watching?"
"Board games."
"Alright, dressed up to play games with a 'friend'," Marc teased with a playful smirk.
"Yes, a handful of people find me tolerable enough to want to spend non-obligated time with me."
Marc laughed and smiled at her. She suspected he hadn't bought her deflection. "I'm happy for you. Have fun."
"You too."
As she grew closer, Greg, who'd slouched on Marc's truck, stood more upright. "Good game, Nomi."
"Thanks, you too."
The air hung stale between them, as Naomi wasn't sure whether to keep walking or to linger. His gaze didn't leave her, and he smiled.
"You look great. Are you coming for drinks?" Greg asked.
"Not tonight. Are you going?"
An expression of defeat cut across his face. "Nah, Marc's my ride. I have investment reports to review."
She nodded and took a few steps back. "Have a good night."
"What's his name?" Greg croaked out.
"Excuse me?"
He crossed his arms. "The guy you're meeting up with tonight and that you claim not to be dating."
"It's a game night with friends."
He gave her that furrowed brow he always did to call out her lies. Why should he care? He was with Tara, making his feelings about Naomi and wanting a friendship very clear.
Marc slapped at a bug on his arm and said, "Let's not waste our evening in the parking lot. The mosquitoes are coming out."
She shot him a grateful smile, and she scurried to her car. Thank goodness Kieran hadn't come. Greg would have torn off his head. At least she could push this to the back of her mind and focus on enjoying the rest of her night.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A Different Slice won 1st Place in the Romance category in Promised Awards yesterday which was a very exciting surprise.
I love the next sequence of chapters and am super excited to share them with you :D Thanks for being awesome readers. I'm always excited to share new installments with you and see your reactions.
