Two Steps Back (Hunter Hayes fanfic Bk.3)

Consequences

The first thing Amanda did when she got back from her honeymoon was to give Beth a call and ask her over. Markob was back at work, unfortunately, so he couldn't be home until later. While she had pouted profusely over that, she was glad to have the opportunity to gush about Aruba and Markob to her best friend.

Lucky for her, Bethany was just finishing up at the gym with Jordan and could be over in a few minutes.

When she arrived, they shared a few loud moments of squealing and hugging, then they ran into Amanda's bedroom to catch up. And there was a lot. So much had happened in the two weeks since Amanda's wedding, and she gave Bethany details on everything. Absolutely everything.

By the time she was finally spent, Bethany was laying down on her stomach with her chin propped up in her hands, a goofy grin on her face.

"I'm so glad you had fun, Mandy, really. But I missed you!" She slapped Amanda's knee playfully. "You can't abandon me like that again."

She laughed in response, a similar grin stretching her own lips.

"So what's been up with you?"

Beth's grin grew lecherous. She hadn't had the chance yet to tell Amanda she had slept with Jordan, and she knew her famously ravenous friend would want all the details.

She was right, of course. Amanda listened raptly to what Bethany saw as almost a play-by-play of their first encounter, and then to details about the second and third times before she was finally satisfied.

Hunter came to mind. Beth wondered if he was going to tell Mandy about their kiss in the closet at her wedding. Should she beat him to it to avoid her wrath later, or keep it to herself and hope he would too?

Since she had returned from New York to find Amanda stewing about being lied to before she left, Bethany had really been trying not to be deceitful to her best friend. It was simply too difficult to think about losing her again.

Discreetly, which Amanda was waxing nostalgic about her very first sexperience, Bethany sent a text to a number she hadn't used in a very long time. In fact, she'd thought several times about deleting it, but it had always seemed too hard. She was glad she hadn't now.

Telling Mandy about kiss?

Short and to the point. She hoped Hunter hadn't deleted her number as she had meant to do to his, or that he would be able to infer who she was from the content of the text.

No.

She nodded her relief and put her phone away, only to hear it receive another incoming message.

Telling Jorge?

It was hard for her to stifle the groan that rose in her throat. If she had been planning to tell Jordan, her opportunity was long passed. He would be furious if he found out she had kept it from him this long.

No. Stephanie?

A few moments passed, and Bethany forgot to keep one ear open to hear the end of Amanda's story. Instead, she just followed Amanda's facial cues and laughed along with her.

Not telling if you aren't.

Unsure of why, but also unable to stop it, Bethany smiled. Though there were so many things wrong with what they had done, dishonesty to every person they were closest to being the least of it, she liked knowing they had kissed in that closet. She liked that he had kept her number, and that ...

It was nice. Kissing you.

He had enjoyed kissing her. Honestly, she had expected him to regret it. Her smile grew, and she was lucky that Amanda had excused herself to get a glass of water and had missed it.

I want to do it again.

She gasped. That was the last thing she had expected him to say, but her reply was immediate and automatic.

It was. Me, too.

She tapped her phone impatiently, but the next message came within two minutes.

I'm coming back to town on Saturday to have dinner with my parents.

Okay, she thought. Informational, but not exactly instructive.

What are you saying?

She replied, furrowing her brow.

I'm staying at the Motel 6 next door to their place. Take from that what you will.

Hewanted her to meet him. That was obvious. Amanda had returned with her glass ofwater, so she didn't reply. Was one even necessary? She was going. Screw theconsequences.