Carly moves her things into my bedroom that night.

“Don’t get any ideas,” she says as she drops her suitcase on the floor. “This is just for show.”

“Right,” I say.

She starts to unpack, tossing stuff wildly on the floor. I clench my jaw as she messily slings it all over the bed.

“What are you doing?” I ask after a few minutes of this.

“I’m unpacking,” she says.

“You’re a tornado, just throwing shit all over the place.”

“How else am I supposed to unpack?”

I sigh and walk over to the dresser. “Here, I cleared out half the drawers for you.”

“Oh, thanks.”

I stare at her when she doesn’t make a move. “Use them,” I finally say.

She shrugs. “I could just throw it on the floor in the closet. I mean, that thing’s huge.”

I glance over at my closet. My freaking perfectly neat closet. Sure, it’s a walk-in that’s the size of a small bedroom, but still. “No,” I say finally.

“This is our bedroom now,” she croons. “We’re married, remember? What’s mine is yours?”

I glare at her. “Not funny.”

“I think it’s hilarious.”

“Seriously. I’m a neat person, and you’re…”

“I’m what?” She crosses her arms.

“You’re dirty.”

“I am not dirty,” she says firmly. “I’m not neat, but I’m clean.”

“I don’t see a difference.”

“All of my stuff is clean. It’s just… not organized.”

“It’s thrown on the floor in piles. How do you think that’s clean?”

“It’s not getting dirty. It’s just on the floor.”

“Getting covered with dust.” I throw my hands up in disgust. “You’re an animal.”

She laughs, clearly enjoying my distress, and throws a few more things on the floor.

I can’t take it. I leave the room and head downstairs, grumbling the whole way.

I pour two glasses of wine. I thought having Carly staying in my room with me would be fun, but I’m already starting to see some issues.

Seriously, how is she so put together and gorgeous and yet such a damn mess? I got a glimpse into her bathroom earlier and it was filthy.

If she thinks she can come into my bathroom and wreck it, she has another thing coming. I’m putting my foot down. I draw the line at makeup caking the sink and long girl hairs all over the tub.

She’s going to clean up after herself. She’s not living alone anymore. I steel myself, sure I’m going to change her mind, as I charge back upstairs with the two glasses of wine.

She’s sitting cross-legged on the bed when I walk into the room. She looks up, a little surprised, and holds up the book she has in her lap.

“Our yearbook?” she asks.

I frown a little. “Huh. I didn’t know I had that.”

“It was at the bottom of one of those empty drawers, so you must’ve seen it.”

I shrug. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

I hand her a glass and she accepts it, sipping it before putting it down on the floor. I wince, but I decide not to say anything.

I have to pick my battles.

“It’s weird, looking at this,” she says. “We look so…”

“Young?”

“Yeah. And different.”

“We were different,” I point out.

“You’re not.”

I sigh, sipping my drink while I study her for a second.

“Why do you hate me so much, Carly?”

She bites her lip and doesn’t say anything at first. I can see her battling with herself, and I wish I could be a part of that internal debate.

I have some theories about why she hates me. I hooked up with her best friend at one point, which pissed her off. But I don’t understand why that would make her hate me.

“You really don’t know, do you?”

I shake my head. “I have guesses, but honestly, I don’t think I did anything bad enough for you to despise me.”

She snorts. “Of course you’d say that.”

“What the hell is your problem?”

She glares at me. “My problem?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I’ve been good to you, even though you think I’m such a piece of shit. What’s your deal?”

She stands up, suddenly angry. “Good to me? You’re using me, Davis. Like you always fucking have.”

She storms out of the room, knocking over the wine glass as she passes. I curse and grab an old t-shirt from my drawer to clean up the spilled wine before chasing her down.

“Wait,” I call out. She bursts into the kitchen, throws open the door, and grabs the wine. She pours herself another glass, this time a big one, and gulps half of it down.

“I’ve never used you in my life,” I tell her, feeling pretty pissed. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, you’re using me now, and you know it.”

“Maybe now, but it’s not like you’re getting nothing in return. I’m paying you, and plus, you’re a big girl.”

She clenches her jaw. “Fine, okay. Maybe this is partly my fault, too. But back then, you were such a dick.”

“About what?” I practically yell, my frustration getting the best of me.

“Danielle!” she blurts out. “You knew that would hurt me!”

“Hurt you? I don’t get why you give a shit. I mean, seriously, Carly, it’s not like we were dating. We were just friends.”

Her hand grips the glass. She puts it down, glaring at me. “You’re so stupid. You never noticed, did you?”

“Noticed what?”

“I was in love with you!”

I stare at her, completely shocked. We’re silent for a second and she sighs, like a weight was released. She sips her drink and shakes her head.

“It was just a stupid crush,” she says softly. “But you got with Danielle and kept bragging and it just… it hurt. You used me to get girls all the time and I hated you for it.”

“Carly,” I say softly. “I didn’t know.”

“You knew,” she says. “Of course you know.”

“I really had no clue. You always… you always acted like you didn’t care about anything. Like you were too good for me.”

She shakes her head. “I was just defensive.”

“That’s why you stopped talking to me,” I say softly, letting it sink in. “Oh, shit. That must’ve been awful.”

She bites her lip. “It really was.”

“I kept talking about it… and then I got with, what’s her name? Tina?”

“Trisha,” she corrects.

“Yeah, your friend from home.”

She nods. “That put me over the edge, but Danielle… that’s what really set me off.”

“Shit,” I say softly. “I’m so sorry. Seriously, I didn’t know.”

She stares at me for a long moment. I can see some of the anger drain from her face. “Would it have mattered?” she says softly. “You are what you are, Davis.”

“It would’ve mattered. I wouldn’t have… I would’ve… It would’ve mattered.”

“Maybe, but it’s easy to say now. I mean, it was so obvious how I felt about you. Everyone knew it.”

“Everyone?” I blink. “No way. Somebody would’ve told me.”

“Everyone assumed you knew but were just stringing me along.”

“I had no clue, Carly. I swear.”

I stare into her eyes, willing her to believe me. Willing her to believe the truth.

I had no clue she was in love with me. I always knew she liked me better than other people, but I just figured it was a good friendship. She never indicated that she wanted more, never made jokes, never flirted. We spent a lot of time together, sure, but I had no clue…

Oh, god, I was so stupid. I was just a stupid kid. Looking back, with perfect hindsight, it’s obvious. But I didn’t know. My teenage self was a moron.

“I didn’t want to do this,” she says finally, looking away. “It was so long ago. We were just kids.”

“I was a fucking idiot,” I say softly. “Seriously.”

“Yeah, you were.” She smiles a little bit. “But that’s why I’ve hated you for so long. It always felt like you used me to get with other girls, bragged about it, treated me like dirt.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say softly, stepping toward her. “Honestly, Carly. I mean it, I had no clue. I would never have acted like that.”

“It’s fine,” she says, looking at the floor.

“It’s not fine, obviously. I hurt you pretty badly back then.”

“Yeah, you did. But like I said, we were kids.”

“How can I make it up to you?”

She snorts. “I think it’s a little late for that, don’t you?”

“Honestly. What can I do?”

“Nothing. It feels good to get this out in the air, though.”

I sigh and sip my drink, watching her closely. She does look a little relieved, a little less angry.

But fuck. I can’t believe I did that, I can’t believe I was so stupid. I should’ve seen it by now, should’ve realized. I was such a dick back then.

And I’m a fucking dick now, too.

I step toward her. I’m not sure what I’m doing, but I reach out, touch her cheek. She bites her lip and I can see tears in her eyes. “Carly,” I say softly. “Fuck, Carly. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to keep apologizing.” She sighs. “We were kids. I should’ve let this go a long time ago.”

I bite my lip, step closer. She looks up into my eyes.

I want to share my bed with her. I want to share my room. I want her here, in my space, even if she’s going to make a mess, knock over wine, fuck things up.

Because she’s Carly. She was my best friend, and now…

And now she’s my wife.

Fuck, it’s all so complicated and messed up.

I lean toward her. My lips press against hers and we kiss for maybe the fifth time today.

But for the first time, it’s very real.

I feel something stir inside of me, deep in my chest. It’s a strange warmth, a comfort, like I don’t ever want to let her go.

I’m afraid that if I do, I’ll never feel this way again.

And I need to feel this way. I need it so badly.

I never even knew.

She pulls back and looks up into my eyes. “What?” she asks softly.

“Carly, I—”

Her phone starts ringing before I can finish my sentence.

She frowns and looks over at the kitchen counter. She hesitates, but I let her go.

“Answer it,” I say. “Could be Long.”

She nods and walks over. She sighs as she picks it up. “Hi, Mom,” she says.

I move away, wine glass in my hand. I can’t believe I was about to say that, about to tell her that I might be feeling something very, very stupid.

Because that would be stupid. Falling for her right now would be absolutely fucking stupid.

I’m thinking with my dick. That’s all it is. I want her so badly it hurts, and that’s all I can think about. It’s not that I’m falling in love with her.

I can’t be falling in love.

She gets off the phone a minute later. “Sorry,” she says.

“It’s fine.”

“What were you about it say, before she called?”

I shake my head. “Nothing important. What did your mom want?”

She chews her lip for a second. I think she might press me, and I’m relieved when she doesn’t.

Well, relieved for a second, at least.

“They want to meet you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “They?”

“My parents. Remember, I said they wanted to meet you?”

“Oh, right.”

“Well, they want to come tomorrow for dinner.”

I laugh softly. “Sounds lovely.”

“You want to make it up to me?” she asks. “Be on your best behavior.”

“I’ll do what I can,” I say, grinning at her.

She sighs. “I have more unpacking to do.”

“Go for it.”

She nods and hesitates. “Are you sure it’s okay? We can take them somewhere nearby.”

“That sounds great. I know a place.”

“Okay.” She smiles. “Thanks, Davis.”

“It’s what a husband’s for.”

She grins and walks away, shaking her head.

I watch her go, not sure what the hell to think.

I think I love her. I think I want her. And now I’m going to meet her parents.

And we’re deep in this fake relationship, so deep I can’t see the other side.

If there even is another side.

I groan, rubbing my temples. Fucking hell. I’m such a moron.

But I’m going to taste this girl, no matter what.