She seemed to be uncomfortable under his gaze.

“So how are you doing?” he asked.

“Fine,” she said, but she didn’t sound fine. She sounded stressed.

The coffee stopped dripping into the full pot and she picked it up. Another drip splashed on the burner, sizzling softly when it hit the hot metal.

She filled her cup then held up the pot, offering to fill his. He held it out and she poured in the hot coffee.

“Thanks,” he said.

She nodded, then turned to grab a milk carton from the fridge. It was unopened and she unfastened the cap and then tugged on the plastic ring of the seal inside. She seemed to be having trouble, then it pulled out and she spilled milk on her skirt.

“Oh, damn.” She grabbed a paper towel and started to wipe it up.

“You okay?” Adam asked.

She seemed upset and definitely off her game.

“I’m fine.” She poured milk into her coffee then sealed it and put it back in the fridge. “I’m just a bit off today.”

He wanted to ask if it was because of him. Did being around him make her this nervous? Or was it something else? If something had happened … he wished she felt comfortable talking to him. They’d always shared things before and this distance between them was killing him.

“You know that if you need anything … or you just need to talk … I’m here for you.”

* * *

Ashley’s heart thumped in her chest. Adam was always there for her. She knew that. But she couldn’t talk to him about this. Cry on his shoulder because another man had dumped her. Not when he’d professed his feelings for her.

And if she did tell him, would he jump on the chance to convince her to be with him? And if he did, how hard would it be for him to convince her? When she felt so rejected and fragile? So needy of a man believing she was special?

She knew she could step into his arms and he’d hold her. Tell her everything would be all right. He would tell her how important she was. How much he cared for her. How he always had.

And she would love it. She would give in and succumb to her attraction for him.

But would that be fair to him? Sure, she’d been attracted to Adam for a long time, but she didn’t know where it would go. Or if it would last. What if it ended and their friendship along with it?

But mostly it wouldn’t be fair to him because she still had feelings for Dare. And that was no way to start a relationship with Adam.

She stared down at the steam rising from her cup in a slow coiling cloud and nodded.

“I know. Thanks, but I’m fine.”

* * *

But Ashley was far from fine. She pushed open the door to her apartment and walked inside, dropping her briefcase on the floor beside her. She walked to the couch and slumped down, then pulled off her shoes and tossed them across the room toward the entrance, not caring that they landed several feet short, forming a misshapen mess.