“I’ve hired her to do renovations on my house.”

“Oh.” Yeah, that made much more sense. Shelby’s makeup was safe. “Well, that was a good choice. She’s excellent at what she does.”

“I only did it because—” He stopped himself short, studying my face like he was hoping a clue would appear. “I guess that doesn’t matter now. With us being friends and all.”

The rest of that sentence felt vitally important, but I knew I didn’t have any right to it. I was the one who’d said friends only.

“The important thing,” he continued, “is that she agreed and we’ve already started. She’s working on getting the permits.”

I couldn’t believe she hadn’t said anything. She told me everything. Like, sometimes an uncomfortable amount of information. There was one time I couldn’t look Allan in the face for a week because of her oversharing. How could Shelby keep this from me?

Because you’ve never kept anything from her? my guilty conscience asked me. I told it to shut up.

“That’s good,” I said. I knew how excited she must have been. And I’d bet she’d told Allan. While I understood that was how things were supposed to be, it felt a little like I was being replaced.

“Well,” I said, realizing that I’d been sitting in his parked car for what was an unusual amount of time, and I could only imagine what poor Ray thought about what might be happening in his back seat, “I should go.”

“Do you want me to walk with you?”

I most definitely did not. I needed to escape his appeal, not prolong it even further. “I’m good, but thanks.”

I opened the car door and got out. I turned to shut it behind me, but he poked his face out of the opening. “Can I tell you something I’ve never told anyone else?”

“There’s more?” I asked, again trying to be jokey and failing. I wasn’t sure my nervous system could take it.

“I like you. Buddy.”

His face was like an open book, and I could see what he meant without him speaking the words. Even with his qualifier, he wasn’t saying he liked me as a friend.

“I bet you say that to all the seat fillers. Good night, pal.” I smiled at him and then walked away, letting him close his own door. This was the problem with being friends with an actor who had hinted that he wanted something more. He had the ability to show every emotion he was feeling or to hide them all from me because it was his literal job. Which meant I could either be overwhelmed by what was on his face or left wondering what he was thinking.

Get out, get out now, that worried voice inside me whispered. Stop this before it starts.