Page 141 of The Score

We've been lost in lust, like our rules gave us a fast approaching deadline, but they didn't. They just told us we'd do things according to her bucket list. That's what we've been doing, but we could be doing it for a long time. Maybe until the day she decides my body is done satisfying her physical needs, and the next step is going back to only our friendship. On that day, she'll remind me we were meant to divorce.

It will destroy me.

My heart pleads that I put two and two together at last, but I look the other way. Just for a little bit longer.

Only while we're on our second honeymoon, I promise myself.

For the last few days, my heart and I have been playing a game of chicken. My emotions know that I needed them in bed with Pen and I, for reasons I can't inspect too closely. The moment I put words to what I'm feeling, it will be too late to compartmentalize them again. I can't risk what that could do to our friendship.

Pen's head drops to the side. She watches me with an arched eyebrow. "You're not going to say anything about how we just broke the bed?"

"Huh. Did we?"

The box spring is slanted, but we manage.

We. Need. Time. Or I do, to figure out how the hell I'm going to come to terms with my heart, now that it will not go away into the vault, no matter what I may try.

It knows that, deep inside, I don't want to put it away, and it's taking advantage of me.

I gaze around us like I'm just realizing what we did. "I think I'm going to have to buy this place."

She laughs. She thinks I'm joking.

"At least that way no one can complain we broke the bed, right?" She studies me with smiling eyes. "We can go through every damn piece of furniture and destroy them if we want to."

"That's the idea."

"But what are we going to do about this one?"

I get up and help her off the bed. It only takes a couple of strong pulls to detach the box spring from the headboard. It falls to the floor with a big thump.

"Wow." Pen snorts. "Have I ever met someone this unfazed?"

"You've known me for a long time. Now at least we can still use it to sleep." I give her a cocky look. "How big a tip do you think I need to give them, to make them forget this is a problem?"

She laughs.

She holds my hand and pulls me to the bathroom. "Can we wreck the shower too, do you think? We need to give it a proper goodbye."

"Let's see what we come up with," I say and follow her.