Broken Pieces (Cape Isle, #3): A Cape Isle Novel by Allie Able

I've never heard him like this before and I don't like it—I don't like that I've made him feel this way.
    “Just trust me,” I respond.
    “Oh, Angel, I do. I trust you more than anyone in the world.”
    I continue to stare at him. I'm not going to make him open up to me. That's his decision.
    Finally, after what feels like hours, he opens his mouth and begins to talk.
    “I love you, Lexie,” he says quietly.
    “I love you too, Zack,” I respond. It's true, I love him. It's not the first time I've told him that.
    “No,” he shakes his head. “Listen to me. I'm in love with you, Lexie.”
    Wait, what? I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out, so I snap it closed.
    He studies my face and nods his head. “Yeah. I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember and I still fall for you more every day.”
    “But you've dated other women. Why have you never told me how you felt?” I ask on a shocked whisper.
    “Do you see how badly you're freaking out right now? Imagine me just telling you this out of the blue. I may have taken other woman on dates Lexie, but think back. Have I ever had an actual relationship? I can promise you that there hasn't been a day that I ever stopped wanting you and you haven't gotten out of my head at all since I first met you.”
    “I'm not freaking out,” I protest, but I am. How have I never noticed that he treated me differently? I thought we were just really close friends. God, I feel stupid.
    “You are,” he replies.
    “Zack, we were ten when we met. It has been almost twenty years.”
    He gives a solemn nod and watches my face closely.
    Shit. I'm going to cry. I never cry, but right now I'm going to cry. He must see it coming because he cups the back of my head and lowers it to his shoulder. I bury my face in his neck and let a few silent tears fall.
    “Angel, please don't cry. I didn't tell you I love you to hear you say it back. I just needed you to know,” he whispers into my ear.
    “You never said anything. Why didn't you tell me? You are my best friend.”
    “And that is the exact reason. I don’t want to lose you. I didn't know if you could or did feel the same way. I couldn't risk not having you in my life, even if it was just in a friendly way.”
    I kiss the side of his neck softly and breathe in his scent. I can feel his heart pounding under my hand where it is resting on his chest. I lift my head and look at him.
    “So, what changed now?” I ask.
    He reaches up and wipes my tears. “Like you pointed out, it's been almost twenty years. I figured it was time. If you don't feel the same way that's fine, but one way or another, I have to move on, Lexie. I can't keep living my life like this. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but it was never the right time.”
    I stare into his beautiful eyes. He looks so nervous. I know telling me this is hard. I take a minute to really think about how I want to respond. There isn't a reset button in life. You can't take anything back, and you can't undo anything. All of your actions have consequences, and the things I say or do right now will have a lasting impact on my life. Either way, my friendship with Zack is going to change. I think back on all of the years we've known each other. How did I never see how he really felt?
    I run my hand up his chest and rest it on the side of his neck. I touch him so easily. Nothing has ever been forced with us. I decide right then to stop thinking so much, and just go where my heart takes me. My heart choses Zack and I think it has for a while now. I just never knew that it was an option.
    “Okay,” I whisper.
    His eyes widen in shock for a second before closing in relief. He pulls me closer to him and kisses my neck. He pulls back and opens his eyes, staring into mine. “Okay?” he asks.
    Instead of answering him, I lean forward and lay my lips against his. He quickly takes over, his hand moving into my hair and holding me against his mouth. My lips part on a sigh and