My Player Bestfriend (Book #1)

Chapter Two

The sunlight creeping through my window hit me square in the face, dragging me out of one of those dreams you wish you could just stay in.

I blinked a few times. For a moment, I forgot where I was.

And then I remembered everything.

Austin. His kiss. That look in his eyes. His hands. The way he said he loved me.

I groaned and buried my face into my pillow.

Why does he have to be like that? Why does he have to make me feel things? This was Austin. My best guy-friend. The flirt. The player. The guy who'd slept with girls whose names he couldn't even spell. And yet... he calls me Boo like it actually means something.

My phone buzzed.

Austin <33: Morning beautiful. Dream of me? ;)

Me: More like woke up screaming 💀

Austin <33: Liar. You miss me already.

Me: You're not that special.

Austin <33: You love me, admit it 😘

I tossed the phone onto the bed. I needed a minute before I got sucked back into his gravity.

Downstairs, I grabbed a bowl of cereal and scrolled through TikTok while chewing. Every couple swiping across my screen felt like a personal attack.

Just then, Sarah called.

"Finally awake, Sleeping Beauty?" she teased.

"You kicked me out, remember?"

"Yeah, because you needed to deal with your feelings."

"I have no feelings."

"Oh really? Want to say that again with less denial in your voice?"

I stayed quiet.

"Mary," she said, tone softening. "Talk to me. What happened?"

"Nothing happened."

"Mary."

I exhaled. "He kissed me."

Silence.

"And?"

"He tried to... go further. I stopped him."

"Did he back off?"

"Eventually. But not before being Austin about it."

"Ugh," she groaned. "That boy. He's so charming until he's not."

"He said he loves me. Not just like... as a friend. And not just for sex. He said I wouldn't just be a hookup."

"Do you believe him?"

"I don't know. That's the problem."

Later that day, I met up with Jackie and Sarah at the café near school. It was Sunday, which meant overpriced drinks and emotionally loaded girl talk.

"I don't think he's lying," Jackie said after I recapped everything.

Sarah raised a brow. "I think he believes what he's saying, which isn't the same thing as telling the truth."

"Exactly," I nodded. "He's honest in the moment. Then the moment changes."

"You're not wrong," Jackie admitted. "But I've seen the way he looks at you. It's different."

"I know. And I hate that I like it."

We sipped our drinks in silence for a moment, the kind of silence that's heavy but safe.

"I just don't want to be that girl," I finally said. "The one who thinks she's the exception and ends up just another name on the list."

"You're not," Sarah said. "But you're the one who decides if that's even a list you want to be part of."

That night, as I lay in bed again, I scrolled through my camera roll. Pictures of me and Austin laughing, hanging out, acting like idiots.

I remembered a time when it was simple. When he was just Austin and I was just Mary. No games. No mixed signals. No "I love you"s that left me wide awake at 2 a.m.

My phone buzzed again.

Austin <33: I miss you, Boo.

I stared at the screen. He had no idea how many versions of him were fighting in my head.

The sweet one.
The reckless one.
The one who might mean it.
The one who might break me.

Me: Goodnight, Austy.

No hearts. No flirting.

Just enough to keep him wondering — the way he always keeps me.

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A/N: Woah. This story is good. I love how I have no plans in my stories, I just go with what pops into my head.