Friends with Benefits
There were no technical adjustments to iron out the ruin of our friendship.
"I love you, Tasha," she whispered into the quiet room.
The words were raw, unprotected, and completely beautiful—the exact confession I had spent seven hundred and thirty days starving to hear. But as the three words hung in the air between us, they didn't bring a wave of relief. They just brought a profound, devastating ache.
"I know you do, Khali," I said softly, a fresh cascade of tears finally breaking through my defenses and tracking down my face. I reached out, my fingers lightly touching the plastic keycard on the counter, pushing it a fraction of an inch closer to her side of the marble.