Business Casual (Lovelight, #4)

by B.K. Borison

“What’s going on with you?” “Me? You’re the one with the problem.” I poke him hard in the chest. We somehow keep finding ourselves here, arguing about nothing. “You’re different.” His lips flatten into a line. “No, I’m not.” “Yes, you are. You’re…” I think about our conversation in my kitchen, the night all of this started. He told me he wouldn’t fuck me if it would change things between us, but he’s the one doing the changing. “You’re hiding from me.” His jaw clenches tight. “I’m not.” “You are,” I tell him. “You’re acting differently, and I have no idea why.” “Nova.” “Don’t ‘Nova’ me,” I snap. It’s making me feel like I’m imagining things and I’m not. I know that I’m not. “I thought we fixed things. Are you still mad about what I said at my parents’ house?” “I’m not mad,” he mumbles, but he thrusts his hand through his hair, pulling lightly at the ends. “I was never mad, Nova. We’re fine. Everything is fine.” “We are not fine.” I cross my arms over my chest, tugging my coat tighter around me. The six inches of space between us might as well be a mile. “What’s changed? Why are you acting like…this?” “Like what?” “Polite,” I spit, like the word is personally offensive. He’s acting like a watered-down version of himself. Like we were never friends to begin with. “I know it’s hard to believe, Nova, but I can be a polite, mature person.” “Not with me,” I say. “With me, you’re just yourself. You don’t try to be anything other than Charlie.”