The Blueprint (Rules of Possession #1)

by S.E. Harmon

“I don’t know,” he snapped. “All I know is suddenly I’m watching your ass when you walk away. I already liked your insides, and now your outsides make me want to tear off your clothes.” He looked frustrated enough to pull out his own hair. “It’s so strange because it’s not just Kelly, my best friend. It’s Kelly, this guy I’d really like to fuck. And he’s smart and funny and a little crazy and so fucking beautiful that it hurts to look at him sometimes. What am I supposed to do with that?” I swallowed. “I have an idea.” “No. I just… I just can’t—” “Blue—” “I’m not willing to change my life that way,” he cut in. “I have a plan, Kel, and this is nowhere in that plan. Eventually I want to get married. Have kids. You know how important family is to me.” “Being with me wouldn’t make that an impossibility.” I smiled a little. “I don’t know if you heard, but the heteros stopped hogging all the misery of marriage to themselves.” He didn’t laugh like I hoped. He just stared at me and gnawed at his lower lip. His eyes were dark and intense. When he finally spoke, his voice was so quiet I could barely hear him. “I’m in the NFL. You know how people are. That would be making a statement that I’ll never be willing to make.” The stupid hope that had fluttered in my chest finally stopped. It almost felt as though my actual heart stopped. I did a quick mental inventory to make sure it was still going and felt the reassuring thud. So yeah, just stupid hope had kicked the bucket. Good.