My Best Friend’s Boyfriend

The first night I stayed at my best friend’s apartment, someone entered my room. I struggled desperately, but the person pinned both my wrists above my head. “It’s been a month. Didn’t you miss me?” The man’s voice was low, clean, and dangerously attractive. Before I could speak, he kissed me hard. “Nora, I’m back.” Just then, my best friend Paige’s voice came from outside the door. The man above me froze. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Who are you?” Trembling, I answered, “I’m Noelle Price.” “Damn it.” He cursed under his breath and immediately got off me. In the dark, he took out his phone and sent a message. The footsteps outside the door abruptly stopped. Soon, Paige turned and left. A moment later, the sound of the front door closing came from outside. Only then did I let out a breath. After confirming Paige had left, I turned on the bedside lamp. The room flooded with light. Reid Langford’s sharply defined, handsome face appeared in front of me. He was Paige’s boyfriend. Paige had told me he was away on a business trip and wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon. But for some reason, he had returned tonight. My clothes were disheveled, my face burning red. I pulled the blanket around myself and shrank into the corner of the bed defensively. Seeing the panic on my face, regret flashed across Reid’s brows. “I’m sorry. You were sleeping in Paige’s room and wearing her pajamas. I mistook you for her.” “…” I was still shaken and couldn’t speak for a long time. After calming down, I whispered, “I know. It was a misunderstanding.” Reid and Paige had been dating for almost a year. He was somewhat cold and quiet. During the few meals we had shared, we had exchanged no more than three sentences. If I hadn’t been staying at Paige’s place tonight, this ridiculous mistake never would have happened. “Thank you.” Hearing me say that, Reid’s tense expression finally eased. Then, as if remembering something, he turned and opened the bedroom door. “I’ll go downstairs first. I told her I was stopped by security at the gate. If she doesn’t see me, it’ll cause trouble.” Ten minutes later, Paige came upstairs. But she was alone. “Nora, were you asleep in the room just now?” “Yeah. I was tired, so I went to bed early. Did you call me when you came back?” “I did. But Reid suddenly came looking for me, so I went downstairs.” Hearing Reid’s name made me feel slightly uncomfortable. “Why didn’t he come up?” “I told him you were staying here these few days. It’s late, and he thought it’d be awkward for a grown man to come upstairs, so he left.” Seeing that everything seemed normal with Paige, my heart settled a little. That night, after Paige fell asleep, I tossed and turned, unable to rest. My mind kept flashing back to those intimate moments with Reid. His hot breath against my neck and chest. His burning palm roaming over my waist. His firm, strong body pressed close to mine. The harder I tried to suppress those images, the more they spread through me like a virus, invading every nerve. Paige had said Reid treated her well, but in that aspect, he was a little cold. But just now, he had been anything but cold. He had been like a starving wolf. The next evening, Paige invited Reid over, and the three of us went to a nearby restaurant. After ordering, Paige left for the restroom. Only Reid and I remained in the private room. We had never spoken much to begin with. He was quiet, and I was introverted. After what happened last night, being alone with him made the atmosphere even more awkward. After a while of silence, I reached for the kettle, wanting to pour myself water just to have something to do. But Reid reached out at the same time. The moment his cool fingertips brushed mine, I jerked my hand back as if shocked by electricity. Noticing my reaction, Reid froze too. The tips of his ears reddened slightly. A moment later, he still picked up the kettle and poured me a cup of water. “Are you still bothered by what happened last night?” Reid handed me the glass. I looked at his long, well-defined fingers, and my face heated. “No… not anymore. It was an accident. We both know that.” I lowered my eyes and accepted the glass, trying to look calm. But my mind uncontrollably connected those beautiful hands to everything they had done. The heat of his palm traveling down my waist. Every inch bringing a burning, tingling sensation. I hadn’t really dated much. Aside from a three-month college relationship that never went beyond hugging and kissing, I had never had intimate contact with a man. What Reid did to me had been a first. “Don’t worry. I’ll pretend nothing happened. You didn’t do it on purpose, and I won’t tell Paige and affect your relationship.” Paige was my best friend. I had never thought of anything happening between me and her boyfriend. Reid hadn’t caused me any real harm. Letting it pass was best for everyone. “Thank you.” Soon, Paige returned. Our conversation ended there. Near the end of the meal, Paige answered a call and said there was an urgent issue at work, so she needed to go back and work overtime. She asked Reid to drive me home. Reid agreed. Because Reid had been on a business trip these past few days, Paige had asked me to stay with her. Now that Reid was back and would often go to her place, it was naturally inappropriate for me to continue staying there. My rented apartment was in an old residential complex. Cars couldn’t enter, and there weren’t even streetlights nearby. Reid was worried it would be unsafe for me to walk alone, so he politely escorted me downstairs. When we reached the entrance, the security guard who knew me came over. “Oh, your boyfriend’s walking you home today? Handsome guy. You’ve got good taste, young lady.” My face flushed instantly. I hurriedly waved my hands. “No, sir, you’re mistaken. He’s not my boyfriend. Don’t say that.” “Still shy? What’s there to be embarrassed about? A boyfriend this handsome isn’t something to hide.” The guard didn’t believe me and teased me further. I glanced awkwardly at Reid, who had remained silent, and wanted to crawl into a hole. “He’s my best friend’s boyfriend. He just dropped me off on the way.” Seeing how flustered I was, the guard finally realized his mistake. He apologized and walked away. “Um… thank you for bringing me home. I’ll go upstairs now. You should head back too.” “Mm.” After getting home, I collapsed onto the sofa, feeling as if all the air had leaked out of me. That security guard really thought too highly of me. Someone ordinary and forgettable like me could never have a boyfriend like Reid. He was six foot two, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted. His face looked sculpted, so handsome even celebrities couldn’t compare. Maybe because of my personality since childhood, I had always been instinctively afraid of men with intense, striking beauty. But Paige was different. She was a bright, bold beauty. In both appearance and temperament, she matched Reid perfectly. Still, I did have a pursuer of my own. The next morning, when I arrived at the office, there was a sandwich and a latte on my desk. Beside them was a note. Remember to eat breakfast properly. It wasn’t the first time I had received breakfast. I also knew who had left it. Tyler Brooks. A colleague from the neighboring department. We had added each other on Messenger because of work. He had been pursuing me for some time now. From thoughtful breakfasts to afternoon desserts, he never missed a day. “A love breakfast. I’m so jealous.” Paige appeared behind me at some point and patted my shoulder with a smile. “Is it Tyler?” “Yeah.” I nodded. “He’s really thoughtful. Reid has never done little considerate things like this for me.” Paige said it casually, then went back to her own desk. I took out my phone and messaged Tyler. Thank you for breakfast. I’ll eat it properly. He replied quickly. Then I’ll bring it for you every day. During lunch break, I quietly asked Paige, “What do you think of Tyler?” Paige and I had only been at the company for a year. Tyler was a senior employee, two years older than us. “He’s not bad. You can try getting to know him.” “You think he’s good too?” “Compared with Reid, he’s far off, but he’s still a clean-cut handsome guy. And he’s capable at work.” “Yeah. He’s nice and very proactive.” “Then give it a try. If you two get together, we can go on double dates.” That night, our department had a dinner gathering. Unexpectedly, Tyler came too. I was a little happy. I thought he must have come because of me. He chose a love song, and while singing, he kept looking at me. Paige sat beside me and whispered, “So sweet.” She made me embarrassed, and I kept lowering my head to drink water. Later, everyone played games together, and the atmosphere was good. After drinking too much water, I went to the restroom. When I came out, I saw Paige and Tyler leaving the private room together and walking toward the end of the hallway. I found it strange. They had barely spoken earlier, but the way they walked out together looked very familiar. I followed them. I never expected to see Tyler and Paige embracing behind the emergency exit door. Because they were around a corner, they couldn’t see me. But I could see them clearly. “What do you like about Noelle?” Paige leaned against Tyler’s chest and smiled up at him. “Noelle looks obedient and pure. She seems suitable as a girlfriend.” Tyler answered, but the way he looked at Paige was burning hot. “Hah. She’s boring. Her personality is so stiff. Wouldn’t dating her be dull?” At Paige’s words, my back stiffened. “But she is easy to chase. She has basically no dating experience. If you’re just a little nice to her, she’ll get moved.” Paige’s tone was full of mockery and disdain. I stood there as if someone had poured a basin of cold water over my head. “The person I actually like is you. But you have a boyfriend. So I can only settle for second best.” “You won’t chase me just because I have a boyfriend?” “I do love my boyfriend. But it’s not like I can’t spare some time and energy for you.” “Besides, you have advantages my boyfriend doesn’t.” “What?” Tyler asked curiously. Paige’s fingers brushed his lips. “You’re good at kissing.” “My boyfriend is handsome, but in that area, he’s cold.” Hearing that, Tyler kissed her immediately. Paige hooked her arms around his neck, and the two kissed as if they couldn’t bear to part. Seeing that scene, I could hardly believe it. Was this the Paige I knew? She was the one who had encouraged me to try things with Tyler. Yet behind my back, she was entangled with him while belittling and mocking me. I didn’t know when it had started. But I didn’t want to believe that my best friend of more than ten years could be this kind of person. Just as I was about to rush forward and confront them, someone suddenly grabbed my wrist. I whipped around. There stood Reid, his face dark. I froze. When had he appeared? Had he heard everything Paige and Tyler said? “Reid, you—” Before I could finish, Reid pulled me into a small side room. The door closed, and I found myself pinned in front of him. In the dim space, there were only our bodies pressed together and our tangled breaths. “Paige said I’m cold and bad at kissing. What do you think?” “…” My eyes widened. My heart pounded like a drum. “Why… why are you asking me?” Reid leaned closer, his sharp, beautiful face almost touching mine. “Didn’t you experience it that night?” My face exploded red at Reid’s words. I couldn’t speak at all. The next second, Reid’s expression became deeply sad. At such a close distance, I could smell alcohol on his breath. Paige had said he worked in the marketing department and sometimes had to drink with clients. I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence that he was at the same KTV tonight and accidentally witnessed Paige cheating. “To be honest, I never thought Paige would betray me.” Reid’s voice was dark and low, clean but desolate. I was silent. After all, Paige hadn’t only betrayed Reid. She had betrayed me too. I had treated her as my best friend. But behind my back, she was involved with the man pursuing me and had degraded me like I was worthless. “My parents divorced when I was in elementary school.” “The rare time my father took me to school, he ended up hooking up with a classmate’s mother.” “Was that my fault?” Reid’s usually cold, composed face became painfully fragile. His dark, beautiful eyes seemed to glisten faintly. My heart moved. I felt a quiet ache for him. “Was it my fault? Was I too cold, and that’s why Paige betrayed me?” Reid looked at me. At that moment, the questioning heat in his eyes seemed able to set me on fire. Memories of that night flooded back like a tide. Suddenly, I felt thirsty. My senses, breath, and heartbeat no longer felt like my own. When Reid leaned against my shoulder, breathing unevenly, I suddenly panicked and pushed him away. “You’re drunk. Calm down.” After saying that, I quickly fled the room. Everything was too crazy. When I returned to the private room, Paige and Tyler were already back. Seeing me, Paige immediately held my arm affectionately. “Where did you go? Tyler was looking for you just now.” “To the restroom.” I was still shaken, but seeing Paige’s fake smile, I couldn’t help pulling my arm from her hand. “Come on, sing a duet together. Tyler has been waiting forever.” Paige pointed at Tyler nearby. Tyler pretended to be shy, holding the microphone and looking at me expectantly. I was almost shocked by their acting skills. Unfortunately, I didn’t have acting skills that good. “I’m not feeling well. I’m leaving first.” A few days later, Paige suddenly came to me crying, saying Reid had broken up with her. I asked why. She hesitated and lied, saying it was because of small life conflicts and incompatible personalities. Of course I knew the real reason. But seeing how heartbroken she looked, I didn’t expose her. Tyler had only been pursuing me. Although I had felt a faint liking for him, that was all. Now that I knew he didn’t truly like me, I could simply ignore him. But Paige… She was my only close friend. We had known each other since middle school. By now, it had been over ten years. Since childhood, I had been soft-tempered, and my family wasn’t well-off. Sometimes classmates bullied me. After Paige became my friend, she always stood in front of me to protect me and speak up for me. At the age when girls cared about beauty, I wore washed-out T-shirts and jeans every day. She gave me brand-new dresses she had never worn without hesitation. From school to work, she had given me so much help and love. I remembered all of it. I would not forgive Tyler. But I selectively forgave Paige. Paige stopped crying and hugged me tighter in grievance. “Mm. Noelle, thank goodness you’re here with me. You’re so good to me.” Because Reid had discovered Paige’s cheating, Paige no longer kept contact with Tyler privately. So Tyler pursued me even harder. Besides the breakfast that arrived every day without fail, he found all kinds of excuses to send me flowers and gifts, even claiming he was on the way so he could drive me home. But I only felt disgusted. After I refused his movie invitation for the third time, Tyler finally showed his true face. After working overtime, Tyler came up behind me and grabbed my wrist. “Noelle, what are you pretending for? You took so many breakfasts and gifts from me, flirted with me on Messenger for so long, and now suddenly you say you’re not interested? Are you playing me?” “Let go of me.” I had no idea what had gotten into him. “I’ll convert everything into cash and pay you back. Please stop pestering me.” “You think you can end it just because you say so? Do you really think I’m some worthless bootlicker?” “Please respect yourself. I didn’t force you to do any of those things.” I didn’t want to tangle with Tyler and turned to leave. He chased after me and grabbed my bag. In the pushing and pulling, I accidentally fell to the ground. Tyler tried to come help me, but someone knocked him down with one punch. “Stay away from her.” I looked up. Reid stood in front of me, glaring angrily at Tyler. Tyler was stunned by the punch and ran off in embarrassment. “Noelle, are you okay?” Reid helped me up. “I’m fine. I just fell by accident.” I instinctively waved my hand. During the struggle with Tyler, my collar had been pulled open, exposing a large area of skin at my chest. Reid noticed and immediately took off his jacket, handing it to me. “Put this on first.” I looked down and only then realized how disheveled I looked. I quickly accepted it and put it on. “Thank you.” Then Reid’s gaze suddenly fell on my chest, becoming deep. I froze, and my heart jumped. But I quickly realized he was looking at my collarbone. There was a pink butterfly birthmark there. I had been born with it. I didn’t know if it was my imagination, but Reid’s gaze seemed mixed with shock and hesitation. Why was he staring there? Was it because Paige had a similar scar near her collarbone? Instinctively, I tightened the jacket collar and covered myself completely. “I’m sorry.” Noticing my movement, Reid abruptly came back to himself and apologized with a red face. After a moment, he returned to his usual calmness. “I’ll take you home.” I nodded and followed Reid into the car. After that day, Tyler no longer bothered me. Paige, meanwhile, was busy trying to get back together with Reid. She called him every day, went to his place repeatedly, and even came to my apartment in the middle of the night to drink and cry. I thought she really loved him. But I never expected that even when someone liked another person so much, their body could still cheat. At the end of the month, during a meeting, our department manager assigned Paige a major project for the year. But this time, Paige said she wasn’t capable enough and asked me to handle the project with her. “The company values this project a lot. If we do well, promotions and raises at year-end are almost guaranteed. Noelle, you’re my best friend. Of course I’d pull you into something this good.” Hearing Paige say that, I was touched. Maybe back then, she had just acted on impulse and wanted to feel superior with Tyler. Because we had to discuss project details, the client asked us to meet at a restaurant. They booked a large private room. The project discussion went smoothly, except that several client representatives kept toasting Paige and me. Paige knew I couldn’t drink, so she kept blocking drinks for me. She had a high tolerance. But after four or five glasses, even I couldn’t bear to watch. “I’ll take this one.” I looked at Paige’s flushed cheeks and took the glass from in front of her. Then I drank it in one go. “Ms. Price is straightforward too.” The man who spoke was Grant Lewis, forty years old, a successful vice president at the client company. Mr. Lewis looked at me with satisfaction. Later, he specifically toasted me. I had no choice but to drink another glass. Soon, my head spun. I couldn’t hold my liquor and lost consciousness.

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