Sleeping With My Best Friend - (Complete)

Chapter 31 - Telling the Parents

When they finished, Dean wrapped an arm around Berkley's waist and pulled her body up against his, snuggling her to his chest. His body heat made her feel safe and comfortable, and it felt really good being held in his arms again.

"That was really fucking amazing," she said with a laugh, smiling.

"Yeah it was," he whispered, smiling back at her before kissing her forehead softly and wrapping his arms around her body, pulling her closer.

She laid her face against his warm chest, taking a deep breath in and then letting out a sigh. Being there with him just felt right.

"So now that we're officially together, I guess you can stop picturing I'm someone else when we have sex," Dean whispered, breaking her out of her thoughts.

That made her laugh and she raised her head and looked up at him. "For your information, I have never pictured you were somebody else."

"Not even the first time?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" she said, shaking her head.

Then her smile slowly faded away as she laid there looking into his eyes, lying on his bare chest. She let out an exhale and said, "The truth is, I think deep down you're the reason I never could bring myself to have sex with anybody else."

"What do you mean?" he asked, rubbing on her bare back.

"I know my brother told you I used to have a crush on you back in middle school, but it was more than that. Back then I really felt like me and you were meant to be together."

She took a deep breath in and let out a sigh before saying, "But then you started playing football and basketball and dating the head cheerleader and I knew I didn't stand a chance, so I shut those feelings off so I wouldn't get my heart broken. I thought I was over it and just saw you as a friend, but subconsciously I don't think those feelings ever completely went away. That's why it never felt right with anybody else. They weren't you."

He was quiet for a couple seconds before saying, "If you had just told me how you felt back then, I might've ...."

"Might've what?" she laughed, cutting him off. "You were WAY out of my league and you know it. You would have never dumped Sydney for me."

"Who says?" he asked with scrunched eyebrows.

"Me," she said, shaking her head.

She looked down, hanging her head with her smile slowly fading away as she let out an exhale, remembering how sad and tortured she had felt about it back then.

"Say what you want, but we both know the truth. I never stood a chance against someone like her," she said quietly.

He put his hand under her chin and lifted her head and she slowly moved her eyes back up to look into his.

"Love isn't a popularity contest Berk. At least, it never was for me. She might have been more popular than you, but you know I've never given a shit about any of that."

She laid there thinking about what he was saying without saying a word.

"Why do you think I never officially made her my girlfriend?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I always figured it was because you had commitment phobia or something, afraid to tie yourself down to one woman."

He shook his head. "No. I was afraid to tie myself down to the WRONG woman. Sydney was hot, but that was all she had going for her and I wanted more than that," he whispered, looking her directly in the eyes. "You were a million times better than her. Actually, you were better than every single girl in our high school."