The Friend Zone: The Rulers

By Linie Bener

Dixie
I've only ever liked one boy, and he only sees me as his geeky best friend.
Gavin and I have been inseparable since we were in diapers. Until he met Jace, who invaded our friendship. Now, he's the annoying third wheel in our group who constantly teases me and stands in the way of Gavin noticing me.

 

Jace
How did I find myself in this tangled mess?
My two best friends are, at times, too oblivious. Gavin is blind and doesn't know how Dixie feels about him. Whereas Dixie is too dense to notice that I've loved her from the first moment I saw her.
Maybe someday, she'll stop looking in his direction and start looking in mine, but if I wait too long, I might lose my shot.

 

A standalone small-town sports romance and a guaranteed HEA. No cheating. No cliffhangers. Adult contents included.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linie Bener
• Release date: Dec 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9798215787397

Book preview

The Friend Zone

A Small Town Sports Romance

Linie Bener

Copyright © 2021 by Linie Bener

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

Book Description

1.Dixie

2.Jace

3.Dixie

4.Jace

5.Dixie

6.Jace

7.Dixie

8.Jace

9.Dixie

10.Jace

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Dixie

I’ve only ever liked one boy, and he only sees me as his geeky best friend.

Gavin and I have been inseparable since we were in diapers. Until he met Jace, who invaded our friendship. Now, he’s the annoying third wheel in our group who constantly teases me and stands in the way of Gavin noticing me.

Jace

How did I find myself in this tangled mess?

My two best friends are, at times, too oblivious. Gavin is blind and doesn’t know how Dixie feels about him. Whereas Dixie is too dense to notice that I’ve loved her from the first moment I saw her.

Maybe someday, she’ll stop looking in his direction and start looking in mine, but if I wait too long, I might lose my shot.

A standalone small-town romance and a guaranteed HEA. No cheating. No cliffhangers. Adult contents included.

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Chapter 1

U se your magical sword. The sword. Hurry!

Okay. I got it.

Hurry. I’m gonna die.

Use your potion.

I’m out.

What? When did…?

Why am I not surprised? How long have you nerds been playing?

Move!

Jace!

It’s just a game, geek squad. Jace plops next to me, but I ignore him since evil gnomes surround me. He then leans on me, but I shove him off impatiently while a golem swats me and kills me.

Aww. Gavin groans. We were so close.

I throw my remote on the ground in frustration. You! Do you have any idea how long it took us to get to that level? I glare at Jace.

Relax, it’s just a game, he smirks.

My eyes narrow as I contemplate where to hit him. With my nose flaring, I grab my jacket and shrug it on.

Where are you going? I thought you were spending the night? Gavin asks.

I was until jackass here showed up.

Aww, the geek duo is having a slumber party? Why am I not invited? Is it exclusive to nerds?

Says the one wearing glasses, I snap.

What, you don’t like my glasses? They’re hip.

Keep telling yourself that, asswipe.

Can you two please stop fighting? Jace, did you want to hang with us? We’re just gonna marathon something on Netflix.

I turn my glare at Gavin since I can’t believe he’s inviting the jerk.

Are you sure I’m welcome? I don’t want to intrude in your alone time, he says with an air quote and a sneer.

Of course not. You’re our friend too. The more, the merrier, Gavin says.

I let out a heavy breath as my heart sinks, and the fight in me leaves, replaced with a familiar ache in my chest.

Gavin will never see me as anyone other than his childhood friend. I’m not even sure if he sees me as a girl since he treats me the same as Jace. While Jace sees me too much, he’s annoying and has teased me since he intruded on my friendship with Gavin in middle school. He’s been like a third wheel or an annoying cold I can’t shake.

He’s always around, but the three of us have no one else, so Jace and I learned to get along.

He’s not all bad; he has his moments, especially when he’s not teasing me. Which is rare since most of the time, he likes to annoy me. Not to mention he’s the biggest cock block. Whenever my relationship with Gavin seems like it’s progressing to another level, Jace will make a joke or say something embarrassing. Like tonight, his inappropriate joke is uncalled for.

Jace definitely knows how to push my buttons. No one can rile me up as much as him. He has a talent for it. He knows how to piss me off and make me laugh in one breath.

Gavin gets up and picks up the controller. I’m going to tell Mom our plans so she can order pizza for us before she leaves. Are you both spending the night?

I shrug and narrow my eyes at Jace, so he’ll take the hint that he’s not welcome.

He meets my gaze and smirks. Why, I’d love to spend the night, Gavin. Thanks for asking. Then flashes me a full grin.

I hate you.

In response, he gets up and leans close to my ear. You know what they say about love and hate. With a chuckle, he leaves the room to follow Gavin before I turn around and get the chance to kick his shin.

I plop on the futon as I stew on my annoyance.

When I hear them come up the stairs, I’m almost back to my normal mood.

My eyes light up as I notice their arms laden with chips and drinks, which they drop in front of the TV.

Is your mom gone? I ask Gavin, reaching for a drink.

Yeah, she just left.

Where’s she going? Jace crunches on his chips and sits next to me, nudging my shoulder.

I shove him away, and I hear him chuckle.

Teasing me is his favorite pastime. He doesn’t do it to everyone. He reserves his annoyingness for me. It’s like he sees me as his sister, and he’s made it his mission to tease me whenever he’s in a mood. Perhaps it’s because the three of us are always hanging out, and he’s an only child. Unlike me, I have two older brothers that annoy me enough. That’s why I’m always over at Gavin’s, whose siblings are both in college.

The three of us spend most of our spare time together since our families are too busy for us. Most parents from South