Chapter 15

As I laythere wrapped in his arms, both of us spent, one little word kept coming back to me. One little word that, if I uttered it, would probably ruin everything. This was all too new to say anything like that. This was all too taboo to say anything like that. My best mate’s dad. Instead, we lay there together in the sweet silence, enjoying what had happened between us moments before.

* * *

The weeks passed,and Ray and I kept texting, kept meeting up, and kept sleeping together. It was getting harder and harder not to tell him how I felt, and more and more blissful to have time alone with him, sometimes in bed, sometimes not.

Annie kept asking me who I was texting that was putting such a grin on my face and when she was going to meet my mystery man. That wasn’t something I was sure she would ever forgive me for. So instead, I just said it was someone I had met on a dating app.

* * *

Annie was havinganother overnight with Declan. Rich and I had been enjoying the idea of a night together instead of a stolen moment here or there when Annie was out.

When I got there, Rich had cooked for us. The table was set with candles. He gave me a rose, and we had wine and an amazing meal.

“This almost seems too good to be true.” I laughed nervously. “Like an ending.”

“We’ll have to tell Annie soon.” He sighed.

He was right, we would have to. And while we would put our case with care, neither of us really knew how Annie would react. ‘We will. Is this a goodbye in case she doesn’t handle it very well?”

He swallowed hard. “Is that what you want it to be?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“God, I hope she’s okay with all this.”

“I hope so. I don’t want to give this up. Do you?”

“Fuck, no!” he answered immediately. “But if you’re given no option, if Annie makes you pick between her and me, you have to promise me something. You’re young and you have your whole life ahead of you, and she needs you. Pick her.”

Was that really what he thought? That he was forgettable. That this was just some folly of youth on my part?

“You want me to forget you?”

He winced at my words.

“Is that what you want, Rich? I thought you wanted me.”

“I do,” he admitted, and then he realised what he’d said. “But Annie needs to come first, and you are young. You will recover.”

“Is that really want you want for me? To fuck off and end up with someone else because there’s an age gap between us?”

His mouth opened, but no words came.