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“Thank you for apologising,” I said, then folded my arms.
A moment of somewhat awkward silence ensued before Nigel scratched his chin and said, “Right, well, I’d better be off. Thank you all for accepting my apology. I promise you won’t have any trouble from me again.”
Bob and Siobhan said goodbye to him and started heading inside. I frowned at his departing figure, then hurried to catch up with him. “Nigel,” I called out. “Wait a minute.”
He stopped and turned around, expectant. I blew out a breath and asked, “Did Shay put you up to this?”
He let out a mirthless chuckle. “It was that obvious, huh?”
“I had my suspicions.”
Nigel sighed and fiddled with the sleeve of his coat. “Shay suggested I say sorry in person, but he didn’t expressly tell me I had to do it. Coming here tonight was my decision in the end. He’s been ignoring me for over a week, and I just want my friend back.”
So, his motivations were mostly selfish. It didn’t surprise me. We all did things to benefit ourselves a lot of the time. The pain in his voice had guilt pinching at me, though. Shay obviously meant a lot to him, which was why I relented.
“I’m sorry for telling Shay about that night. Maybe I should’ve let you do it yourself, but you kind of forced my hand when you were rude to me at Sunday dinner.”
Nigel shoved his hands in his pockets and bit the inside of his cheek. “Yeah, that was immature of me. I shouldn’t have behaved like that.”
“We all have our moments. I’m prepared to look past it if you are?” I said, holding out my hand.
He glanced down at my outstretched fingers before mustering something close to a smile. “It’s a truce, then. I suppose it’s best if we get along, for Shay’s sake, if nothing else.”
“Agreed.”
“Right, well, see you around.”
He was about to turn to leave when I blurted, “Do you know Emer?”
Nigel arched one eyebrow, his lips pressing together before he replied, “Shay’s ex? Of course.”
“We bumped into her today. I know they’ve been broken up for a year, but I could see they have a connection. She can speak sign language and everything—”
“That’s because her brother is deaf. It’s not like she learned it just for him,” Nigel cut in. There was something odd about his tone, but I couldn’t say precisely.
“Oh,” I said, self-consciously tucking some hair behind my ear. “Well, since you’re his best friend, I was wondering if I could get your honest opinion?”
He folded his arms. “Sure.”
I met his gaze, swallowing thickly. “Do you think they’ll ever get back together?”
I braced myself as I waited for his answer. Nigel’s expression was tense, his eyes flicking to the road for a minute before they returned my way. “Honestly? I don’t know, but it’s a possibility. Emer was the love of Shay’s life, and he’s loyal to a fault. She doesn’t deserve another shot with him, but knowing my friend, I couldn’t say it isn’t in him to give her one at some point.”
There was a note of dejection in his voice, but I didn’t have time to ponder it because a wave of pain crashed over me. His answer wasn’t what I wanted to hear. But I needed to hear it. I needed to be ready for the possibility that whatever was between Shay and me could abruptly end. I shouldn’t be letting my feelings grow so freely when they might be shattered at any point. I needed to make the decision to protect myself instead of leaving things up to chance.
“Thank you for being honest with me.”
“Look, just because there’s a small chance he’ll go back to her, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore something with him,” Nigel said, seeming to realise he might’ve been a bit too honest with me. “I saw how Shay looked at you at dinner that day. He really likes you, Maggie.”
Right, but that was the problem. Even if Shay really liked me, it didn’t mean I could rival what he felt for his ex.
“Thank you. That’s kind of you to say. Goodbye, Nigel.”
“Bye, Maggie,” he replied, casting me a slightly worried glance before I turned and walked back to my flat.
All night, I tossed and turned, conflicted over what to do about Shay. Either I took the risk of developing even more feelings for him, or I put a stop to things and went back to being just friends. Bus companions. I managed only a few hours of broken sleep and woke up the next morning feeling worse for wear.
After showering and getting dressed for work, the buzzer to my apartment went. I peered out the window, blinking when I spotted Shay outside with two coffee cups in hand. My heart did a somersault while my stomach dipped, two opposing reactions. It perfectly summed up how torn I was.
