AllFreeNovel
Share Us
John, however, acts shocked by this news, even though I told him again last night that I was sleeping on the couch to be respectful of my new relationship. He stands and begins to pace, looking only at me as if Henry isn’t even in the room.
“What about us, Lucy?” he pleads, and so begins the much-anticipated revival of his interpretation ofI Love Lucy…Taylor. “I know you needed to do this London thing, but haven’t you gotten it out of your system yet? You can’t just throw away twenty years of what we have. I love you.”
I can sense Henry’s anger building in him. The muscles in his arm tighten as he moves his hand from my back pocket to around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Embarrassment floods through me, and I just want to go hide in bed…Henry’s bed, preferably.
Henry looks at me and gives me the “Who does this asshole think he is” look.
John continues by listing “big” moments we’ve shared over the years, starting with senior high prom then moving to the holidays and our family vacations, all evidence for his argument that we are meant to be together.
How convenient that he neglects to mention that the majority of those twenty years have been spent with us as acquaintances…old friends at best, considering he cheated on me when we were together.
But I can’t bring myself to say those things. I should have cut him out of my life the moment we broke up, but instead of dealing with him, I just let him continue to invade my friend group once again. Yet, I’m starting to be relieved that it did end that way. Because if he had nevercheated on me, I’d have married him and never found my way to London or to Henry,even if it’s not real.
John then proceeds to make his biggest mistake yet. He turns to address Henry, puts on an apologetic look, and says, “I understand, man. Lucy is great, I can see why you’re interested, but there is no comparison for something that just started when we have a connection that is built on a twenty-year foundation.”
My cheeks reddened from embarrassment—I can’t look at Henry. I’m too afraid. How I wish John would stop talking, but of course, he doesn’t. “Lucy and I are meant for each other. No fancy mansion in England is going to change that.”
A bit of reality hits and fear takes hold of me as some of John’s words begin to make me question things. I don’t want to be with John, I know that more than anything, but haven’t I said that before, many times?
Sure, I have a new great life here in London, but what can I expect when Henry wraps his movie? We will go back to being friends, if that and I will return to my apartment.
What if I lose my friends when I lose Henry? No one can be sure of their future, but mine does have the possibility of becoming sad and lonely and deciding to move back to New York. Then what? John would be there, and I would fall directly into the same trap I’ve always found myself in.
Henry must notice my internal crisis, and he squeezes me close, “Are you all right?” he whispers, and I nod while trying to regain my mental footing. Leaning into Henry, I feel a little stronger.
This is John’s doing. He has a way of getting in my head and making me question myself. There is no denying it. He’s been a staple in my life, which is why I’ve never been able to completely distance myself from him. He knows exactly what to say to me that will make me cave. I always fall back into the headspace that I’ll never be able to do better than him.
Not this time—I’ve found myself afakeBritish boyfriend who is perfectly content to be romantically connected to me in the public eye. And when this arrangement comes to an end, I may meet someone new. Sure, I may not find anyone else who kisses as well as Henry, but I certainly could find someone else, maybe someone to fall in love with.
That’s enough for me. Even if clinging to this fake relationship is what will help me finally break ties with John, so be it. I’ll deal with the fall out when it comes.
Until then, I will savor every moment.
Twenty-Nine
HENRY
Lucy wasn’t exaggerating,this guy really does put on quite the performance. To an outsider, this passionate display could be fitting for the final scene in a romantic movie. A high school sweetheart flying across an ocean to declare himself on Christmas to the only girl he’s ever loved. Except, from the sounds of it, she’s not the only girl, not by a long shot. Unfortunately for him, this isn’t a movie and it will not end as he hopes. I am the director here, and I will be sure to be the one who gets the girl in the end.
If he truly loved her and wanted to make a real go at it with her, he should have started with an apology, but instead, he stands here and attempts to manipulate her with lies and false promises of true love. Even if I weren’t hoping to win her heart, I wouldn’t want her to end up with a person like this.
John’s reasons for them to be together are only based on the past and his feelings. Not once has he asked if she loves him. He speaks as if it is assumed.
He doesn’t deserve the kindness she’s shown him since his arrival, let alone her affections.
It’s time to make something clear to this man—she comes first. This is her life, her heart, and her decision. With a firm tone, I say, “This is Lucy’s choice.”
Before we spoke last night, I would have followed Oliver’s warning to not get in the way of her being in a loving relationship just for my career and newfound popularity. Now, I know she has moved on with her life and decidedly wants to leave him in the past. It is only because of his irrational decision to board a flight without her permission that she is even acknowledging him at this moment.
She has made a new life here. With any luck, my role in her life will continue to grow.Hopefully, growing to the point I will have many more opportunities to taste those luscious lips of hers.
To show I value her choice, I move to unlock our hands, but Lucy holds on tight. My heart swells, and I feel the smile break free on my face as she meets my gaze. She doesn’t say anything, but I can see her mind racing behind her eyes. She can’t find the words but still manages to demonstrate her choice. I let myself hope that our kiss earlier meant just as much to her as it did to me.
Elated to know where I stand, she picked our relationship over her ex.Fake relationship…fake for now.I shake my head to get rid of those thoughts. Now is not the time. Blurting out my feelings and intentions while she is combating his unwelcome advances is not how I want to do this. She deserves so much more, which I will be happy to deliver.
Turning to John, I offer, “You are welcome to stay until the storm lets up and the roads clear.” I pause and look down at Lucy, then back to John. “There is no reason we can’t enjoy each other’s company until then. But if you do anything to upset her or make her feel uncomfortable, you will be removed at once. I don’t care if I have to lease a helicopter to come get you—I won’t stand for you upsetting her.”
John’s reaction is not what I expect, he’s obviously not taking my threat seriously. He turns back to Lucy, taking a step closer before addressing her directly. “I would never want you upset or uncomfortable, you know that.” He turns back to me. “Thank you, Henry, I look forward to spending more time with Lucy.”
