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“By the A team,” Liv said, holding out her palm for a low five, which he took. She then settled back into her seat and snuggled against his shoulder. Arran took a couple of breaths, trying to compose the words to ask her how serious this thing with Brodie was, but he struggled to find a casual enough manner in which to phrase it. Why him?Why not me?
When he eventually opened his mouth to stutter the start of a sentence, her eyes were closed and her breathing even as she slept on his shoulder.
Arran grabbed his jacket, lifting it to cover her as he put his arm around her. He glanced up, catching an older couple across the carriage giving them a soft smile—clearly laboring under the misapprehension that they were a couple. Something that seemed to happen often nowadays. First with Angela and Sarah, the two brides at the evening reception they’d visited. And then with Henry the photographer. Clearly people were seeing something that wasn’t there, because Liv was going out with someone else.
He’d honestly felt that he and Liv had been coming together, slotting right into a position that was meant to be. But now events were taking them in a different direction. Pulling them apart.
He tried to settle into his seat, feeling her chest rise and fall against him and mourning the fact that she was slipping through his fingers. But he wanted her to be happy, so if she had made the choice to pursue someone else, then he had to respect that. And yet his stupid heart still had trouble with the idea of letting her go.
Perhaps her getting with Brodie had come at the right time—when he had been close to telling her that he liked her as more than a friend. When he’d been close to asking if he could kiss her. Because his getting involved with anyone again was a bad idea, andthat person being his best friend was aseriouslybad one. Especially since said friend was about to become his son’s nursery school teacher. Even more imperative that he didn’t fuck up their relationship by trying something romantic that might end up going south. He couldn’t let his relationship status affect his son. Perhaps this was for the best, then. He just needed to come to terms with that. And part of that objective would involve not discussing Liv’s relationship with Brodie until he could trust himself not to burst into a fiery ball of jealous rage.
He glanced down at her beautiful sleeping features. The only way he could think of to successfully extricate himself emotionally was to put a bit of distance between them. He’d get her home safely and into bed, then he’d keep away from her for a bit. Just until he could be sure that he wasn’t going to ruin her happiness.
Chapter
Thirteen
Liv stared at the two-day-oldmessage she’d sent to Arran.
Hey, do you and Lord Jayce fancy accompanying me to Sam and Maya’s Easter egg rolling thing at the ski resort this weekend?
It was marked as read, but not a sausage in return. He must have been too busy to reply. She hovered her thumb over the keypad, wondering whether to prompt him or not. In the end she decided she might as well; the event was only a couple of days away, so she’d need to get them some tickets if they were going.
Any thoughts on the egg rolling thing? I might even treat you to a chocolate egg…
She put the phone down on the coffee table and went back to reading her e-book, but she couldn’t concentrate. Why did she havethe feeling that Arran had been avoiding her since their afternoon tea? It had been lovely, and the first time they’d had a whole day just the two of them. He’d seemed to enjoy it too but then had gone uncharacteristically silent all week. Normally they’d text most days with daft stuff to make each other laugh. But while she’d kept up her end of that bargain, Arran had been slow to reply to half the messages and the other half had gone entirely unanswered.
Looking up from her book, she frowned at the wall. She hadn’t said anything dumb when she’d been pissed on the journey home from the afternoon tea, had she? Her blood ran cold at the thought that she might’ve done something stupid in her inebriated state, like tell him that she’d had a crush on him for years (and now it felt like more than a crush) or try to kiss him. But she hadn’t been that drunk that she couldn’t remember stuff. Just tipsy; then she’d slept on the journey home, and Arran had dropped her off at hers in their shared taxi before taking it back to his. Although…had he been a bit quiet at that point too?
The phone buzzed with a message and she lifted it, her heart rising as she took in his name on the screen.
Sorry for the delay. Been busy. Jayce has been asking for you and he’d love to do the egg thing so we’ll meet you there.
She tapped out a quick reply, aware that her immediate response would give away that she’d been desperate to hear from him.
I can pick you guys up if you like?
Contrary to his recent slow reply style of the previous week, the three dots appeared straightaway, followed by:
That’s okay thanks. Got stuff on that morning so we’ll meet you there.
Letting her hand drop into her lap, she paused to think. Arran wasn’t the sort to be moody. He just had a load on his plate. That’s all it’d be.
—
The hills were lush andgreen and the air crisp as Liv craned her neck toward the terrace at the back of the resort center, watching for Arran and Jayce. She sighed. No sign yet. Whatever they’d had on earlier must’ve run over.
There was a tug on her sleeve and she turned to find Maya holding Elise’s one-year-old son, Jack.
Liv gave Maya a hug, then leaned in to kiss Jack’s cheek. “Hey there, handsome. Sorry your mum couldn’t make it.”
Maya smiled. “But he’s got the next best thing, his auntie Maya.”
“Indeed.” Liv smiled at him, placing her hands over her face to begin a game of peekaboo with Jack. “Where’s Sam?” she asked, as Jack giggled at her antics.
“Over there.” Maya nodded toward where Sam was chatting to his colleagues as they finished setting up what normally served as the baby ski slope for the race. The contestants would go to the top and roll their eggs down the grass.
“Where’s your egg?” Liv asked Maya.
