Page 124 of Only Ever You

He’d learned his lesson that he couldn’t tell the man what to do. Ever since university, people misjudged Freddy’s quietness for isolation, when really he was just trying to get through the day. And with all of the stress in his life of suddenly having to raise his twin nephews at their energetic age of seven, when he’d never wanted to be a father at all just yet, Bash didn’t want to add to it. Though it killed him to hold his tongue.

Bennet began their warm up rally. Baseline to baseline, they steadily hit the ball back and forth between them. Having that as something to focus on felt like a good distraction to bring up what Bash was dying to shout to the world, before their practice required any more thought.

“So … I have some news.” The ball bounced in Bennet’s service box and again in Bash’s. His friends’ silence was expectant, so he finally –finally –said, “I got together with Faye.”

“Fucking finally,” Freddy moaned whilst Bennet stumbled over his feet, gawking and recovering before it washimwho ended up bruised this time.

Bash glanced a frown over to the grandpa of the trio. “What do you mean?”

“I know I came in a little later to the group, but since day one I’ve known you’ve been pining after her.”

“Don’t hit me with that crap.” Bash laughed, sending the ball along the court. “You’re a bad liar.”

“Even I know how you’ve felt, Bash, and I barely know Faye,” Bennet added in.

That’s because you don’t ever hang out with the girls anymore.Bash bit back his tongue. He wasn’t sure why Bennet had stopped occasionally joining in on things with his friends when Faye, Maisie and Sienna were there too.

“How’d it happen?” Freddy asked.

“I don’t even know where to begin with that.” And there were details Bash wanted to keep to himself, like walking in on Faye naked … or kissing her senseless under the mistletoe. “Christmas with my family was … eventful.”

“Did you tell her you love her?”

He laughed, not nearly as out of breath or warmed up as he should be by now. “You two are a pair of gossips, you know that?”

“Yes.” Bennet put a bit more attack behind his rally and Bash had to lunge for the ball. “So answer the question.”

He resigned himself with a smile. “Yes, I did.”

Calling them a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend, or any kind of label was jumping the gun a tiny bit, since it hadn’t even been a whole day since those confessions at the bottom of Morris’ stairs. But based on everything they’d said, acouplewas where they were headed, surely?

Throwing his head back, Freddy rigidly raised his arms and fists up in the air in celebration. Had the man really figured out his pining for that long?

“It turns out that she’s been in love with me for years too. And we’re both idiots.” Which Bash meant in the fondest sense possible.

“Do the girls know?” Freddy asked next.

“I’m not sure.”

Spreading the fact that he and Faye had slept together wasn’t the first thing on Bash’s list of priorities – no, the first was seeing her again.

Faye was naturally closer to Sienna and Maisie than he was, so he’d let her tell them of their news, if she hadn’t already. They all had plans to spend New Year’s Eve together at his house anyway, so if Maisie and Sienna didn’t know by then, then they’d figure it out when Bash reached for Faye at the stroke of midnight.

God help him when he had to tell his family. How long could he put it off?Mamanwould pull out a scrapbook and begin planning a wedding and baby names before the admission had finished leaving his mouth.

Bennet had been quiet for a minute, which was a record for him.

Bash caught the ball instead of returning it, which made Bennet stumble again though this time to a halt. In the corner of his eye, Freddy didn’t know which of the two of them to look at, clearly wondering why they’d stopped. Bash knew exactly what would be going through his business partner’s mind now that things were different between him and Faye.

Interpreting the concern in his eyes, Bennet took a long breath that ended in a sigh. “It’s almost New Year.”

The deadline for them to reject or accept the offer to work forWoodrow and Sturridgeloomed over their heads. Bash read the email from Christmas Eve, and all it proposed was a step up in pay on a contract resembling the returns thatPD&F Luxealready earned, only under conditions determined by somebody else. It would be the same job just without their own names on the door.

Even if he didn’t want to see where his relationship with Faye went, Bash didn’t see a point in uprooting his life for something that was more of the same.

No matter the outcome, he had to do this delicately. “I know.”

Bennet tapped his racket strings against his trainer toe. Eyes down, he uttered, “We’re not going to America, are we?”

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