Page 4 of Only Ever You

Faye had told him so.

Many times.

It was a tight squeeze as the five of them huddled around their table. Faye sat semi-sideways to avoid her thigh from being perpetually pressed against Bash’s. Not that she’d have minded … if it wasn’t for the lack of air conditioning to cool her in a space packed down to every last burgundy leather seat. The lamps hanging from the low ceiling burned golden warmth which would’ve made her feel like she was being baked in an oven if it was summer.

“Work was busy today, I take it?” Freddy pushed the bowl of salted peanuts towards Bash with a fingertip, the movement riding up his t-shirt’s long sleeve and exposing an inch of his tattooed arm.

Exasperation flared in Bash’s eyes. “Do you know how many millionaires want to redecorate properties in London just so they can host parties over the Christmas season?”

“As many as those wanting flowers arranged in their grand lobbies, gala rooms, and displays?” Sienna chipped in.

“Bad day, huh?” Freddy grimaced and Faye did too at the both of them. Sienna shrugged, but Bash’s blankness was indifferent.

“Good, actually.” He surprised them, scooping up a palmful of nuts. “We won two new clients for spring and I finished some mockups of a project for this January.” He took another swig of his drink. “I just wanted the day to be done.”

Something wasoffin that statement.

Faye put her hand on his back and rubbed a soothing circle, yet her eyes fell and her hand did too when Bash looked across his shoulder at her. It wasn’t a warning, but more like curiosity in his eyes as if he hadn’t expected the touch. His lips began to curl up in a smile that made her traitorous heart jump.

“Well, you’re here now,” she said gladly. “The band’s just finishing their opening warm up.”

“Sit back and forget about it,” Maisie added.

Another more vibrant smile pulled on Bash’s lips and he turned the conversation around. “How are you guys? Fred?”

At thirty years old, Freddy Bergesen was too young to have the dark circles blotting under his Nordic blue eyes, and his ashen blonde hair had sprouted greys in the last few months. Faye wished she could hug him more, but he didn’t share the same propensity for physical touch as Bash did.

“The twins aren’t settling,” Freddy grumbled, his gaze firmly down within his pint. “We’re trying, but Connor is overwhelmed. He just started back at work. Christmas doesn’t seem to be cheering anybody up and those kids are just … miserable.”

Faye’s shoulders sank. None of what had happened to Freddy this year was fair.

“You all just lost an amazing woman, it's going to take time to heal,” Maisie said to him, the natural bounce in her voice calming.

“I know. But trying to grieve and co-parent your dead sister’s kids with her husband is—I’m sorry. I don’t mean to sound so … ” Freddy curled his fingers in a tense squeeze around air and the gesture finished his sentence for him.

“It’s alright.” Faye leaned forwards and covered the back of his hand on the table.

Bright eyes glanced at her first, then the others. “I needed to come out tonight. Thanks for this.”

“Who has the boys?” Bash asked.

“My parents.”

“Speaking of parents … ” Sienna slid in, setting her glass down and folding her arms. “Amber just got engaged on her birthday last night, and my parents are being their usual selves about it.” Faye sensed by Sienna’s stiff shoulders that a wine-and-cheesecake night to talk this out would be imminent.

“Oh no. What have they said?” She almost didn't want to know the answer, feeling her chest seizing in anticipation. She’d been lucky that she and her step-sister had always gotten along, but Sienna hadn’t been so lucky.

“The usual: that I’m not trying hard enough. ‘Amber is so perfect. Amber has it all figured out’. And now she’s gone and cuffed a rich fiancé.” With a backdrop of low lights and instruments still warming up, Sienna only looked miserable, still in her blouse from work. The white was bright against her warm copper skin. “I think my parents forget sometimes that not everybody wants the same pretentious things as they do.”

Freddy had his pint glass halfway to his lips when he asked, “Would they listen if you told them that?”

Sienna’s dark eyes rolled to him. “I’ve given up trying.”

Bash clapped his hand on her shoulder. “You, Sienna, are slaying your life.” Faye was sure he hadn’t ever said ‘slaying’ like that in his thirty years. “Only you can tell you what you want to do.”

She needed to start carrying round ice packs to help make the heart Bash melted in her solid again.

A defeated smile twitched on Sienna’s full, dark lips. “Okay, enough about me. Maise?”

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