Page 92 of Only Ever You

“I washed out a box of dishwasher pods, lined it with kitchen towel, and have been keeping chocolate in it all year.”

Matt was scandalised. “You devious woman!”

Whilst they bickered and Saira unwrapped her prize satsuma, Bash leant to Faye. “I’d have given it to you.”

Her eyes blew wide, chin snapping to her shoulder. “What? Why? I’m a good girl.” She clamped her mouth shut as soon as she realised what she’d said.

His brow arced, inches from her face. “Oh are you now?” Redness coloured Faye’s cheeks in an instant and Bash lowered his voice by her ear. “Was that what you were when you flashed me last night?”

“Flashed what?” Maya jumped on him and much like her father, hit him too close to the delicates with her knee.

Many sets of eyes glared at him and Bash panicked. “Flashed her … lovely smile at the party yesterday!”

Matt coughed and sniggered, and for at least half an hour, Bash avoided looking at Saira’s fiery glare completely.

* My god

28

BASH

It wasat times like these when Bash remembered what it was like to sit around a dinner table as a family. He didn’t get that kind of thing in his house except for when his friends were there. And he missed it – the simplicity.

Like when they were young, it was his and Matt’s jobs to set the silverware and crockery on the decorated dinner table. Bash laid down the red placemats whilst Matt followed with the plates. They took their time. The more they stayed out of the organised operation that was the kitchen, the better.

“Did I hear some arguing coming from your side of the house last night?” Matt asked quietly.

Bash passed a glance over his shoulder. “It wasn’t an argument. Faye found out about an offer I’ve had to go and work for an American team.”

The shuffling stopped.

“What offer?” Matt already sounded angered. Now that one cat was out of the bag, Bash might as well let them all go.

“Don’t get mad at me for not telling you?”

“Can’t promise I won’t.”

Bash didn’t go into all of the details as they continued circling the table, manoeuvring around the high backed chairs.

“But Faye actuallyismoving away?” Another plate softly settled on a red, faux-leather placemat.

“Seems so.” Bash had tried not to think about it today, because every time he did, his heart hurt.

She’d pulled him aside earlier and apologised again for everything last night; her reactions, her emotion. She was still overly concerned for his phone’s wellbeing.

“And you’re … upset?”

“Of course I’m upset.” Bash gathered up a pile of cutlery from the sideboard to place with the settings. “She didn’t tell me, which, hypocritical,I know, since I didn’t tell her about my offer either. But mine has fallen dead which is what I wanted and she’s actually going away.”

Hewashappy for Faye. She worked so hard and she deserved the opportunity to expand her bakery. But why Manchester? Why so far from London, from her family, her friends? From him …

Matt had gone too silent. The kind of silence Bash imagined his brother held right before delivering bad news to a patient.

“Will you saysomething?”

Matt sighed. “Do you want my opinion?”

“Sure.” Bash braced himself for god knows what was coming.

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