Page 57 of You Belong With Me

‘If he’s ever within ten paces of my girlfriend again, I’m going to punch him. Or better yet, get some brick-shithouse-sized bodyguard to do it on my behalf and pay them a bonus for it. So, no more Anto at any events with me unless you want that scene, please. I’m not kidding.’

Edie was embarrassed to hesitate. Somehow, she couldn’t instantly bring herself to either depart or interrupt by knocking. She took a guilty step backwards, which had no effect on her ability to follow what was being said. She’d make a call on whether to stay or go in a second or two; she was definitely about to walk away. She had some rights to curiosity regards Anto.

‘Shit, what happened?’

‘He made up some bullshit to Edie about how I was seeingsomeone oversexed after we broke up last year. He properly upset her. Seemed capable of Mickey Finning her, to be honest. He was trying for a psychological Mickey Finn as it was.’

Edie breathed out and thought: eavesdropping was improper, yet all she was gaining was reassurance.

‘Fuck! What a weird thing to do. Didn’t he think she’d ask you? What if you’d challenged him?’

‘I suppose then he’d have been confusing me with someone else, whoops-a-daisy. He was having a little low stakes flutter in bullshitters’ Betfred. Long spoon, Fraz.’

‘I’ll take him off the stag do list.’

Edie raised her hand to knock.

‘About the wedding,’ Elliot said.

What?They’d not done this yet? She put her hand down in confusion. She might lose Elliot’s moment for this confrontation entirely.Walk away,she instructed herself.If Fraser yanks the door open in a sudden fit of emotion, and you’re stood there, it’ll look awful.

‘Yeah?’

‘You know all I care about is you being happy? And anything I say is with that aim in mind, not throwing my weight around for the sake of it?’

‘Aww fuck, Lell. You only ever do theyou’re a bright lad so why draw cocks on your exercise bookskindly teacher voice when you’re about to lecture the shit out of me.’

‘It’s great that you’re both so keen on each other, but getting married this spring is nuts. Life is not the sort of Hallmark movie you watch on a tablet when you’re poorly.’

‘If you know you want to do it, why wait?’

‘To be sure of each other. To be sure it works. You need to have been through some downs as well as ups.’

OK,Edie thought,this is private.Elliot would no doubt give her chapter and verse anyway. She turned to go.

‘How long did it take you to be sure of Edie?’ Fraser said.

Edie stopped, back to the door. This was why she should’ve exited before now. Her name had been raised again, and she absolutely shouldn’t be privy to this, yet her feet might as well be nailed to the spot.

‘What’s that got to do with it?’ Elliot said.

‘Did I ever saycalm down, you’ve only known her five minuteswhen you were spinning out about her?’

‘Edie and I aren’t engaged.’

‘Would it be too soon if you were?’

‘Yes, that’s why we’re not engaged. Well, one of the reasons. I mentioned diamond rings once, and she looked like she was going to puke, so I don’t know if marriage is her thing or not.’

Edie flinched. Those wires were crossed. She didn’t want him to think she was Bridget Jones. She didn’t want him to think she was trying to tie him down, as a catch.

‘There you go. You’re not sure of how Edie feels. Molly and I are sure of each other.’

‘Bloody hell, Fraz, this isn’tBridgerton. We don’t have to be deciding who we are or aren’t going to offer our hands in marriage to after seeing them for six months.’

‘The fact we don’t have to do it is how you know Molly and I are doing it for the right reasons. We want to. You don’t want to be married, and that’s fine, too.’

‘What’s the drawback of waiting a year?’

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