Page 86 of Ace My Heart

“I kind of think what you’re saying is a bit unfair, Brad. This Ben dude, he didn’t speak to Mel even once to talk to her about his plans to move back … did he, Mel?”

I shook my head, liking this guy more and more.

“I don’t think it’s fair to lay all the blame on Mel. Yeah, she should have probably made it clearer to him to begin with,” he flicked an apologetic glance at me, “but he still had no reason to believe that moving here was any guarantee that Mel would be with him.”

“Thank you, Thomas!” I cried, throwing a hard look at Brad, who refused to meet my eyes.

“So … do I confront him tonight, and tell him the truth, or avoid him and hope he gets the message?”

“Mel, you have to go and tell him tonight,” Amanda said. “Thomas is right, Ben acted on a crazy assumption. But you don’t need this hanging over your head. Get it over and done with and move on.”

She stood. “And I really have to go to work now.”

I stood too and she kissed me on the cheek. “Good luck, Smellie. Let me know how it goes.”

Amanda held out a hand to Thomas, and I walked them both to the front door.

“Hey, thanks Thomas, for being in my corner tonight,” I said. He smiled briefly at me and ushered Amanda out.

Leaving me alone with a stony-faced Brad.

“So … should I book an Uber to Ben’s house?” I asked, plonking down on the lounge and pulling out my phone. Brad sighed and scraped back from the kitchen table, joining me on the lounge.

“I’m sorry, Mel. I was a bit of an arsehole just now, wasn’t I?” He reached an arm across the back of the lounge, and I leaned against his side.

“I probably deserved it. I mean, in hindsight, you’re right, I should never have slept with him in the first place. But you know me – jump first, check the depth later.”

“You never deserve for men to treat you like you owe them something for sleeping with them, though. And I kind of feel like that’s a bit what’s happened here.”

I shrugged. Possibly.

“I’ll drive you to Ben’s and I’ll wait in the car to bring you home.”

“Well, no time like the present to go and get this unpleasantness out of the way,” I said, falsely bright. My heart was thrumming with nerves.

We made our way through the city, the wipers on Brad’s car a rhythmic squeak.

“You know, Mel. I’ve been thinking about what you said that night … about Grant. I’ve been thinking about it a lot.” Brad murmured.

“Oh?” I managed. I felt too strung out about having to confront Ben to have a D&M with Brad right now.

“I was thinking … you said you feel like casual is all you can do, because you don’t want to put your trust in someone again, after what he did to you.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you trust me?” he asked suddenly. That got my attention. Iturned and gaped at him. He continued to concentrate on the rain slicked road.

“What?”

“Do you trust me, Mel?” he repeated.

“Of course I do! You’re one of very few people I do trust! You’re always honest with me, even if I might not like what you have to say. And I know you’ve always got my best interests at heart.”

Brad inhaled deeply. “Okay.”

“Okay? Care to elaborate?”

“Not yet I don’t,” he replied under his breath. “Just … get through this drama with Ben, and we can talk more before you head to Wimbledon.”

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