Page 70 of My Year of Saying No

---

‘I’d better be going.’

‘Yeah. Drive carefully.’

‘I will.’ I gave a wary glance. ‘Do I still get a hug?’

‘Of course.’ He hugged me for a moment before standing back. ‘Message when you’re home.’

‘Will do,’ I said, sliding into the driver’s seat and pulling the seat belt across me. Seb smiled and pushed the door closed for me. Turning the key, I gave him a thumbs up at the novelty of a first-time start, turning it into a wave, which he returned with a brief movement of his hand.

In the rear view mirror, I saw Seb and Scooby walk back to the house and I let out the breath I’d been holding. I knew I’d done the right thing. So why did it feel so entirely wrong?

* * *

‘How’s it going?’ Jess asked.

‘What’s that?’

‘The denial that you’re in love with Seb?’

‘Oh pffft. I am not.’

‘So, it’s going well, then.’

I rolled my eyes. ‘Actually, it’s fine. I told you it was just a crush. And I’m over it.’

Mostly.

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes.’

‘Good. You won’t mind that I’ve invited him to our engagement party then?’

I snorted tea out of my nose.

‘You did what?’ I asked, mopping up with a tea towel as I glared at Jess on the screen. ‘Why? You don’t even know him!’

‘We kind of do. Harry was looking for a charity to do his next triathlon challenge for and I suggested Seb’s, so he contacted him and mentioned that they had a mutual acquaintance and got chatting. They really hit it off.’

I didn’t doubt this, but I also knew my friend of old and it appeared Jess had been doing some serious scheming.

‘You could have just asked me to bring him. He’d probably have said yes anyway.’

‘It wasn’t like that. It was more…’ Jess tailed off as she saw the look on my face. ‘OK, fine. But you’re doing this whole saying no thing and I really want to meet him!’

‘Ugh, Jess!’ I dropped my face into my hands.

‘What?’

‘You’re not helping things!’

‘I thought you just said you were doing OK with the whole crush thing.’

‘I am! But it’s far easier at a distance!’

Jess cocked her head. ‘There’s something else, isn’t there?’

I blew out a sigh. ‘He asked me out.’

---