Page 85 of Not So Happily Ever After (British Bad Boys)
My brother ignores me. “How much longer are you gonna be a dick?”
“He’snota dick,” I grind between my teeth. “Honestly, Lucas—”
“I’m not saying I’m ready to forgive you,” he says, magnanimously, “but you could at least make the effort, so my sister still sees her family.”
What thehellis he talking about? “Are you high or something?”
“Okay,” Will says, like my brother is making complete sense.
“Because,” my obviously deluded brother adds, “family’s important.”
“Even I went.” Harry sounds like the prophet of doom.
“Yes, and you lookedgorgeousas a knight of Exitium.” Alice gazes at him in adoration, and the penny drops. After all, I saw all the photos on social media.
“Wait. I was the one who refused the invitation to the Halloween party. Not Will.”
Both of my brothers stare at me as though I’ve just sprouted a unicorn horn. “Why would you do that?” Harry asks.
“But you like parties.” Lucas frowns.
“Oh, shut up. You must’ve seen the email was from me, not him.”
“Yeah, but I thought he’d…influenced you.”
Will gives a snort of laughter. “Thought you knew her better than that.”
“I can’t believe you evensaidthat.” I don’t know whether I should laugh, like Will, or give my brother a broken nose.
“I know,” Violet says. “I said to him there’s nowayWill would ever tell you what to do, but he was so cut up when you didn’t go, he had to blame someone.”
“I wasn’t fucking cut up,” Lucas growls, and Violet gives his arm a little pat.
An unwanted trickle of guilt slides through me. “I’m sorry. I thought maybe it was, you know, too soon.”
Lucas still looks highly offended, and I bite my lip against the urge to giggle, not helped when both Violet and Alice looks as though they’re doing the same.
“Just so you know,” Will says to Lucas, “I’d do anything to make Mac happy. I’m sorry if I screwed up our friendship, but she’s my number one priority. And always will be.”
It’s a physiological impossibility, but I swear my heart expands until it fills my entire chest. I hook my arm through his and don’t even care if I have a ridiculously gooey smile on my face.
Lucas makes a sound somewhere between a growl and a gag. “All right, then.”
“It’s all very exciting about your new degree,” Alice says, changing the subject. “How’s that all going?”
“I’m going to be spending the next six months covered in paint getting a portfolio together.” Aberystwyth is my number one choice. And not just because it’s not far from Oakland.
“Mac has an exhibition at Camden Market on Boxing Day. You’re all invited.” Will makes it sound more like a command than an invite, although they do all seem keen, and I end up talking about my art more than I ever have in years with anyone except Will.
An hour later, as everyone’s crawling to bed, we end up outside Mum’s study. For the first time in years her door’s open, and it’s strange, but in a good way.
Her door was never closed when she was here.
Hand in hand, we go in the room, and I trail my fingers over the back of my favorite chair. It was made to be used, not hidden away like a piece in a museum.
Moving on doesn’t mean forgetting the past. I squeeze his fingers.
“I’m going to ask Dad if I can take this chair with me.”
