we’ve known each other for so long that we’re completely comfortable with one another. It’s just amazing. I mean, he knows so much about me, and I know so much about him, and we don’t have to learn any of that stuff. We just know it already. But it’s still passionate, you know? I’m still really attracted to him, even though we’ve been friends for so long. It’s the best of both worlds, really. I think maybe that there’s always been something there, and subconsciously we’ve always known, but it’s taken a while for our conscious minds to grasp it. Don’t you think?”
He nodded. “I’m happy for you guys.”
I hugged him. “Thank you. That means so much to me. You know, I’m really glad you told me I should go for it. Otherwise I mightn’t have plunged into this the way I did. Well, knowing me, I probably would have, but I wouldn’t have seen it as being a long-term thing, it would have just been something casual. But this means something, you know? I seriously think this is the sort of thing that could last for a really long time.”
“That’s really great, Em.”
I beamed.
***
That was at the start, of course.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“My feet are getting sore,” I tell Barry. “I’m going to go sit down for a while.”
He nods. “Want me to come with you?”
“Nah, it’s okay.” I smile.
“It’s your own fault for wearing those shoes, you know.” He grins.
“I know. They’re completely impractical but they’re so pretty.”
I sit back down at our table. Natasha’s there, with Jean and Steven beside her. “Hey,” she says, “looks like you were having fun.”
I nod. “Yeah, but these aren’t really dancing shoes.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter, they’re pretty,” she says.
“That’s exactly what I told Barry.” I laugh.
“What’s the deal with you two, anyway?”
“What do you mean?”
She stares at me for a moment. “You know what I mean, Emily! You two! When did that happen?”
“What? Nothing – happened.”
“Oh, come on.”
“No, seriously. We’re friends. We’ve always been like that.”
“No, I remember you two as friends. You’ve never been quite this close. You’ve never looked at one another that way. You’re kidding me about not being with him, right?”
“I’m not,” I say. “Really, we’re just friends. It’s Barry. He’s like a brother to me.”
She raises her eyebrows. “God, I hope my brother doesn’t look at me that way. I’d be pretty scared.”
“We have a completely platonic relationship,” I tell her. “Not everything’s about lust or love.”
Natasha laughs. “I can’t believe I’m hearing you say that.”
“Oh, stop. I’m not that bad.”
“Yes, you are,” she grins.
“Only sometimes.”
“I still can’t believe that you and Barry aren’t together. I mean, you’re perfect for one another.”
“That’s what people seem to be saying,” I sigh.
“And you don’t think that if people are saying it, maybe they’re right?” she says.
I shrug. “I’m not attracted to him. That’s what it comes down to. He’s my dearest friend in the whole world and I love him, but that’s as far as it goes.”
She smiles. “Okay. What about you and Hugh? What happened there? The last I heard, you two were all over each other. What’s he doing with this Fiona one?”
“Hugh and I broke up,” I say.
“Well, obviously. But what exactly happened?”
“He liked Fiona, so – he went off with her.”
She makes a sympathetic face. “What an asshole!”
“Yeah,” I say, not really meaning it. “We’d been having problems before that, though.”
Problems. We had our parents getting involved in our love lives, for a start. They found out that we were going out and were delighted about the whole thing, and decided that the best way to encourage this blossoming relationship was to interrogate us about it whenever possible.
That wasn’t really an issue, though. It was more
He nodded. “I’m happy for you guys.”
I hugged him. “Thank you. That means so much to me. You know, I’m really glad you told me I should go for it. Otherwise I mightn’t have plunged into this the way I did. Well, knowing me, I probably would have, but I wouldn’t have seen it as being a long-term thing, it would have just been something casual. But this means something, you know? I seriously think this is the sort of thing that could last for a really long time.”
“That’s really great, Em.”
I beamed.
***
That was at the start, of course.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“My feet are getting sore,” I tell Barry. “I’m going to go sit down for a while.”
He nods. “Want me to come with you?”
“Nah, it’s okay.” I smile.
“It’s your own fault for wearing those shoes, you know.” He grins.
“I know. They’re completely impractical but they’re so pretty.”
I sit back down at our table. Natasha’s there, with Jean and Steven beside her. “Hey,” she says, “looks like you were having fun.”
I nod. “Yeah, but these aren’t really dancing shoes.”
“Oh, it doesn’t matter, they’re pretty,” she says.
“That’s exactly what I told Barry.” I laugh.
“What’s the deal with you two, anyway?”
“What do you mean?”
She stares at me for a moment. “You know what I mean, Emily! You two! When did that happen?”
“What? Nothing – happened.”
“Oh, come on.”
“No, seriously. We’re friends. We’ve always been like that.”
“No, I remember you two as friends. You’ve never been quite this close. You’ve never looked at one another that way. You’re kidding me about not being with him, right?”
“I’m not,” I say. “Really, we’re just friends. It’s Barry. He’s like a brother to me.”
She raises her eyebrows. “God, I hope my brother doesn’t look at me that way. I’d be pretty scared.”
“We have a completely platonic relationship,” I tell her. “Not everything’s about lust or love.”
Natasha laughs. “I can’t believe I’m hearing you say that.”
“Oh, stop. I’m not that bad.”
“Yes, you are,” she grins.
“Only sometimes.”
“I still can’t believe that you and Barry aren’t together. I mean, you’re perfect for one another.”
“That’s what people seem to be saying,” I sigh.
“And you don’t think that if people are saying it, maybe they’re right?” she says.
I shrug. “I’m not attracted to him. That’s what it comes down to. He’s my dearest friend in the whole world and I love him, but that’s as far as it goes.”
She smiles. “Okay. What about you and Hugh? What happened there? The last I heard, you two were all over each other. What’s he doing with this Fiona one?”
“Hugh and I broke up,” I say.
“Well, obviously. But what exactly happened?”
“He liked Fiona, so – he went off with her.”
She makes a sympathetic face. “What an asshole!”
“Yeah,” I say, not really meaning it. “We’d been having problems before that, though.”
Problems. We had our parents getting involved in our love lives, for a start. They found out that we were going out and were delighted about the whole thing, and decided that the best way to encourage this blossoming relationship was to interrogate us about it whenever possible.
That wasn’t really an issue, though. It was more
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