Christmas Ever After (Puffin Island 3)

Ryan gave him a long look. “Yeah? You’re sure your ‘work pressure’ doesn’t have long blond hair, a loud laugh and a fantastic pair of legs?”

Alec gritted his teeth. “I’m sure.”

“Because I can see how having that around might distract a man from his job.” Ryan opened the last cupboard. “Hallelujah. Mugs.” He pulled out mugs while Alec watched, getting more stressed by the second.

“It’s not going to distract me.”

He wasn’t going to let it distract him.

“WELL, CRAP, IT WAS supposed to be your big night and that bastard Richard spoiled it.” Brittany was curled up on the sofa, a glass of wine in her hand. Her hair, oak brown, was caught in a casual ponytail. With her athletic body showcased in skinny jeans and a black sweater, she looked ready for anything the great outdoors threw at her. “It would have been better if he hadn’t shown up at all.”

“No, it wouldn’t because I finally saw things as they really were.” Sky sat on the floor in front of the flickering fire, enjoying the warmth of Castaway Cottage. How many times had she, Brittany and Emily sat here, talking through their problems? This cottage had witnessed most of the highs and lows of their lives. “I should have broken it off before.”

“Yes—” Brittany sent her a stern look “—you should. He was wrong for you.”

“You shouldn’t be passing an opinion.” Emily was quieter, less emphatic. The summer had brought huge changes to her life, but underneath she was still the same, measured person she’d always been. ?

?What if they get back together?”

“He hit her,” Brit said flatly and Sky rubbed her face with her fingers.

“He didn’t hit me. But we won’t be getting back together.” She thought about Alec and wondered what he was doing.

He’d been quiet on the drive over.

“At least your bruise is healing.” Brittany was still talking. “But if you get back together with him, we’ll be forced to do an intervention. We almost did, back in the summer when he made you go home early from the beach.”

Emily sighed. “Brit—”

“What? It’s true. You were worried, too!”

“I know, but—”

“There is no ‘but.’ He tried to shrink her. Make her less than the person she is. How is that a good thing? The person you’re with is supposed to support your dreams, not kill them dead.” She turned back to Sky, ponytail swinging. “Did you bring chocolate? Because if you did, now would be a good time to hand it over. You know I love British chocolate and if we eventually get our coffee—” She turned her head to look at the closed door. “What are they doing in there? How long does it take to load a dishwasher?”

The person you’re with is supposed to support your dreams, not kill them dead.

Sky stared at her friend. “If you felt that way, why didn’t you say something?”

“I did. I texted you. I said ‘Bring chocolate. Urgent.’”

“I meant why didn’t you say something about Richard?” It was always the same when they were together. Parallel conversations. Comforted by the familiarity of the exchange, Sky opened her bag and pulled out the chocolate she’d bought at the airport.

“Yum, thank you.” Brittany reached for it, the ring on her finger glinting in the firelight. “Your love life was none of my business.”

Emily raised an eyebrow. “Since when did you develop boundaries?”

“I’m commenting on her decision retrospectively. It’s different. Hey—there are some decisions you have to make by yourself. Who you get naked with is one of them. Sky was the one dating him, not me.” She tore the wrapper off a bar of chocolate. “And although the relationship looked pretty toxic from the outside, no one can ever know what the inside looks like. For all I knew he might have had a magic wizarding wand or something.”

Skylar snorted. “He didn’t have a magic wizarding wand.”

“Then there was no reason to stay with him as long as you did. Only truly memorable sex could have justified staying with a controlling shit like Richard. Coffee would go well with this chocolate. It would also wake me up. Seriously, what can they possibly be doing in there?”

Emily blinked. “Did you really just say ‘magic wizarding wand’?”

“I did. And you don’t need to play the prude given that you and Ryan have been tearing each other’s clothes to pieces for the entire summer.”

Emily turned scarlet. “There are times when I wonder how you and I ever became friends.”