“Sure.” Alex waved his arm magnanimously. “Do you have a pen?”
As I reclined in the booth, Olivia tucked under my arm, I looked around the table at my friends, all engrossed in conversation. For the first time, I could say with complete honesty that I was truly happy. Opening myself up, letting myself become vulnerable, had been the scariest, hardest time of my life, but the payoff had been beyond anything I could have hoped for.
“I propose a toast,” Ethan announced to the table at large. “To us. I’m sure you all expect me to make a mushy speech, but I’m not going to. My toast is for us all—to friends.”
“To friends.” Avery lifted her glass in the air, smiling at everyone in turn.
“To friends,” everyone echoed, clinking glasses. It was the cheesiest moment I’d ever been part of in my life, but being there with my best mates and my girlfriend? I wouldn’t change it for anything, even if it made me sound like a soppy bastard.
Olivia leaned closer to me, her eyes sparkling with humour. “Remember the first time we sat here? You looked at me like you hated me.”
“I seem to remember you looking at me the same way,” I reminded her, grinning.
“It’s funny how things have turned out. We’ve been through the wringer, Luke. But somehow, we made it to the other side.”
Ethan, not even bothering to hide the fact he was eavesdropping, butted into our conversation. “Can I point out that if it wasn’t for me making you both agree to a truce, this may never have happened?”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help a small chuckle escaping.
“Excuse me.” Avery arched a brow at Ethan. “May I remind you that it was my idea to get them to work together in the first place?”
“Oh, I see. So you had this planned all along, did you?” Olivia looked sternly between them. Her stern expression cracked into a smile after about five seconds. “Damn it! I can’t even pretend to be angry with you.” She covered her face with her hands, laughing, and I pulled her closer, kissing her cheek.
“I’ll just add that the first time I met you, Liv, I told Luke he wanted you,” Alex interjected, a satisfied smile on his face. “As usual, I was right.” He stood, his gaze intent on a pretty redhead who sat at the table next to ours, batting her eyelashes at him and pouting.
“Have fun, Alex.” Olivia smirked, following his gaze.
“Oh, I will,” he said over his shoulder, as he headed for her table.
“He’s going to fall in love one day, and it’s going to hit him hard,” Olivia predicted, sipping her wine.
I laughed. “I can’t imagine that ever happening.”
“It happened to you, didn’t it?” Her voice was soft.
I stared at the woman I loved, a smile curving across my lips. “It did. So, I guess you could be right. Maybe it will happen to him; who knows?” I shrugged, then kissed the top of her head.
My phone buzzed on the table, and I glanced at the screen as it lit up with a message.
“Your appointment with Paul Reed is confirmed for Tuesday at 6:00. Please text the word CANCEL if you are unable to attend.”
Olivia followed my gaze, and then her eyes flew to mine. “Appointment?”
I moved my head so I could speak into her ear without being overheard. “Yeah. I decided to take Ethan’s advice and see a counsellor.”
“Really? Oh, Luke. I’m so proud of you. And you know, if there’s anything I can do to help, or if you want me to come with you anytime, I’ll do it. Whatever you need. I’ll always support you.”
“I know, baby. I appreciate it.” I smiled down at her. “Want to get out of here? I happen to know of a great place we can be alone.”
“Is it your flat?” she giggled.
“Maybe. I can neither confirm nor deny that.” I finished my pint and pulled her to her feet. “I can promise you, though, that it has the best paella this side of the Thames. And the comfiest bed.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s go.”
We said our goodbyes to Ethan and Avery and walked out of the pub, hand in hand, into the sunshine.
Epilogue