I stop him with a kiss. “No apologies.”
“Okay.”
We stand there smiling at each other while the pub erupts in joyous chaos around us.
“Happy New Year.”
Reed’s smile is the best thing I’ve ever seen. “Happy New Year.”
I’ve never really believed in the superstitions surrounding New Year. That what you’re doing at midnight is what you’ll be doing for the rest of the year. But if that means I’ll have Reed beside me, looking at me like I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to him, then consider me converted.
Happy fucking New Year.
EPILOGUE
REED
THREE MONTHS LATER.
“I thinkthat’s the last of it.” Paul stands and rubs the bottom of his back. “At least I fucking hope it is, anyway.”
I huff. “It was a few boxes.”
He laughs and flips me off. “Seriously, though...” He walks over and drapes an arm over my shoulder. “You’ve picked a good one.”
I smile, because he’s not wrong. “Yeah, I know.”
As if he heard us talking about him, Jerry appears in the doorway to the garage. “All done?” He eyes the pile of stuff Paul’s brought down from my old house. There’s not loads. I sold a lot of it to the couple who bought my house. As first-time buyers, they were more than happy to take it off my hands.
“Yeah.”
He smiles and walks over to pull me in for a kiss, which I melt into as usual. We’re still in the honeymoon phase, according to both Paul and Sean—I really wish I’d never introduced them—Idisagree. I think this is just how it is between us. Three months down the line and he still gives me butterflies when we kiss.
“I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Paul fake gags behind him and I flip him off this time. That arsehole.
Jerry goes back inside after telling us lunch is ready and Paul sidles over to me. “Let’s hope he still feels like that after yoursurprise.” He uses air quotes, and everything. But I can’t be mad because there’s a tiny little bit of me asking the same thing.
My package arrivesthree hours later, well after Paul has made his escape. It’s dropped off by Jerry’s hot coworker, who I can grudgingly admit is a really nice guy, now that Jerry is absolutely off limits.
“Thanks for doing this. I was worried no one would take her.” He hands me the carrier.
I bite my lip, a tiny bit of worry setting in. “You think he’ll be okay?” I nod towards the house.
He laughs. “Jerry is as soft as they come. He’d have taken her himself if he’d known.”
“Okay, well, thanks for dropping her off.” I see him out quickly, before Jerry gets out of the shower.
And then I wait for him to come downstairs.
Frank, Fae and Kyla sit in judgement, watching me from the sofa as I pace about.
Nervous.
I wag a finger at them. “Don’t look at me like that.”
