Francis, ever tuned in, leans closer and murmurs, “Chill. Weekday lunch deal.”
I breathe a silent sigh of relief.
A hostess appears and leads us to a booth tucked into a quieter corner. Once we’ve settled in, I glance at the menu. “Alright, what do I order? You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
“Loads. Anne’s obsessed. Trust me, get the Fancy Bacon Roll. And for dessert, banana bread. It’ll ruin all other banana bread for you forever.”
“Sold,” I say. “You’re the expert, order for both of us.”
“Endless coffee, yeah? It’s brilliant here.”
“Actually… something stronger today.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Wine?”
“Pinot Noir. Your call.”
He flags the server and places the order, adding a bottle of red and some still water. As soon as we’re alone again, he leans in, elbows on the table, fingers laced together, eyes fixed on me.
“Alright, Remi. Spill.”
And just like that, I forget how to breathe. It’s not the gym session that’s got me winded, it’s this. The moment I say it out loud, there’s no taking it back. But that’s what I want, isn’t it?
I want Sebastian in my life. Not as a fling, not as a secret. As something real. Long-term. But if there’s any hope of making room for him, I need to start here. With Francis. He’s not just my best mate, he’s family. And he deserves the truth.
“Remi! Are you even listening? Come on, man. You’ve been off for days. I know things with Maddie are rocky, but how am I supposed to help if you won’t talk to me? There’s got to be a way to fix it.”
“No,” I cut in, too sharply. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bite your head off. But there’s nothing to fix. It’s over. Me and Maddie? We’re done. And I’m not going back.”
He doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t even look surprised. “Anne and Maddie have talked, obviously. I stayed out of it. Still... I figured it was just a rough patch. Long-distance makes everything harder.”
His voice is quieter than usual. No teasing. No snark. Just concern. And that’s what makes it harder to say what comes next.
I take a deep breath.
“It’s not the distance. It’s... because I fell in love with someone else.”
The words hit the air like sparks, and then it’s like I can finally breathe. Like I’ve opened a window after months of suffocating.
Because it’s true. I didn’t just fall for someone. I fell forhim. For real. For the first time in my life.
Francis blinks, caught off guard. “Wait, what? You’re serious? Who? When did this even happen? And how the hell didn’t I see it coming?”
He doesn’t give me a second to reply. “You’ve been all over the place, snappy, restless, practically living at the gym. At first, I blamed it on Maddie leaving. Then you started hinting things weren’t going well… butfalling for someone else?”
He throws his hands up theatrically. “Okay, forget all the drama for a sec, here’s whatreallyblows my mind:whendid you even meet her? Your social life’s a desert, mate. Since Maddie left, it’s been all work, workouts, and the occasional night out with us. Unless you’ve secretly been hitting up dating apps in the middle of quantum mechanics seminars…”
He trails off. Eyes narrow. His whole face changes.
And just like that, he knows.
He doesn’t say the name, but he doesn’t have to.
He stares at me in stunned silence, mouth slightly open, as if trying to process what he’s just pieced together. And when the silence becomes too heavy to bear, I speak.
“Francis, I swear… I didn’t see it coming either. This hit me like a freight train. I’ve never had a problem with the idea, I just… never felt it before. But with Seb? It’s different. It’s him. Only him. And it’s,” I shake my head, exhaling, “completely overwhelming.”
Francis is still frozen, still trying to make sense of it all. But I keep going.
