“Oh, honey, I wish I was there to hug you.”
“I wish you were too. Can I come and see you tomorrow? I have the day off.”
“Of course,” she said softly. “Come first thing and we can just chill together. Okay?”
“Okay. I love you,” I said, a fresh round of tears running down my face. I didn’t know why I was still crying. Nothing made sense anymore.
“I love you too,” she said. “Want to tell me all about Jack’s party? How did Sophie’s friend get on?”
A little smile nudged the corner of my mouth at the suggested distraction, the memories of Jack running around on the lawn popping bubbles, or watching Sally in awe, or giggling as he blew out his birthday candles.
Whatever happened, at least I’d have those to cherish forever.
And the way Matty had smiled as he’d watched.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Matty
There weresome times in life you just had to admit you’d fucked up beyond all belief. And it was at times like that you had to call in expert help.
Or as close as I was going to get from the guys on the team.
“I fucked up and I need help,” I said, sitting down on Tuesday morning at one of the large tables in the canteen and looking at the suddenly inquisitive sea of faces around me. I’d said it rather louder than I’d intended, because I was sure Jonny and Devon were already listening in from their table by the window. Fuck it, I was pretty sure the whole room had heard me.
Oh well, I’d take any help I could get at this rate.
No suggestion was unwelcome if it would help me fix the monumental mess I’d made of things with Harper.
He’d been avoiding me since Saturday night and I wasn’t surprised, but it still hurt. Hurt wasn’t even a strong enough word. It felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing me in the heart and testicles with a sharpened plastic fork, which was the most painful thing I could currently think of.
Or like someone was trying to cut my heart out of my chest with a blunt, rusted spoon.
“What did you do?” Bailey asked with a raised eyebrow as he lowered his fork, his plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and breakfast potatoes already half-empty.
“It’s got to be bad if you’re asking us for help,” Hunter muttered.
“Yeah, what happened?” Mason asked, appearing out of nowhere to slide into a seat beside me. “Everything was fine on Saturday.”
“Must have been after we all left,” Jonny said as he dragged his chair over to slot onto the end, plate in hand.
“Is it about Harper?” Devon asked, dropping into place beside his boyfriend. He was also holding a plate, this one piled high with fluffy pancakes and fruit.
“Has to be,” Bailey said. “You wouldn’t be asking otherwise.”
“Yeah, but he’s never asked for help with nannies before,” Hunter said with a frown. “Unless…” There was a moment of silence as the pin dropped. Then, “Oh my fucking God, you shagged him!”
There was a collective gasp of realisation and then a groan. “Fucking Christ, even I know you shouldn’t do that,” Danny said from the other end of the table as he gestured wildly at me with one hand. “You don’t mix work and relationships. That’s like, I don’t know—”
“The basics of employing a nanny,” Charlie said with a firm nod.
“Exactly,” Bailey said, pointing his fork at me. “It’s the power dynamics thing.”
“Don’t all workplace relationships have a power dynamics element?” Frankie asked.
Bloody hell, how long was this table? It didn’t matter anymore because half of them were all crowded around us,plates in hand. God forbid they didn’t get to finish their breakfasts. I was the only one here without an appetite.
“Yeah, they do,” West said. He was standing behind Mason and resting his arm on his best friend’s shoulder. “But it really depends on the power structure in place. Two people in the same office or on the same team is different to an employer-employee situation. Jonny and Devon are teammates, but they’re also equals. Matty hired Harper and is his boss, so it’s a completely different dynamic. It would be like if one of you started dating Clive or Tommy.”
