I reached out and grabbed her fingers, un-peeling them from my bag. I shoved it to the side before intertwining our fingers. ‘Why? I’m happy as long as you’re happy. Always. That’s never changing.’
To be honest, I expected it sooner rather than later.
‘I know.’ She nodded firmly. ‘But I also know you still don’t trust Oliver.’
I blinked in surprise. Fallon flashed me an empathetic smile. ‘It’s okay. I know you don’t trust people easily, especially men.’
She placed a hand on my knee when she felt me stiffen. ‘And I knowwhy.’ Her voice dipped low. The weight of her words caused my muscles to coil tighter than a spring.
Her brown eyes pinched in understanding. She was the only person who really knew why. But even then, she could never fully understand. She hadn’t lived through what I had, and thank God for that. It’s an odd thing to say, but I felt so much gratitude that she didn’t get it properly. Because that meant that no one had hurt her so much, they’d warped her view of the world.
A swarm of ugly memories clawed into my head, closing my throat and stopping me from saying anything.
She continued, ‘And I guess I was worried you’d tell me it was too soon or not to go through with it.’
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and placed my hand on the back of her head, bringing our faces close together. Her eyes swam with unshed tears, and it tore at my heart that she thought I’d be anything less than supportive.
‘Are you happy?’ I asked quietly.
The smile that pulled on her lips told me everything I needed to know. ‘Yes. Really fucking happy.’
Warmth spread across my chest at how beautiful she looked. ‘That’s all I care about. Who gives a shit if it’s too soon or too early? You’re the one in your relationship, not anyone else, so fuck what they think.’
She let out a watery laugh and leaned forward to kiss my cheek. I took the opening and wrapped my arms around her neck, falling into her lap, curling up like a cat, and breathing in her soft vanilla scent. Taking no notice of the other women in the room, probably staring on like we were lunatics.
Our friendship has always been physical. It was built on casual affection and a deep understanding of the other person. When we were younger, my mother thought wewere in a secret relationship, too afraid to come out. And whilst I thought Fallon was drop-dead gorgeous, our feelings were always platonic. We just found immense comfort in each other.
After a minute, I pulled back so she could see my face and the sincerity I wore. ‘Idotrust Oliver. I trust he loves you and does his damn best to protect you.’ He’d proven that over and over again. ‘But you know my reservations come from a good place. For so long, it’s just been you and me. I’ve been your protector, the person you go to first. I’m not used to sharing that role.’
Glassy eyes stared back into mine. ‘I get it.’
My arm squeezed around her. ‘But I’m trying.’
A door opened at the far end of the room, and more people started filing into the studio with yoga mats in hand. We separated and got settled on our mats.
‘I didn’t ask how the date went last night,’ she asked in a whisper as more people started finding their spots in the room and doing some warm-up stretches.
The air in my lungs stuttered. ‘It, um,went…’
She grinned. Placing a finger on her chin, she hummed as she mused, ‘Now, how do you feel about the crab from the little mermaid on your neck?’
I jabbed a finger in her direction. ‘Don’t be so cocky because you, my friend, are going to lose.’
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. ‘You saying you have a second date?’
‘No.’ I shuddered. ‘That guy was a disaster.’
When she looked at me with wide eyes, telling me to get to the point, I decided to bite the bullet.
I placed my hands on my hips, a wry smile on my face. When I wasn’t sure if her eyes could get any wider, I dropped the bomb. ‘I’ve got a date with George.’
I always thought the phrase “being stunned into silence”was hyperbole. Turns out it was very much accurate. Fallon’s mouth dropped, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head. Before she could say anything, an ethereal but commanding voice floated across the room.
‘Right, ladies. We will start with some easy stretches before we get into the full meditation set. Find your space, feel the energy, and let’s get started.’ The instructor, a woman in her fifties wearing a bright orange Lycra workout set, clasped her hands together, a dreamy smile on her face.
I poked a stupefied Fallon in the shoulder. ‘Come on, let’s heal our inner spirit.’
Thirty minutes later, my muscles were stretched so tightly I felt they might snap.
