‘I know it sounds selfish,’ Jasmine added, ‘but sometimes you have to do what’s best for you. Sometimes we can’t help who we fall in love with. And you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re both consenting adults and it’s your lives, not your friend’s. If she really cares about you, she’ll be happy for you.’
‘True.’
‘And as for the other stuff about partying and having kids, speak to Gabriel, see what he says.’
‘I will,’ I said, thinking it would be a difficult conversation, but one that we needed to have.
There was no point thinking about whether we could find a way to make this work if our future goals weren’t even aligned.
Yep.
Tonight we had to have a serious talk and decide where we went from here.
This time tomorrow would I be saying goodbye to Gabriel temporarily until we visited each other again, or forever?
41
GABRIEL
‘Merci beaucoupfor organising this,mon amour,’ I said as I took in the surroundings. ‘Everything is perfect. The food, the setting. I love it.’
‘You’re welcome!’ Laila smiled. ‘I’m glad you like it.’
For our last night, Laila had organised a drive through the Provençal countryside to a twelfth-century abbey with lavender fields and incredible views.
When our chauffeur dropped us off, we were greeted with a glass of champagne then a Love Hotel chef and the waiter served us a selection of mouthwatering canapés.
Then they had led us to a table that had been set up in the fields and whilst we watched the sunset in the distance, we had devoured our starters and main course.
Now a string of fairy lights were shining above us as we waited to have dessert under the stars.
It suddenly made me realise that this was the first time that anyone had ever done anything romantic for me.
Even when I was working eighteen-hour days and my ex only worked part time, she still expected me to organise all of the dinners and dates she demanded we go on. But Laila was different. I knew that if I had not insisted on taking care of her for a change, she would have happily done everything without giving it a second thought.
That was not what I wanted though. I wanted an equal. A partner in the truest sense. Someone I could be with where we did not even think about who had done this or that because we knew that our commitment was evenly matched.
And that thought made my mind drift to what I knew I had to ask her about next: the future.
This was going to be a difficult conversation but we’d put it off for long enough. It had to be done.
‘So, we need to talk.’ I leant forward and clasped my hands together.
‘Yeah. I know.’
‘Tell me. What are you thinking? At the concert last Saturday, I said for us to try and if you had feelings for me, that we should discuss what happens next. I believe that you do feel something for me. Am I right?’
‘Yes,’ Laila confirmed and my heart expanded.
I felt it in the way that she looked at me and how we were together, but it was important to be sure.
‘And would you like to have a relationship?’
‘I… I have some concerns.’
‘My mother?’ I sighed.
‘Actually, no. Not so much.’
