“How are you getting home?” I ask as we head for the cloakroom.
“Fergus offered to drive me since I was squished in the car with the others on the way here.”
“How nice of him,” I say casually. “Especially since he lives in the opposite direction from you.”
Louisa gives a one-shouldered shrug before slipping into her coat. Despite the blasé movement, she can’t hide the pleasure dancing in her eyes. “What can I say, Fergus is a nice guy.”
She links her arm through mine as we leave the cloakroom and make our way through the inn. “Are you okay? With the whole Spencer thing, I mean. Seeing him must have been a shock.”
I let out a mirthless laugh. “Definitely a shock, but I’m okay. He promised he’d explain everything to me.”
“You still really like him, don’t you?”
A quiet groan escapes me. “I do. I’ve tried not to think about him since I deleted LoveLinks, but it’s been hard. We had such a great connection, and I wondered if it was all fake or if I read too much into it. He seems genuinely remorseful about what happened, so it’ll be a relief to finally get answers.”
“And then?” Louisa asks, pausing as we reach the huge front door. A man in a suit scurries forward and opens it for us, so we thank him and step outside.
“And then I’m not sure,” I say. “Being with him today…he was everything I hoped he’d be and then some. Funny, charming, smart.”
“Incredibly hot,” Louisa adds, wiggling her eyebrows.
I chuckle. “That too. But I don’t know. I guess we’ll see where things go.”
As we reach the top of the porch steps, Spencer and Fergus come into view. Their cars are parked single file, and each of them is standing in front of the passenger door of their respective cars, waiting. The sight makes me laugh again, and I whip out my phone to snap a picture.
Louisa lets out a dreamy sigh. “I feel like Cinderella.”
“Don’t lose a shoe going down these steps,” I joke as we begin our descent.
“It’s not my shoe I’m worried about so much as my heart,” Louisa murmurs.
With our arms still linked, it’s easy to pull her to a stop. I turn to her, sliding my arm from hers to take her hand. The guys are likely watching and wondering what’s happening, but when your best friend admits something like that, you give her your full attention. “Why don’t you ask him out, Lulu? It’s obvious to everyone that the two of you are perfect for each other.”
I expect her to smile, but she looks distressed instead. “Are we, though? Or does he just see me as a friend? He’s nice to everyone, Hollie.”
“Not the same way he’s nice to you,” I say. One side of her mouth twists and she rolls her eyes as if she doesn’t believe me. “You clearly haven’t seen the way he looks at you, Lulu. Ask the others if you don’t believe me.”
Her cheeks flush. “I don’t know how to be more than friends with him. I’m still stunned that wearefriends. He’s so worldly and sophisticated, you know? Outgoing and adventurous. In the spirit of Cinderella references, I’m more like one of the mice than Cinderella herself.”
“Um, excuse me, if you’ll recall, those mice were incredibly brave and heroic,” I say, poking her in the shoulder with my free hand. “And so areyou. You just need to believe it.”
“Mm, maybe. Thanks for saying it, anyway.”
“I’ll keep saying it until you believe it, Louisa Henshaw.”
The worried creases in her forehead smooth out as she smiles. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
“Pretty much every day, but feel free to tell me again.”
She slips her hand from mine so she can hug me. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too.” I give her a tight squeeze. “Now let’s go before these guys run out of patience and ditch us here.”
We part ways at the bottom of the stairs. I wave to Fergus, who waves back before turning his attention to Louisa. As she approaches, he opens the passenger side door and makes a sweeping bow. “Your chariot awaits, m’lady.”
I can’t see Louisa’s face, but I imagine her cheeks have gone from pink to full-on red. I hope she can find the courage she needs to take a chance. She and Fergus would be great together. And yet, as I look at Spencer, who’s waiting patiently with a small smile on his face, I understand the fear of opening your heart to someone.
“Where to?” Spencer asks as he opens the passenger door for me.
