Page 120 of More Than Just Friends

As much as I’d missed Ali, I knew what I needed. If she wanted something different, I’d have to respect that and draw a line under our friendship for good.

‘Can I come in?’ Ali asked.

‘Sure.’ I stepped aside.

Once I closed the door, I gestured to the living room.

Ali slipped off her shoes, hung her jacket on the coat stand, followed me into the room, then sat on the edge of the sofa farthest away from me.

That wasn’t a good sign.

‘So…’ Ali fiddled with the hem of her dress, her gaze turning to me, then dropping back to her lap like she couldn’t stand to look me in the eye.

She was nervous.

Another bad sign.

‘I… so, first of all I’m sorry about last Saturday. The conversation with Trish reinforced the concerns I already had and it freaked me out. When I saw you, I panicked and the result was a horrendous word vomit. The things I wanted to say didn’t come out right. I let my fears completely rule my thoughts. I know that I hurt you, and I apologise. But I want you to know that I heard everything you said and once I’d stopped spiralling, I saw everything so clearly. You said that I needed to get off the fence and make a decision. And I have.’

Ali paused and my heart hammered against my chest.

Now I knew how the contestants felt on those TV talent shows when the presenters told them that the judges had made a decision, but they’d have to wait until after the commercial break to hear what it was.

The silence was deafening.

I couldn’t take the tension.

‘And?’ I said quickly, willing her to put me out of my misery.

‘And,’ she said. ‘Well, I have some stuff to show you.’

I wanted to scream stuff? What stuff? Just tell me, Ali. Do you want to be with me or not?

But I knew it took a lot of guts to come here and she was still nervous, so I decided to be patient. I’d waited all week to hear from her, so a few more minutes wouldn’t make any difference.

Ali reached in her bag and handed me an envelope.

When I opened it there was a photo of a table tennis table.

‘I got this for you,’ she said. ‘I used every penny of my savings to buy it.’

‘Thank you,’ I said, my brows furrowing. ‘But I’m confused about why you’d buy me a table tennis table.’

‘Because you said it’s your dream to have one. Because I want to make you happy.’

My heart squeezed. That was sweet of her, but the protective side of me didn’t like the fact that she spent so much money on buying something for me.

‘Ali, you don’t need to buy me things to make me happy.’

‘I know. But I wanted to.’

‘I don’t have anywhere to put it,’ I said softly. I didn’t want her to think that I didn’t appreciate the gesture, because I really did. More than she knew.

‘Don’t worry about that. It’s in my bedroom waiting,’ she said.

‘Waiting?’ My brows pinched. ‘For what?’

‘For this.’ Ali reached into her handbag, pulled out another envelope, then handed it to me.