“You must be relieved. Glad she finally went to get it checked out.”
“I know.” I blow out a breath. “All thanks to Archie.”
“Archie?” she repeats. And there you go. Told you I was too tired for this conversation. “Mybrother-in-law? What does he have to do with your mum?”
“He went with me to dinner at my mum’s. It’s no big deal,” I say, but I know my half-hearted explanation won’t cut it. Grace was a lawyer. Getting you to say stuff you don’t want to spill is her specialty.
“Really? Remind me, how many times have you had dinner with your mum and your neighbours?”
“Shut up,” I say, rolling to a stop at a red light.
“Are you two together? Be honest now.”
“No, no, no, no,” I say, wincing at the extra “no” that just made an appearance.
“Oof, that’s a lie,” she says plainly. “Way too manynos.”
I frown. “Is everyone in on this but me?”
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“Never mind. And anyway, I’m not lying. Archie and I kissed, yes.” I squeeze the steering wheel tighter, immensely grateful that we’re not on a video call. “And we’re casually dating. Emphasis oncasual. You know as well as I do why this situationship can’t be anything more.”
“Yeah,” she says softly. “Well, good for you, then. Glad you have someone special in your life. I knew you two would hit it off.”
“As friends,” I emphasise.
“Friends who kiss, but sure, let’s go with that.”
I groan. “Grace, I meant what I said. I never want another Troy or Greg debacle. I wouldn’t survive a third time.”
“I know,” she says. “Archie’s a good guy. He’s fun, and as long as you’re clear on what you want, you should be fine.”
“That’s what I’m hoping for.” I stifle another yawn. “Listen, I just pulled into the garage. Would you hate me if I cut this short?”
“Of course not. Just wanted to hear your voice. Talk soon, okay?”
“Yeah. Night.”
I end the calland march toward the lift, my footsteps echoing faintly in the dimly lit car park. I lean against the lift’s wall as I wait. My body droops with exhaustion, but my mind is racing.
When I reach our landing, I can’t help but steal a glance at Archie’s door—like I’ve done a hundred times before. But the feeling is different tonight. In the past, I used to stand here debating whether knocking like a maniac would be enough to wake him up and exact revenge for whatever annoying thing he’d done that day. Or wondering whether I should escalate to something louder, like a horn.
Now, I’m still debating, but this time, the war is waging in an entirely different corner of my brain. I’m asking myself whether this casual thing is really a good idea. If the taste of his lips,the grip of his hands on my back, the press of his chest against mine, is worth the risk of getting hurt again.
And just like that, the debate is settled.
Chapter 19
“You’re so sexy with all your weird facts.”
Archie
I had a hard time focusing on training yesterday, and I slept terribly. I bolted up in my bed in the middle of the night, wondering if Kat was back from her shift and if she was okay. I know I shouldn’t care so much—it’s just casual, right? But somehow, I can’t help it.
I’m about to head out to the training centre when Kat’s door opens. She steps out wearing black leggings and a loose white top, hair pulled up into a messy bun. No makeup, no effort—still gorgeous.
“Oh, hey.”She offers a soft smile as she adjusts the strap of her tote. “I’m heading out to grab breakfast. Forgot to go grocery shopping again.”