Page 62 of Fighting Fate

“I’ve told you this a thousand times already, but once more might do the trick.” She smiles at me, pausing as the server brings over another two margaritas.

Before he leaves, I skim through the soft drink menu. “Can I get a water and an agave quencher, please?”

He notes it down quickly before scurrying away. The poor guy is clearly traumatised by the anal conversation.

“Water?”

“I’m parched. Rory is hell-bent on making sure I can defend myself, so he had his trainer give me a self-defence session. I’m dying. My body is fraying to pieces…”

“Good man,” she croons, beaming her approval at me. “I like him, and I think he’s right. But as I was saying…you need to give yourself grace. Peter is a shitcunt, and after the way he treated you, you have every right to be scared.”

“I’ve never felt so pathetic.”

“Stop giving him what he wants, and fight back.” Beth isn’t someone that’s overly soft, she doesn’t mince her words for anything, and if there’s anyone who will always be honest with me…it’s her. Things aren’t simply black or white and wrong or right. “Don’t let him ruin what you have with Rory. He’s a good egg.”

“I know.”

The emotional mess that I am at the minute gets teared up at the mere thought of how amazing he is. I have no idea what the fuck is wrong with me, but I need to find a medium for this. I can’t go around falling to tears at the drop of a hat.

“So.” I put a break on the conversation about me and Rory and focus on Beth. “How are things with Luke?”

Very unlike herself, Beth stalls at my question, deciding to focus on the pot of tortilla chips in the middle of the table.

“Beth?”

“What?” She looks up at me with big eyes. “Things are great. I’m great. He’s great. It’s great.”

“Great.”

“Great.”

“So he must’ve asked you to marry and run away with him by now…” I joke, but the look she levels me with gives me pause. “What?”

“Luke’s interim at the hospital. He was only ever going to be here for eighteen months… He’s a brilliant surgeon. One of the best, Willow. You should see him in theatre…”

“And?”

“And he’s been offered a private practice partnership in the States…”

“And?”

“And he’s asked me to go with him.”

“Is there more?”

“No.”

“Have you made a decision?”

Beth nods, and a cautious look pinches her face with apprehension. “Luke gets me. I’m not too crass or common. I’m not some girl from a council estate in Wales with six siblings and a mum who had to work day and night for us all. He likes who I am, and I like who I am when I’m with him.”

Oh fuck, my attempt at holding my tears in check goes out of the window. She’s sitting in front of me, but my chest is closing up like I already miss her too much to bear.

“You’re going.”

Beth gives me a half-smile. “I’ve done nothing but think about it for the last month. It’s not like I expected things between us to work out the way they have…you know?”

I do.

---