Page 35 of For the Love of Lily

“Oh my god. Mortified!” I buried my head in my hands.

“Don’t worry! They didn’t see anything too graphic. Adam thinks it’s hilarious. He told them to consider a career in law rather than games design after seeing the differences between our Friday nights. Anyway, after the sounds I’ve heard from his room, he had this cosplay girlfriend for a while…” Zack pulled a face and I grinned.

“I suppose it’s a bit sexy, as long as he isn’t mad. I like the idea of dry humping you,” I teased.

“Keep being nice to me and I might let you,” Zack wrapped the duvet around my shoulders. “I need to talk to you first. There are two parts. I need you to listen to both parts before you answer me. I’m worried about the timing with you being so upset yesterday, but here goes nothing.”

“I’m intrigued,” I smiled as I reached for more toast. “Fire away.”

Zack’s eyebrows twitched as he began. He had that excited kid on Christmas morning look about him. “There are two secretary jobs going at work, one of which is a senior role. I know you could do it with your eyes shut. It’s not in corporate, so you wouldn’t be stuck with me all day or anything,” he smiled, but his eyes were nervous. “I was thinking you should apply to give you room to grow. You could do so much at a company like mine, and everyone would adore you.” He took a deep breath and another glug of coffee.

“The second bit is that Adam told me he’s looking to move out. He wants to be closer to his new office. So, I wanted to start looking for a house to rent. I’d like to look together. I guess what I’m trying to ask is- will you move in with me? All of this happening at once, it seems like something’s aligned. I miss you so much when we aren’t together. Imagine how amazing it would be to have our own place.”

He did his best puppy dog eyes at me, and I grinned and ruffled his hair. “What if I didn’t get the job?”

“Then you should still live with me, there’ll be other jobs. That’d just be a bonus. Having a place together, waking up with you every day. That would be the dream. I know we’ve only been together a few months, but it feels right, Lily. Everything about you, us, feels right. It has done since the first day.”

“I‘d love to move in with you.” The answer came out of my lips before my brain engaged. I wanted this. Luke was gone. I loved Zack, why not do this?

He pulled me close to him, crumbs scattering all over the bed as he rubbed his nose side to side against mine in a sweet motion. “Really?” he asked.

“One hundred per cent,” I confirmed.

“One other thing though,” he had a cheeky glint in his eye as he pulled back “I know the job isn’t for my secretary, but maybe we could play a little game…” I hit him on the arm, but I was already melting underneath his body.

Monday night had one meaning, The Royal Oak with Cassie. It was a relatively new tradition, and I guessed it was going to have to end when I moved. Cassie was already at our favourite table when I walked in, tapping away on her phone. I saw two large glasses of wine on the table and instantly realised that meant she still hadn’t had the news she wanted.

I reached down and hugged her before I took my seat. “How are you doing, lovely?”

“Not bad, the normal,” she shrugged.

I gestured at her wine glass as I took a sip of my own. “Want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. “We haven’t even been trying that long, shouldn’t complain. It’s just that with the girls it happened pretty much as soon as we made the decision.”

“Have you been to see the doctor?”

“No, I’ll give it a couple more months. See how we go. Anyway, enough about my sex life… which is now set against a calendar and involves me sticking my legs in the air afterwards… what’s been happening?” She leaned forward, a glint back in her eye.

“I don’t know where to start. Let’s rip the plaster off. I had the sexiest, craziest kiss in the world ever with Luke before he said goodbye. Zack asked me to move in with him, and I said yes.”

Cassie blinked at me. “We need more wine. Start with Zack. You’re moving?!”

“Well, hopefully. I have an interview for a job at his firm. Adam’s moving out, so we’re going to look for a house to rent.” I smiled at my happy news.

“And that’s what Zack wanted after you had the ‘sexiest, craziest kiss in the world ever’ with Luke?” She did the air quotes as she mimicked me.

“That hasn’t come up in conversation, it was a weird day, Cassie.” She poured more wine into our glasses and watched me, her face expectant. “It was Luke’s last day at work. I went into his office to say goodbye. It was sad, felt horrible. About a minute after he left, he sort of… burst back in like superman and just grabbed me and kissed me and…” I put my head in my hands, simply remembering the way it made me feel.

“Jesus… Lily, what are you going to do?”

I shrugged. “Nothing to do. He said he couldn’t leave without kissing me. Afterwards, though, he said he still had to go but would always love me. What am I meant to do with that, Cass?”

“Next time I speak to him, I’ll find out what he meant.”

“No, don’t put yourself in an awkward position. He’s gone. He’s surrounded by gorgeous, young backpacker girls who’ll be all over him. I won’t be on his mind. He wanted to go, just… let him go.”

“Tell me about the kiss,” Cassie said.

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