Page 54 of Endgame

‘Ah, you’re still stewing over the no-more-kissy-but-these-two-are-desperate-to-jump-each-other’s-bones vibes. You’ve got to admit, they do have an insane chemistry.’

‘Thanks for rubbing it in, Lara.’

‘It’s true though. Frankly, you’re getting off much more lightly than you deserve. If I was Ariella, I’d be snogging him up and down Marina Bay just to stick it to you.’

‘You really think I deserve that?’

‘I know Aari deserved the truth but all you did was lie. And then when she tried to do you both a favour and end it?—’

Thankfully the doorbell cuts Lara short. I dash to get it.

‘Bloody hell, Caleb, you’re so fucking desperate,’ she calls after me.

‘Hi! Am I too early?’ Honey asks, dragging her suitcase behind her.

‘No, not at all.’ I take her suitcase from her and wheel it in.

‘Hi, Honey.’ Lara smiles warmly towards her.

‘Hi! What are you doing?’ Honey asks, bouncing over to Lara to see what she’s working on. She’s soft and playful around Lara. You wouldn’t think she was kicking my butt for a full hour every morning without breaking a sweat. It’s cute.

‘Just giving Caleb some home truths. Like I was saying, she tried to do you both a favour and end it, to put a stop to both your miseries, but you wouldn’t let her. Instead you dragged her into limbo with you. Now neither of you can move forward, and we both know you sure as hell can’t go back.’

‘What was I supposed to do? Get dumped and not fight it?’

‘Yes. What’s that saying everyone knows about freeing the bird you love and it flying away…’

‘“If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they’re yours; if they don’t they never were.” Richard Bach,’ Honey fills in.

‘See? Not only can Honey kick your ass, she’s smarter than you too! Thanks, Hunbun.’ Lara reaches her arm out and pulls a happy-looking Honey into a quick side hug.

‘Hunbun?’ I ask, fighting a smile.

‘What? She likes pork buns. So? You know what? Honey? Kick his arse.’ Lara points at me.

‘Caleb, please can I grab a drink?’ Honey asks, laughing, as she walks to my kitchen. She doesn’t even acknowledge Lara. It seems Honey Kohli is the one person on the face of the planet who actually doesn’t react viscerally to Lara. Interesting.

‘I’m not letting her go, Lara.’

‘Is there someone paying you a shit-ton of money to invent new kinds of stupid? That’s exactly what you should do.’

‘I’m not letting Dominic Miller win.’

‘Not that she’s a prize or some object to be owned, but, newsflash, carry on like this and Dominic Miller will win. You think that she’s going to choose him over you because he’s rich and hot and whisks her off to private islands on his bloody cruise ship. She already lived that urban myth with Jasper and, as we both agree, he’s the budget version. Maybe normal human beings, like me, will quite happily turn off our natural revulsion for the penis and sleep with him for a job at this point, but not Ariella.’

‘I know that.’

‘Do you? Because you being threatened by his existence is him winning. Every time you act a fool because social media isn’t letting you spy on them like you normally would, you let herknow that he is winning too. Want to know what winning looks like? Release Aari from this ridiculous pact, watch her dance around Dominic Miller and eventually fly her lovable but stupid Stockholm Syndromed arse back to you.’

‘That, you don’t know.’

‘Fucking hell. Everyone knows that. Even Dominic Miller! That’s why I don’t have a job. If he thought for one second that I could influence Aari his way, I’d be Chief Something Officer of Something by now. The guy felt he had to buy her a whole bloody company just so he could have her around for two years. He’s struggling,’ Lara exclaims, raising her hands in the air.

‘What’s going on between you two does feel intensely deep, Caleb,’ Honey chimes in.

‘Exactly! And Honey has only known you for five minutes. No offence, Hunbun.’

Honey waves Lara’s comment away light-heartedly.

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