Page 23 of Endgame

‘All she needs is some time. She’s only going through what I had to. It’s a nightmare to navigate but it will all work out in the end. When she gets it, she’ll see that she has nothing to worry about.’ Caleb leans in to kiss my temple lightly.

‘When did you get it?’

‘It took a while, but I think it was when I realised that Jasper actually wasn’t terrible in bed. It was just that both of youreallydidn’t want to sleep with each other.’

‘How did you know that?’

‘For you it was obvious.’ He raises an eyebrow with a smirk and it makes me giggle. ‘For him though, when we met up in the name of civility after you left for Singapore he asked me when we first slept together. He didn’t want to know anything else apart from when. He didn’t care who initiated it, if you’d enjoyed it, or if I’d been attempting to seduce you. He just wanted to know when he lost you because he genuinely thought he had…plus the disgusting things he does to Sophia in bed on a regular basis should put him on at least a couple of watch lists.’

‘Ugh, yuck, Caleb!’ I smack his arm.

Caleb erupts with laughter and I join in.

‘I’m messing with you, I have no idea what he gets up to with Sophia, but your reaction to that proves my point. You love and look out for each other. You’re just not meant to be lovers.’

‘I’m going to miss him.’

‘Give it time. You have Lara to fill in. Speaking of which, are you going to that Zombie Apocalypse escape night she’s planning for after the wedding?’

‘Yeah. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. It’ll be a nice opportunity to see Honey while she’s out here, though.’

‘It’ll be a nice opportunity for me to see Honey too. We were supposed to be training every day but Lara told her I’d given her the time off. Thankfully she remembered that I asked her to join on Wednesdays for the boys’ training. Your best friend is a liability,’ he complains.

I can’t help smiling. I do love Lara, even if she is planning what will possibly be the most dysfunctional double date, by making four of us fight fake zombies during a dramatised apocalypse.

‘Anyway, I’d better head out.’ Caleb stands.

I don’t want him to go. ‘Please will you stay with me?’

I climb into my bed and move over to leave as much space as I can for him. Caleb stops to look at me. He’s thinking aboutit. He exhales deeply, before taking off his jacket, tie, belt and shoes. He keeps everything else on but undoes the top button of his shirt, exposing the white T-shirt beneath.

‘Okay, but only because you need a friend tonight. Things between us are still a little problematic, Aari,’ he says, sliding in next to me.

‘I know. Thank you, Caleb,’ I say, then kiss him lightly on the cheek. He holds me as I put my head on his shoulder, my hand on his heart, and fall fast asleep.

SIX

CALEB

When I open my eyes, I’m reminded of just how peaceful long dark winter mornings are under the covers with Ariella. There’s no sun chasing us out of bed and it feels even cosier knowing the cold that awaits the second you leave the comfort of her body under the duvet. There is something almost sacred about waking up in the bed Ariella grew up sleeping in, with her body wrapped around mine. I really don’t want to get out of bed when I look at her face as she sleeps peacefully.

With intense regret, I plant a long, soft kiss on her head, then carefully untangle myself while trying not to wake her. I look at the time and it’s almost seven. I quickly check my emails to see if I need to respond to anything urgent, because I was supposed to have started my day at four in the morning. Thankfully there is nothing pressing I need to attend to, but it’s time I disappeared. I’m meeting Jasper just before lunch and training the boys with Honey later, but the main reason I need to leave is Hugh Mason. The last thing I want is for Ariella’s father to find out that I spent the night. The house is quiet, so I might be able to sneak out before everyone gets up. I pick up my shoes and make my way down the stairs slowly to nothing but silence. Yes. The front door. I’ve made it.

‘If you’re going to stay over, you could at least have the decency to thank us for our hospitality, Caleb.’

Fuck. Hugh Mason. He may not be actively hostile towards me any more, but he isn’t exactly friendly either. Thankfully, Hugh and Dahlia aren’t aware of what’s going on between Ariella and me. When I offered to come clean to them about how much I’d hurt her, she insisted that we keep our issues between us while we worked it out, which relieved me no end. She also made Jasper promise not to say anything. I turn round to see him sitting at the dining table with his nose in the paper.

‘Good mor?—’

‘Hugh, don’t be so antagonistic. Just because Jasper never stayed over doesn’t mean Caleb can’t. Besides, Isszy was here all the time.’ I see Dahlia’s radiant, smiling face pop into view from the other side of the kitchen door frame. ‘Come. Join us for breakfast,’ she says, beckoning, before disappearing again. I see Hugh Mason’s effort to keep his face neutral and decide that I’ve missed Dahlia too much to decline.

‘Wait,’ a tiny caramel-skinned older lady with wavy grey hair shouts at me from beside him as I approach. Her mouth is turned down at the edges as she gives me a scathing look. She must be Ariella’s gigi – I’ve heard so much about her. ‘Are you the American whose brother called her a gold-digging house Negro?’

‘What?!’ Hugh Mason, Dahlia and I ask, shocked, at the same time.

‘Clearly not. Forget I said anything. I promised I’d keep my mouth shut.’

‘Momma, how was that keeping your mouth shut? Tell us, now.’

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