Page 18 of Just Between Us

“It happens every once in a while.” She grinned. “I don’t think Annie’s going to like this. But that doesn’t mean I want this to stop. I just think we need to hold back from telling her for now. She’s my best friend and I need to figure out the best way for her to hear this. I mean, we want to keep seeing each other, don’t we?”

I nodded. I wanted to keep seeing Lucy for as long as possible. I thought about what that might mean, and my stomach knotted.

“I think you’re right.” She was saying exactly what I had been thinking. “I don’t want to hurt Annie any more than you do, and I don’t think she’s going to be very happy about this idea. What happens if we break up or something? Do you stop coming around because of that? Does she miss out on her friend over me? I don’t want that, Lucy. I can’t do that to her.”

My voice wavered at the thought, and Lucy stood and wrapped her arms around me. “I don’t want to hurt her either. I couldn’t bear to be without my best friend. We will just have tobe careful for now. Our little secret.” She pressed her lips against mine, and all my fears disappeared.

It was a catch-22. I didn’t know if I should be feeling like an asshole for agreeing to lie to my daughter, or if I should be grateful that not only did I have Lucy in my life, but that she was on the same page as me and she wasn’t willing to hurt Annie either. All I could do was hope everything would work out how we wanted it to.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

LUCY

Richand I backed off from each other a little in the next few days. I concentrated on how I was going to keep my friendship with Annie, tell my mum what was happening, and sort everything so Rich and I could still be together.

“Are you going out with Annie tonight, love?” Mum interrupted my thoughts.

“Uh, I think so.”

My mum gave methe look, the one all mothers manage when they can tell something is troubling their child. I knew what was coming next.

“Right, spit it out. Something is bothering you. It’s clearly over Annie, and I want to know what it is. Have you pair had a falling out?”

I winced. “Not yet, but I have a feeling we’re going to.”

She waited. She knew me well enough to know that if she kept looking at me, I would eventually spill my guts. I loved that she always knew when I needed to discuss something, but I hated how easily she was getting this particular problem out of me. Maybe I just needed to talk to someone about it.

“Don’t kill me, okay?”

Mum’s eyebrows went up, and still, she waited.

“I’ve been seeing a guy, and it’s pretty serious, and I don’t think Annie’s going to like it at all. I don’t think you’re going to like it either. But that’s beside the point.”

Still, Mum said nothing.

Christ.

“It started over the last few months, I guess. I started to see him more and more and eventually, I admitted I liked him, and he admitted he liked me, and we had the most amazing kiss. It all kind of went from there.”

Mum nodded. “Annie likes him too?”

I shook my head. “Oh, Christ, no. It’s worse.”

I ran my hands through my hair. There was no easy way of telling my mum this at all. She might kill me, and I was pretty sure Rich was going to be on her hit list too.

Mum took my hands in hers. “Tell me.”

I stared at her. I wasn’t sure I could make the words come out.

“It’s Rich,” I blurted out, my heart pounding in my chest. I closed my eyes and waited for the backlash to start.

“Hmmm.”

I waited for more of a response. None came. I risked opening one eye and looking at her expression.

“Lucy, you’re an adult, he’s an adult, and to be honest, lately you’ve been happier than I’ve seen you in a while. I won’t say I’m delighted by it, but at least I know Rich, and I know he’s not a complete arsehole. Don’t think he won’t be getting a conversation from me about this, but what can I do, ban you from seeing him? You’re a grown woman. But I will remind you you’re Annie’s best friend, and you and Rich need to be very careful about how this little fling is going to affect her. Is losing her friendship really worth it to you?”

I knew everything Mum was saying was right, even if her comment about it being a ‘little fling’ stung somewhat. Anniewas going to be very hurt by all of this. She was going to probably never forgive me. She was my best friend, my almost sister, and had been for almost twenty years.

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