Page 52 of Third Time Lucky

I gasp. Heknows? No, no, no. A sinking feeling grips my chest as I sit up.

‘You told him?!’

‘Ididn’t,’ she says defensively. ‘But Aaron did.’

‘Ugh!’ I groan, lying back on my bed and staring at the ceiling. ‘That freaking ding-dong! Why would he do that?’

‘Because they’re brothers and friends, and it’s exactly what we’d have done.’

I groan, tormented by the fact that she’s right, yet torn apart by the conflicting feelings of betrayal and understanding swirling inside me.

‘You don’t have to throw technicalities in my face.’ I stand, my feet automatically pacing the room as I wrestle with how to handle this emotional storm. ‘Well, this is just great. What am I supposed to do now? Wait—’ I stop pacing. ‘What— uh— what’d he say?’

Should I even be considering what she says if it didn’t come straight from his lips? Is second-hand – or even third-hand – information only questionable in courtrooms, or does it apply to matters of the heart as well?

‘He’s interested,’ she says.

‘He’s interested – romantically?’ I ask, bewildered.

I mean not completely bewildered. I suspected with the low-key flirting tonight. But he knows and he never said anything when he had every chance?

Suddenly a new voice enters the chat.

‘Yeah. Despite you acting completely unhinged, Ash likes you, with more than just his penis,’ Aaron confirms, lacing his words with a touch of sarcasm.

‘Don’t say it so crudely, she’s my best friend,’ Madi counters, nudging him with her shoulder. ‘Anyway, yeah, he likes you, with his heart,’ she insists. ‘He even called you gorgeous – but then again, who doesn’t? It’s really too bad your kitchen is closed.’

I gasp, then laugh, unsure if she’s complimenting or mocking me.

‘You two just made this weird.’

‘Honestly, Luce, we didn’t mean too.’

I’m so annoyed by this. And also intrigued? I don’t know.

‘Well, you should know we talked about you two as well. Ash thinks I should warn you that Aaron never follows through with relationships. He said he’s a chronic dater.’

Aaron snorts laughter in the background. ‘I guess that’s better than fuckboy, which is usually how he describes me.’

I try not to laugh.

‘He said for some reason Aaron always bolts when things start to get serious. And it reminded me of someone, but I can’t quite figure out who?’

Madi’s smirk tells me she’s fully aware of my silent accusation. She falls quiet, but the sound of her manicured nails drumming on something lingers in the air.

Are we passive aggressively fighting right now?

‘It’s sweet that Ash cooks for you while you admire him, saved you from a bad marriage, treats you like royalty, and on top of all that, he’s incredibly handsome – and you act like none of it impresses you.’

‘I’ve no idea where you got that, I’m beyond impressed. I just— I—’ My phone buzzes with a new message, and I see Asher’s name flashing on the screen. My heart leaps into my throat as I hesitate before opening the message.

‘Gotta go,’ I say, tapping the end call button before she can speak.

I open the chat and read.

Asher

You still up?

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