Page 7 of Love Me Ever After
“There speaks a married man.” I hefted one of the boxes into my arms, making my shoulders burn after my earlier workout.
He grinned. “Wouldn’t have it any other way though, mate. Darcy’s amazing.”
For a large, well-built rugby player Fraser had a soft side to him. I didn’t know Darcy so well, but I reckoned they made a solid couple.
“Ugh, it’s sickening how loved up the two of you are.” I pretended to stick my fingers down my throat, almost losing my grip on the box I held.
“Well, now you’re moving in here, there’s every chance you can start up your thing with Ems again, right?” Luke elbowed me in the ribs, like he wanted me to drop his girlfriend’s precious possessions.
“Yeah, wasn’t that meant to happen before you went to New York?” smirked Fraser.
“Fuck off,” I growled. “There’s no way that’s happening.”
“Think about it… the two of you, alone… late at night…” Luke turned his back to me, wrapping his arms around himself as if someone else was hugging him, and started making kissing noises.
“What are you? Thirteen?” I grunted. “I haven’t thought about her like that in ages.”
“Right.” Fraser nodded, his face split into a grin.
“Luke! Where are you? There’s a traffic warden about to slap a ticket on the van if you don’t get down here,” called Tasha.
Luke stopped what he was doing and stuck his head out of the bedroom door. “Tash, flash your tits to distract him if he looks like he’s going to give me a ticket.”
“Oi, that’s sexist!” Tasha shouted back. “Although he is cute…”
He re-entered the room and picked up one of the boxes, rolling his eyes at us. “Come on, what are we messing around for? I can’t afford a parking ticket, let’s get a move on.”
Grateful the subject had moved away from me and Ems, I spent the next hour pounding the stairs, taking boxes down into the van. I probably got more from that workout than I had in the hour at the gym.
When everything was packed, Tasha and Sara said a tearful farewell, until Luke pointed out we were all having dinner together later. He and Fraser took Tasha back to his place, leaving me to check out my new room again and finalise what I needed to get from storage. I perched on the windowsill, having dismantled the bed and propped the mattress up against one wall. It was a decent space and somewhere I could definitely feel at home.
Pulling out my phone, I briefly checked my emails, seeing if there was anything from my Tech VP. My heart froze when I saw one from her. Even when you were one hundred percent sure they would take the offer, if you got something over the weekend, it usually turned out to be them rejecting it. Chewing the inside of my cheek, I opened it and scanned the contents, which ended with‘Mason, this opportunity is everything I’d been looking for and I’m delighted to accept. Working with you has been an absolute pleasure and I look forward to working with you again as I recruit my new team.’. I let out the breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding in.
“Yes!” I yelled out loud, jumped off the ledge and fist pumped the air.
“You okay?” Sara appeared in the doorway. “I didn’t realise it wasthatamazing you were moving in here.”
I stepped towards her, catching her in an embrace. “Sara, it’s absolutely totally fucking awesome I’m moving in here.”
She wriggled out of my grip, lip curling up. “Er, okay, weirdo, way too close. Don’t make me regret offering you the room.”
“Believe me, you won’t.”
Shortly before eight, everything was done. Luke and Fraser had taken me to collect what I needed from storage. I’d put Tasha’s old bed and mattress in there, and brought back my futon, along with a few other boxes of essentials I couldn’t live without, even though I’d managed perfectly well without them all the time I’d been in New York. Maybe I didn’t need them after all. As I made up the futon with fresh sheets, I could hear voices outside the door. They may have thought they were whispering, but every word came through loud and clear.
“Come on, Ems. Don’t be silly. You have to join us.”
“And play gooseberry while you’re all coupled up? No thanks.” Ems huffed. “I’d rather stay home. It’s been a shit day.”
“If it’s been a shitty day then dinner and drinks with your friends would be perfect, and you know it.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to seehimyet.”
I froze. Was she talking about me?
“Babe, you’re going to have to see him around the house. You can’t avoid him forever.”
Ems muttered something I couldn’t make out, followed by a door slamming, then it all went quiet.
