Page 74 of Be With Me (Adair Family 4)

We ordered sandwiches and tea, and the words were barely out of our mouths before Flora was hurrying off to serve the next person. I wondered where her extra staff was today. But only for a millisecond because Arro asked, “So … how are things with you and Arran?”

“You haven’t spoken to him?”

“Some texts, but he was a little vague and a wee bit absentminded.”

“I’m sorry. That’s probably my fault. He’s been at my place after work all week.”

“So, it’s going well, then?” She leaned forward, her stunning pale-blue eyes glittering with hope. Only she and Brodan had eyes that striking shade of blue. Lachlan and Arran had eyes the color of the sky on a sunny day. Thane was the odd one out with his lovely gray blue. Arran’s were my favorite. He had a laughing gleam in his that always made me smile. “Ery?”

“What? Sorry? I was woolgathering.”

Her lips twitched. “I take it things are going well, then, between you and Arran? You fixed your issues?”

I leaned in so I could lower my voice. “I told him about my past.”

Arro gaped at me, clearly stunned.

“You told him? You really told him … everything?”

Suddenly, I wondered if she’d be hurt that I told Arran when I hadn’t told her. But now that I knew talking about it wasn’t nearly as scary as I’d expected, I wanted Arro to know. She was my best friend. While I’d had nightmares the past few nights, ones Arran held me through, I think telling Arro the story would be easier now that I’d ripped off the Band-Aid.

“I told him everything,” I confirmed.

“How are you?” My friend covered my hand with hers, giving it a squeeze. “Are you doing okay after all that?”

Of course, Arro’s first thought would be of my emotional well-being and not that I had shared my past with Arran before her. That wasn’t who she was. I nodded. “It … I feel freed by it, Arro.”

She squeezed my hand again, eyes bright with emotion. “I’m so glad.”

I covered her hand with my other. “I don’t want too many people to know, for my own safety, but I will tell you. I want to tell you.” I glanced around the café. “Just not here.”

“You know you don’t have to. There’s no pressure.”

“I know. But you’re my best friend, and I want you to know.”

Tears welled in Arro’s eyes. “Oh, goodness.” She pulled her hand from mine to reach for a napkin. “This baby has turned me into a watering pot.”

“Excuses, excuses,” I teased.

She gave a huff of laughter as she dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “I know. I’m just so happy for you. You’re my best friend too.”

“So, we’ll take some time to talk later, yeah?”

“Absolutely. Name the date and time.”

Flora returned to our table at that moment with our sandwiches and tea. My stomach grumbled at the sight. Ever since telling Arran the truth, I had more of an appetite. I was just about to say so when Arro said, “Oh my God, is that Monroe?”

I looked up to see Arro peering out the café’s front window. Her gaze was fixed on a familiar, tiny, gorgeous redhead standing outside Morag’s, rifling through her purse for something.

“That is Monroe,” Arro surmised. “She hasn’t changed a bit.”

We watched her stride down the street and out of sight.

“You haven’t spoken to her yet?” I asked before taking a bite.

Arro shook her head, still staring out toward the street. “I haven’t been in the village much lately, and I don’t have her number. I kept waiting to bump into her. I’ll need to make more of an effort.” Her eyes came to mine and narrowed at whatever she saw in my expression. “Oh, Christ. Arran told you, didn’t he?”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“You can’t be jealous of Roe, Ery.” Arro frowned. “It was a mistake between them. A huge mistake that ruined all of our friendships with her.”

“I can’t help it.” I made a face. “I’ve never been possessive over someone before, but when I think about her with Arran, it bugs me. He’s told me he doesn’t care about her that way, and I believe him, but they have a history and … I don’t know why I feel jealous. I told him we have nothing to be jealous over. We trust each other.”

Arro snorted. “Jealousy doesn’t disappear because you trust your partner. Jealousy is an unfavorable aspect of human nature. We’re territorial creatures. That’s a fact. I still want to pop people’s heads off when they flirt with Mac. Even more so now.” She touched her belly. “That’s normal, I think. The problems arise when you mistrust your partner out of jealousy. That’s not the same thing as someone flirting with your man or knowing they’ve had sex with him in the past.”

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