Page 30 of Destined For Forever

“Yes, envy. Sitting next to you every day in homeroom was torture,” he said. “Everything you touched turned to gold, and I wanted to hate you for it. Only I didn’t. Instead, I had to deal with the fact that you were so incredibly gorgeous that I could barely take my eyes off you.”

She sucked in a breath. Had he really thought of her as gorgeous? Had he really been unable to take his eyes off her? She’d been the mousiest little thing, a shy bookworm who was too awkward to string a sentence together around boys. With braces and glasses there for a while, too. And while she appreciated having straight teeth now—plus Lasik to fix her eyes—sometimes she felt like she’d never fully grown out of her ugly duckling phase.

“You had no idea?” he asked. “Seriously?”

“You’re not being serious.” She shook her head.

“I am. Deadly serious.”

Then why did you date Lisa?

It was a question that had swarmed her mind for years. Through Year Eleven and Twelve, Sean had dated a friend of hers—a bubbly, outgoing, curvy-bodied girl who was everything Lily wasn’t. She’d always envied Lisa. Not in a bad way, and she’d certainly never let it affect their friendship, but everything seemed to come easily to her.

Guys. Grades. Sports. Sex.

While Lily had been a late bloomer in every possible way. It was one reason she loved to write—because she could create the kind of woman she’d always wanted to be. She could write versions of herself that were better than the flawed reality. Women with quick wit and unshakable confidence and loads of courage. And yeah, she gave them boobs that were a little more impressive than her own B-cups. Not to mention that she could write about men who wanted forever with her.

Men… like they’re not all some version of Sean.

Maybe they were. Or maybe it was simply that he embodied her idea of a perfect romantic lead. He was strong, spontaneous, exciting.

Oh, so sexy.

“You’re pulling my leg,” she said, shaking her head.

“I wish I was.” He looked like he wanted to say more.

“I think you’re lying,” she said, placing her champagne flute down and tapping him playfully on the chest.

She couldn’t let Sean get into her head. He was a master flirt. Had been ever since he was old enough to stand up on his own. And as grateful as she was that he was giving her some cover from her mistakes, this wasn’t real. As soon as the wedding was over, she would go back to LA and he would go back to Australia, and this whole episode would be nothing but a memory.

In a few months’ time, she might even wonder if she’d imagined it.

“I’m hurt that you would think so poorly of me.” He pressed a hand to his chest in mock offence. “I am a trustworthy bloke.”

“Really?” She folded her arms across her chest. “Because I have a distinct memory of some salt-water-drenched slacker claiming that a kangaroo ate his homework.”

“Salt-water-drenched slacker, huh? I think that might be the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me.” His smile was so unabashed and so charming that Lily couldn’t help but laugh as she rolled her eyes.

Nobody had ever hated him, not even the teachers who were constantly putting up with him being late to class and never handing his assignments in on time. That’s the kind of guy he was—charming to the bone. Friend to all. A ray of sunshine.

“You need new friends if that’s the case,” she fired back, enjoying the banter.

“Also, I think it’s a little rich coming from you.” He sniffed. “Just saying.”

Her mouth popped open. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Only that you had to be coaxed into the water because you hated the feeling of sand sticking to your legs afterward.”

She frowned. Okay, so that was true. Who liked sand? Honestly? It was grainy and gross and got into places where it shouldn’t be.

“Sand is awful, and the beach would be better without it.” She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “Sorry not sorry. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have fun.”

“Can I get your definition of fun, please? And I won’t accept any answer that involves sitting inside alone or anything to do with work.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but then she snapped it shut again. What had she done since arriving in LA that didn’t involve being inside alone, either working or reading or some combination of both? The first two years she’d been single and hustling hard. Once she started dating Brock, she’d gone out more. But could she count going to cocktail parties with him? Probably not. They were in the work category, too.

“I know how to have fun,” she said defensively.

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