Page 118 of Let Me Be the One

In real life, there are no guaranteed happy endings unless you make them yourself. My happy ending is always going to include me, and I hope it includes Ben, too. Whatever life holds in store for me, I know I have to keep pleasing myself. It’s my job to make sure I’m happy, and that means not getting caught up in being the person I think Ben wants me to be. Lucky for me, Ben is happiest with me when I’m not pretending to be anyone else.

Deciding I’m ready for another drink, I walk over to the bar and grab a drink for me and a drink for Ben. As soon I’ve paid, I turn around and find Ben standing there.

“Hey,” I say as he wraps one arm around my waist and pulls me to him.

I try to keep the beer and glass of wine I’m holding steady as he dips his head and kisses me.

“I got you a drink,” I say breathlessly as I hand him his.

“Thanks,” he says, keeping one arm wrapped around me while clinking his bottle against my glass.

He nods in the direction of our friends. “Your sister looks like she’s in heaven.”

Simon has placed Tara’s foot on his lap and is now massaging it.

“They seem so happy, don’t they?”

“They’re not the only ones,” he says, making me turn back to smirk at him. “And why wouldn’t they be? They’ve got a rug rat on the way, and it’s clearly what they want.”

“Is that something you would want?” I ask, heart suddenly pounding hard. “I mean, eventually?”

Ben and I have talked about the future. We’ve talked about him going back to school and starting a business. We’ve talked about him moving in with me so he can start saving money and working towards some goals. I’m insisting I pay the bills as my way of paying him back for the alarm system, since he is still refusing point blank to take my money. But we’ve never talked about children, or marriage, for that matter.

Ben raises an eyebrow. “A rug rat?”

“Yes. Are you... anti-children?”

“You know how my dad was with me, Lainey.”

“Yes, I do.”

“And my mum left.”

“I know.”

“I’d like the chance to do it right. Be a better father than my father was to me and marry a woman who will stick around.”

“I understand, but...” I do a double take. “You would?”

“Yes.” His gaze grows increasingly tender. I don’t need to ask him if he’d like to do those things with me, because the answer is clear on his face.

“Do you want that, too?” he asks.

“Definitely.”

With my free hand, I absently trace part of the tattoo I can see peeking out at the top of his shirt. The phoenix rising from the ashes. It’s perfect for Ben, and I love it. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how Dad would react to Ben’s tats and piercings, but my father was on his best behaviour when they met. For that, I’m grateful. I’m not sure I’ll ever have an easy relationship with my father, but it is getting better.

“I love you, Lainey,” Ben murmurs.

“I love you, too.”

We hang back at the bar, sipping our drinks, talking easily, and watching our friends. “Should we head back?” I ask after a few minutes.

“Probably,” Ben says. “I guess we’re the ones walking off this time.”

I look up at him and smile. “Yes, we are.”

“You were right about your clichés, Lainey. Best friends do always end up together.”

My gaze drifts back to where Lucas and Amber are now sitting with the rest of our friends. “I know.”

Ben takes my chin between his fingers and turns my head so I’m facing him. “It’s shared secrets, shared history, friendship, and compatibility. A potent and irresistible combination.”

The best thing about hearing those words from Ben isn’t just that he quoted me or proved once again that he always listens to me. No, it’s realising that not only did I get my happy ending, but I also got my cliché as well.

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