After the best weekend on record – all of the records, I’m calling it – being home feels flat. It’s like arriving home after a holiday. I’ve gone from a solid weekend with Reid, waking up beside him, to today where all I’ve done is long for yesterday.
His family didn’t say a thing when we turned handsy halfway through the first day. I didn’t miss how much that seemed to please Kelly.
Now it’s late afternoon, and I’m done with uni for the day.
I walk towards the car park with a skip in my step. I’m meeting up with the girls to shop. As I approach Hilda, I freeze.
Are my eyes broken? It can’t be.
Unfortunately, I don’t need to hit up the opticians because I can clearly see Liam leaning against my car.
What the hell is he doing here? Has a year passed, and I didn’t realise?
I’ve not heard anything from him since I ran into him in the bar, so why is he here now? Maybe something’s up. God, I hope his family are okay.
I shake my hands and walk towards him.
He looks up as I get close.
Pushing off my car, he takes a few steps. I stop because I don’t think we need to be right on top of each other.
I look at him now and although I’ll admit he’s still handsome, he doesn’t hold anything on Reid.
“What are you doing here? Is everyone okay?” I ask.
“Everyone’s fine. You didn’t text me back.”
“What? That was ages ago, Liam, and we’re not supposed to.”
“I didn’t think you’d ignore me.”
“You said a year. What are you doing here?”
“You’re hostile. Why?”
How long will the migraine take to hit? “I’m confused. If nothing is wrong, why have you turned up at my uni?”
“Can we go somewhere and talk?”
“Where? About what?”
“To get a coffee. Please?”
I’m seeing Reid. There’s no way I’m going anywhere with my ex.
“We can talk here.”
His eyes tighten. “Why can’t we go to a café? One quick drink.”
“We can talk here,” I repeat.
“Mila, you don’t need to be difficult about this.”
“It’s a bad idea.”
“You want to have this conversation in a car park?”
“It’s the car park or not at all. I’m fine with not at all, so the choice is yours.”
I don’t want to be a bitch to him, but he’s not my main concern anymore. I’m not going anywhere more private with him because I’m not willing to risk messing things up with Reid.
He folds his arms and his face tints red. “Fine. Here it is.”
“So… what’s going on? You said everyone was okay.”
“I wanted to see you.”
I narrow my eyes. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what? We were together for a long time, I can’t just flip a switch and not care, not want to talk to you.”
Groaning, I put my head in my hands. “No, Liam.”
“Mila.”
I drop my arms. “Please don’t do this. I thought you’d moved on. You had a date in the bar.”
“That doesn’t mean I stopped loving you.”
“I think I should leave.”
I go to step around him, but he blocks me with his arm. “No, wait. Two minutes, please. I know where I was going wrong. I see that now. God, I’ve been stupid, and I should have never got so complacent. We can try again. I promise you that I’ll be present. We’ll go out and do more of what you want. Hell, come on nights out with my friends, if that makes you happy.”
Reid makes me happy.
“I’m sorry, Liam.”
“Don’t say that. The woman in the bar was one date. I haven’t moved on.”
I take a breath. “Where is this coming from? Why now?”
He kicks a stone on the floor. “I was looking through some old photos of us. It was a shock, you know, realising what I’ve lost? It hit me all at once.”
“I’m sorry, Liam, but I can’t do this.”
His face falls like he cannot comprehend what I’m saying.
“Mila.”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve moved on,” I repeat.
He steps to the side as I walk past and get into my car. I almost stall it as I shove it into first gear and pull away.
My heart sinks to my toes. I don’t like being cruel to him, but I had to be clear. He can’t keep popping back into my life. Now he knows that there’s no chance for us.
I need to forget that happened and focus on wedding stuff.
Indie’s home from LA and finished with her last patient, and Wren managed to get off an hour early. I arrive at the dress shop and greet Wren and Indie with a hug. Liam melts away.
“Thanks for being here,” Indie says.
“Duh. I want my maid of honour dress,” I reply.
Wren rolls her eyes. “We’re both bridesmaids, Mila.”
“Sure, babe,” I say.
The store has our measurements and has set aside dresses that Indie said she liked.
“This one?” Indie says, trying to be funny. She holds the awful gown up. It’s pink lace and big sleeves.
“If you make me wear a dress with puffy sleeves, I’m going to object when the registrar asks,” I warn.
Laughing, she lets go of the pink monstrosity on the hanger and moves on, leaving us while she flicks through the options.
Wren shakes her head. “I’m so glad I was too pissed to care what anyone wore at my wedding.”
“You didn’t have anyone at your wedding,” I remind her.
She rolls her eyes. “Let’s not start this again, Mila.”
“You should renew your vows.”
“Hell no. All this planning is such a pain in the arse.”
I nod in agreement. It does seem like a lot of effort. “Indie has been flat out working and planning, and Spence just tells her to get whatever she wants.”
“She hates that.”
“Who hates their man wanting to give them whatever they want? That chick is weird.”
“We all know you’d love that. How was your weekend with your non-boyfriend Reid?”
“No need for that, though, is there? The weekend was great. His family are awesome, and if you don’t stop smirking, Wren, I’m going to suffocate you with that puffy dress.”
She laughs and wraps her arm around my neck. “Oh, Mila. Tell me all about it. How is Reid?”
“He’s good.”
“I’m going to need more than that.”
“I love you, Wren, but you’re proper annoying.”
“Aw, now you know how you were when I was going through the Brody stuff.”
“I was calm, respectful, and helpful.”
“You told me to have sex with him.”
“You’d already had hot, drunken sex with him! Who can blame me for telling you to drop your pants and ride that donkey again?”
“Can I help you?” the middle-aged owner asks.
Wren presses her lips together and ducks her head.
I know it will be a fatal error if I make eye contact with her now.
Hold it together.
“We’re with our friend. Indie Croft? You just met her,” I say, curling my hands into fists.
She blinks twice. Her name tag reads Janet, and she looks like she wants to throw us out onto the street. “Wonderful. Shall we join Indie?”
Clenching my jaw, I nod. She’s judging us. I feel like I’m back in school when the teachers would tell me off for talking all the damn time. They’d move me over to someone else and I’d just talk to that person, too.
We giggle like schoolgirls while we follow Janet.
Wren nudges my arm. “How was your donkey’s performance this weekend?”
My cheeks heat at the memory of how many times I’ve had him inside me, and the look in his eyes when he loses control. He’s insatiable, and I’m loving every second of being adored by his body.
“The donkey is outstanding.”
She laughs. “I really like him, Mila. He’s good for you. Anyone who can make you smile this much is great with me.”
“Back off, you’re married.”
She rolls her sparkly blue eyes.
“Indie, how are you getting on?” Janet asks her.
“I love these ones,” she says, holding up two pale sage dresses that would show off a bit of cleavage and sit around knee-length.
“It’s gorgeous,” Wren says, taking it from Indie.
“No hideous, football-shaped sleeves. Nice call.”
“Those are coming back in,” Janet informs me with a rather snippy tone.
I scoff. “Well, they should have died in the eighties.”
Indie gives me the look she’s perfected over the years. I’m to stop talking now. But it’s okay for Janet to keep dishing out the attitude.
“Do you want us to try them on?” I ask.
“Yes, but you two look gorgeous in everything.”
Wren and I take a dress each and head behind the curtain.
I strip. “I can’t believe our little Indie is getting married.”
“You’re the only one left now, spinster.”
“Are you going for dick of the year or something?”
She laughs and shimmies out of her jeans. “Marry Reid.”
“He does practically live in a library.”
“And he has a big cock,” she adds. “Right?”
She damn well better not have ever seen his cock. I nod. “Absolutely no complaints here at all. He doesn’t talk much about his family.”
“Where did that come from? And weren’t you just with his family?”
“It’s been on my mind a bit. I’m not talking about his parents and sister. There were no grandparents there to celebrate. I know he has an uncle because he was the one who got him into books. He didn’t tell me much, though. He’s a bit shady when it comes to details. I don’t know; maybe I’m overthinking.”
“You two aren’t together so maybe he’s just not opened up completely.”
“What you’re saying is he doesn’t owe me anything…”
“Well, no. But I mean that maybe it’s not something he would open up to with a friend, anyway.”
“Yeah, maybe. It’s none of my business.”
She steps into the dress. “How much did it hurt you to say that?”
“Ugh, so much. I just want to know everything. Is that so much to ask?”
“You’re the type of person to read all of the comments in someone’s Facebook rant.”
Doesn’t everyone do that?
“Are you two dressed?” Indie asks from beyond the curtain.
“Almost,” I say, grabbing my phone. Wren and I pose in front of the mirror, and I take our selfie. “Such a shame we couldn’t do this for your wedding—”
“Because I got married without you,” she finishes, rolling her eyes again.
We walk out of the changing room and twirl together.
“Oh my God!” Indie claps her hands. “You are both so beautiful.”
“We rock these. Get them!” I say, linking arms with Wren.
“I agree, and I can’t wait to cry through your entire ceremony.”
I bet she does, too.
Indie buys the dresses, and we head to a restaurant for dinner.
“This was the last thing on your list, right?” I ask her.
We’ve been involved in a few things, but planning a wedding happens a lot quicker when you drop your movie star fiancé’s name every now and again. Whatever Indie wants, she gets. I’ve not even had to shout at anyone on her behalf yet. That disappoints me a little bit.
“I’m so happy, guys,” she says as we order a round of cosmopolitans.
“You deserve all that happiness in the world.”
She smiles over at me. “So do you, Mila.”
Happiness is something I thought would be a way off. There was a lot of growing I needed to do, and I didn’t think I could be at peace until the other parts of my life were in place. Shouldn’t I have waited to get close to Reid once I’d moved out or finished uni?
The universe can spring someone on you at any moment and it throws you way off. There is no perfect time to find your person. There is no perfect time for love. You just have to leap.