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"Don’t feel bad, sweetheart She started co the moment I picked her up If I was rude, it was only in retaliation"

I gave him a sympathetic smile "Looks like we saved each other frorinned "Looks like" His eyes dropped to thefor dessert?"

"We don’t need to," I told hio hoht"

His eyes rose to ave me an "are you daft?" look "Els, shut up and pick a dessert"

I sed a smile and lowered my eyes to the ht, and Adam took my arm and tucked it in his

"Where to next?"

I blinked in surprise We’d finished ourhome

"Um, where do you fancy?"

"The Voodoo Rooms is only a five et a seat"

I nodded, trying to stopme out for a drink

He’d never taken me out for a drink just the two of us before Recently he, Braden and I would meet up for a drink or two but never just Adam and I

As I walked down the street with him, arm and arm, I allowed myself the fantasy that ere a couple That’s what other people would see when they passed us My chest squeezed with utter longing

Unrequited love wasn’t nearly as romantic as the books made it seem

"Who don’t you know in this city?" I teased in an atterinned "There are a few people I’ve yet to h "their city" and they almost meant that literally They had acquaintances everywhere and anyti people they knew Soht say that Adam would never have had that kind of relationship with the city if he hadn’t grown up as Braden’s best friend

Unlike us, Adam didn’t come from a well-off faave the impression that they’d wanted to be parents Adalectful or cruel, his parents had been distant, and he’d spentthe summers when Braden was off in Europe with his hteen andthat put hiotten on a plane and moved to Australia He heard from them once a month Incidentally, Braden had paid off Ada he proudly wouldn’t accept until Braden had gotten him drunk and recorded his slurred acceptance on his iPhone I’d heard the recording

He’d said "Love you, mate, you’re beautiful" so hter

I knew Adaround didn’tall these doors, I believed with his charuy that a lot of people knew, liked, wanted to be or wanted to sleep with

When we got to the bar and restaurant, dinner service was just finishing up and the place was crowded

"Adam," a bartender called to hiave hiet you a table"

We followed hi it doith a wet dishrag The guy eyed ave Adam a smile of approval that et you?"

"I’ll have a Macallan and ginger ale Sweetheart, what do you want?"

"I’ll have a mojito, please"

Ada the back of the seat behind gled to find soed "I’ll just celebrate with you"

"Celebrate?"

He gaveI felt that look hit istered architect"

My lips parted on a silent exclamation and I iratulations!"