by Sara Breaker
I stiffened. “Not if you’re still in love with Marco,” I remarked, and when she didn’t refute it, my chest constricted again. I took a deep breath. “Look, you were right about me. I have been afraid to find something real too, for too long. But I also know I’m right that you deserve better than Marco. And Wayne,” I shrugged pointedly, “well, he’s clearly not good enough for you. I mean, what does the guy even do for a living?”
At that, I heard Claire chuckle slightly. “Something with computers,” she replied.
“Great,” I groaned, shaking my head to myself. Stable and lucrative.
“So…what you’re saying is, you think you’re good enough for me,” she stated, her tone literally somewhere between amused and bemused.
I was still shaking my head. I heaved another sigh before I turned to meet her gaze. “I’m saying—I’m better…now. Being with you has made me…better than good enough.” I gave her a steady look before starting, “I’ve been hearing a lot of theories lately. And I don’t really know if this is love,” I admitted. “It could be, or it could also be something else. All I know is I’d like to give it a try…” I paused meaningfully, “if it’s with you.”
Claire was studying the storm brewing in my eyes intently, quietly.
I creased my forehead, searching her face. “Has it really never crossed your mind? Not even once?” I asked, both dreading and anticipating her response, and my chest felt tight at her prolonged silence. “Say something,” I pressed apprehensively.
Then after a long while, Claire broke a soft smile, a sudden clarity in her blue eyes as she gazed up at me. And all she said was, “Yeah…I’m definitely not in love with Marco anymore.”
And I started to smile myself, in relief, in hope, in such elation that I wanted to kiss her right then and there, but before I could grab her neck and pull her towards me, someone yelled out from behind us.
“Are you two done yet or what??”
When I glanced over, I was surprised to see Janice poking her head out of the door from the wedding chapel. She was waving the two of us over urgently. “The bride and groom are waiting, you guys,” she called out pointedly from across the car park, her volume carrying surprisingly well. But after a beat, she just rolled her eyes. “Whatever. If you’re not back inside in two minutes, we’re doing this thing without you,” she warned, before disappearing back through the door.
I had to laugh. Claire was also laughing when she met my gaze again. “So uh…” I asked with a shrug, “what do you want to do now?”
Claire’s smile turned slightly devious as she regarded me with a look. “I think I’ve had enough of Marco and Nina,” she remarked. “You wanna get out of here?” she prompted.
I couldn’t bite back my grin. “Absolutely,” I replied with full conviction. I could not have thought of anything better. “You want to go get some coffee? I thought I saw a Starbucks around the corner.”
And Claire smiled back. “That sounds good.”
I let out another slightly nervous chuckle, starting to walk down the street.
“I still can’t believe you tried to hit Marco on his wedding day,” Claire commented casually, falling into step beside me.
I made a face. “It’s not like I planned it. It was a reflex.”
“Suure it was,” she mused in ridicule.
“What? He was being an asshole,” I said defensively. “He basically implied that you were dumb and dirty and that I’ve somehow turned you into a whore—,” I relayed and I saw Claire’s eyes pop wide in outrage.
“He said what now??” Her eyes blazed in fury. “Imma fucking hit him too!” she exclaimed, turning on her heel to march back towards the wedding chapel.
But I laughed out loud, catching her arm and pulling her towards me instead. I gazed down at her, unable to stop smiling, before I started to lean my head down closer to hers.
Claire blinked up at me. “What, you’re going to kiss me—out here in public, on the street?” she asked, surprised.
I gave her a look. “Who’s going to stop me?”
That made her smile widen before she replied, “Absolutely nobody.”
The End.
Other Titles by Sara Breaker
The Perfect Deal
Insert Happy Ending
The Real Thing
Change of Mind
Just an Alternate
The Phoenix Series
Book 1: The Fall
Book 2: The Flight
Book 3: The Rise
Insert Happy Ending
***
“I’m sorry,” Marga apologised again. “I just have no idea what to talk about—I mean with you.”
Ben stopped midway raising his drink to his mouth to ask, “What do you mean?”
Ironically (or obviously), they had no more sessions in common for the rest of the day, but when they met up at lunch, Ben somehow managed to coerce Marga into skipping today’s last training session. He’d half meant it as a test – back in school, Marga would have been the last person he thought would ever skive off class.
But Marga’s personality was different from what he would have thought. All he had anyway were stereotypes and fragments of hearsay. But she wasn’t timid, she wasn’t quiet, she wasn’t boring. And he’d just figured out why she had been talking about the weather for the last half hour.
Marga gave him a plain look. “Come on,” she started. “We haven’t seen each other in like ten years and even then we—,” she broke off.
“We what?”
“We weren’t technically friends,” she pointed out. “And…you’re—you,” she gestured to him as if it was a bad thing. “Are you even aware that all the women in this room,” her voice lowered to a hush, “—would kill to be sitting in my chair right now?”
Ben raised his eyebrows. He was used to the flattery—of course he was. But the way Marga did it—she was just so…frank. He let out a chuckle, somehow feeling self-conscious. “I—don’t notice that stuff anymore,” he lied not meeting her gaze. “I’ve got a girlfriend,” he shrugged.
Marga gave him an incredulous look, but he already knew she wouldn’t buy that. “You’re Ben Hamilton – everyone knows who that is,” she said flatly. “I bet you’re still not really 100% sure who I am.”
“Uh…” Ben chuckled under his breath, trying to figure out how to respond. She was absolutely right and he knew there was no way he could get away with pretending otherwise.
She pursed her lips knowingly, as if reading his mind, but went on. “You must have known, back then you couldn’t sneeze without the whole school knowing about it,” she relayed. “People posted bulletins of your football stats and every injury you ever got. I happen to know each and every detail of your first date with Andrea. And I’m probably not supposed to tell you this but I have friends who had photos of you in their locker—,” she stopped short realising she was rambling. “Sorry, that’s sort of embarrassing to say,” she finished sheepishly.
The stories made Ben laugh. “Look Marga,” he started slowly, hoping he sounded rational, “high school was a lifetime ago. I just think we…shouldn’t be stuck with who we used to be, you know? I know I’m not that guy anymore. I’m sure you wouldn’t want people to think you were still the same person back then, right?”
***
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