The Truce

by Becca Steele

  “I just…I want to know if he’s okay,” I whispered.

  Eddie sighed. “Even if I wanted to talk about him, which I don’t, I couldn’t tell you anyway. He’s working remotely, too, apparently. So I haven’t seen him today.”

  “Oh. Okay.” I bit my lip, trying to keep my emotions in check.

  “Liv.” Eddie crossed the room in a few short strides and wrapped me in another hug. “Come on. Enough of this wallowing.” He forcibly dragged me to the lounge and pushed me down into the armchair, placing a blanket over my legs. “Stay. Do not move.”

  “Alright, alright. I get the hint. I won’t say another word.” I mimed zipping my lips shut and picked up my Kindle, losing myself in a world of Greek gods and wolf shifters.

  George wandered in and slumped onto the sofa. “Another workday over. And I believe that means it’s wine o’clock. Want a glass?”

  I switched off my Kindle, pulling myself into a more upright position. “That would be great. Thanks, George.” The oven timer rang, making me jump. “Oh! Dinner should be ready. I’ll just go and check.”

  George shook his head. “No, stay there. We’ve got this.” He headed into the kitchen and helped Eddie dish up, and they brought me my food on a tray.

  “Guys, I appreciate this, I really do, but I feel like an invalid with the way you’re treating me,” I protested.

  “You need time to heal. Let us take care of you, babes. Make the most of having two men at your beck and call.” Eddie winked at me. “Now, it’s my turn to pick the film today. I vote for Mean Girls. Is that okay with both of you?”

  “Fine by me.” I mustered up a small smile. Romantic movies were banned for the week, a rule Eddie had informed me of as soon as I’d arrived. I was totally on board with his decision; I couldn’t think of anything worse than watching loved-up people onscreen, with my present state of mind.

  Much to my surprise I found myself getting into the film, even smiling at parts, listening to Eddie and George quote the dialogue in time with the characters. As the credits appeared on the screen, hope and determination filled me. Maybe I’d be okay.

  I slept better that night than I had done in weeks. The next day, buoyed by renewed optimism, I took a long, leisurely shower, washing my hair and using a deep-conditioning treatment. I blow-dried it so it fell in a long, shining curtain around my face and made a last-minute manicure appointment at a nearby salon.

  When George walked through the door after work, he stopped dead, gaping.

  “Look at you,” he said, holding out his arms to me, a huge smile spreading across his face. I stepped into his arms, squeezing him tightly.

  “Can I join the hug, too?” Eddie’s voice sounded from the doorway.

  “Come here.” I pulled him into our little huddle. Smirking, I prodded his ribs, wiggling my fingers, knowing how ticklish he was.

  “Liv!” he screeched, jumping away from me. His expression was so comical, I couldn’t control my reaction. I doubled over, laughing.

  “Baby girl, it’s so good to see you happy,” George chuckled. “How are you feeling?”

  “Good. Getting there, at least. I think I’m going to be okay.” I smiled, turning to Eddie. “Ed? Thank you for everything. Both of you. You’ve been there for me when I needed you, and I won’t forget what you’ve done for me.”

  “That’s what friends are for.” He studied me, his gaze searching. “Are you feeling okay about going back to work on Monday?”

  I nodded. “Yes. I feel…more like myself again. Stronger, like I need to get out there and face everything and stop hiding away. And…it’s the awards dinner soon. I want to be there to support Ethan. Well, not only Ethan—the whole team. I need to get myself together and be ready for that. It’s such a big deal for the company; there’s no way I want to bring the mood down.”

  “What about Luke?” A tentative expression crossed his face.

  As usual, pain filled me at the mention of his name. “I can’t avoid him forever, Ed. This is getting silly. We need to face each other, as much as it will kill me to do so, and somehow move past it.” I sighed. “I still love him, you know. That’s not just going to go away. But plenty of people get through heartbreak; I won’t allow myself to be the exception. I will get through this.”

  “You will. I’m proud of you, babes. Let’s do this, then. Back to work on Monday, face Luke, and get on with your life. By the time it comes to the awards dinner, you’ll be back to your usual kickass self. I’ll be there to support you.” He grinned. “We’ll show Luke just what he’s missing, at the awards. I’m thinking hair curled, statement dress…” He trailed off, sketching his hands in the air as if he was picturing it all in his mind.

  “None of that. I don’t want to show Luke anything. What I want is to get back to normality.”

  “Of course. But you can still look good doing it, right?” He eyed me, his expression hopeful.

  “Oh, go on, then. We can go dress shopping.”

  He beamed at me, then bowed, low and sweeping. “Cinderella, you shall go to the ball.”

  I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help giggling at his dramatics.

  It was so good to be laughing again. I’d had enough of hiding. It was time to face the world and move on. My first step would be my usual volunteering at the youth centre. No matter how upset I was, or had been, I’d never let Nick or the kids down.

  This was exactly what I needed. Hanging out with the teens. Sitting with them, listening to their stories and anecdotes took me out of my own head and allowed me to fully focus on them. Their presence was like a balm, soothing me and helping me return to normality. I loved being with them, and I hoped that in a small way I helped them as much as they were helping me.

  My worries felt miles away as I chatted to Aisha while we sketched, talking about her upcoming exams and the techniques I’d used when I was studying for mine. We arranged to meet up at a coffee shop along with another of her friends the following week so I could help them with their revision and hopefully give them a few useful pointers.

  All too soon our time was up, and I began my usual routine of talking to everyone one on one, offering my thoughts and encouragements.

  “Your friend was here at the weekend.”

  I stared down at Omari, who was leaning casually back in his seat, rocking on the two back legs.

  “Chair,” I said automatically, then my brain caught up. “Friend? What friend?”

  “Y’know. Luke. He’s alright, he is. He came down to play football with me and my boys.”

  “Luke was here?” I stared at him dumbly.

  “Yeah.” He pulled out his phone and started tapping on the screen, clearly bored with the conversation.

  “B—but how? Why?” I fired questions at him, confused.

  He sighed. “I dunno. That first time he came here with you, I told him me and the boys have a kickaround at the weekends and he could come down if he wanted to. So he must’ve decided to.” He shrugged, not looking up from his phone screen. His phone rang as he was holding it, blaring out some ridiculously loud ringtone, and I jumped.

  “Mate!” he shouted into the phone, grinning at my reaction. “Yeah. On my way.” Springing up from his seat, he was gone, calling a hurried “see ya” over his shoulder as he left.

  I couldn’t believe Luke had come to the youth centre. Had made a decision, on his own, to come here. My thoughts churned, wishing I knew more. But with the way things were between us, I doubted I’d get any answers.

  30

  Olivia

  My week away from normality had put everything into perspective for me. I was ready and able to face the world again. Seeing Luke would be the hardest part, but I had to force myself. Unless one or the other of us decided to work somewhere else, we’d see each other five days a week. And there was no way I was quitting. I loved my job, and I couldn’t see myself working anywhere else, ever. You can do this, I chanted under my breath, as the lift carried me up to the eighteenth floor. The
building was still quiet—I’d purposely arrived early to give myself time to get settled.

  On autopilot, I headed into the kitchen to make myself a latte. Opening the cupboard, I scanned the shelves but couldn’t see my favourite Better Latte Than Never mug. I reached up on my tiptoes, trying to see the top shelf, swearing under my breath. Why do they put cupboards so high on the wall? Don’t they think about short people?

  “I’ll get it.” The low voice came from behind me, and a muscular arm brushed past mine, reaching into the top shelf and retrieving my mug.

  Goosebumps erupted all over my body, and my stomach flipped. I took a deep, steadying breath, trying to compose myself, and immediately wished I hadn’t. His scent surrounded me, and he was standing so close I could feel his body heat. Gripping the edge of the counter for dear life, I closed my eyes and willed myself to act normal.

  As if he knew the effect he was having on me, he placed the mug down and moved to the opposite counter, creating some breathing room. I turned around to face him. Fuck, this is hard.

  I loved this man.

  Yet, he didn’t return my love.

  “Thank you.” My voice came out steady, and I’d never been so thankful. Steeling myself, I raised my eyes to meet his.

  “You’re welcome.” His tone was stilted. “Uh…Liv, can I have a quick word with you?”

  Okay, we were going to do this.

  “Yes.”

  He exhaled heavily and dropped his gaze, shuffling his feet. “I wanted to apologise for the way I acted. I hope we can move past it.”

  Anger and hurt arrowed through me at his words. How could he make me fall in love with him, when he knew he couldn’t commit? Why did this have to be so hard?

  I guess I wasn’t as prepared for this as I thought.

  Taking a deep breath, I struggled to collect myself. “I’d like to move past it. To be one hundred percent honest with you, I don’t think we can ever go back to being friends again, but I’m hopeful we can work together as colleagues, without the animosity.”

  He nodded. “Good. That’s what I was hoping, too.” He bit his lip uncertainly. “Liv…I know I acted like a complete wanker, but I want to put it all behind us. We’re professionals, and we can treat each other with respect. We can’t go back to hating each other—Ethan will have our heads, for a start.” He gave me a wry grin and held out his hand to me. “Truce?”

  Truce. The last thing I wanted. I stared at his gorgeous face, sadness filling me. He didn’t love me, didn’t want me, but I had to remember I was strong enough to deal with it. I hope. I wouldn’t let him hurt me again, ever.

  “Truce.” Reaching out my hand, I placed it in his. Electricity danced between us, and shivers ran up and down my spine.

  We both dropped each other’s hands as if we’d been burned.

  Suffocating silence filled the small space.

  “Right,” he said. “See you around the office.” He strode out of the doorway without a backward glance.

  Making notes as Ethan brought us up to date during the usual Monday morning catch-up meeting, I glanced over at Luke to find him staring at me. He lowered his gaze as soon as he noticed me looking, and I sighed. This was so much harder than I thought it would be. During the course of the meeting, I tried so hard not to look, but my eyes constantly strayed towards his. Every time I looked in his direction, I’d catch him staring at me, and every time, he’d immediately look away.

  “What was all that about?” Eddie wheeled his chair over to my desk, speaking in a low voice.

  “All what?”

  “That. In the meeting. You couldn’t keep your eyes off each other. And I know I wasn’t the only one to notice.”

  I sighed, fiddling with my computer mouse. “Look, you know I still love him. I don’t know why he was looking at me, but the important thing is that we got through the entire morning without an argument, without animosity. Yeah, it was awkward, but the first hurdle has been crossed. Things can only improve from here, right?”

  He eyed me with concern. “Alright. Are you okay, though, babes?”

  “I’m fine. I will be fine.”

  “Liv, can I see you in my office, please?” Ethan’s voice came from behind me, making me jump.

  “You scared me.” I placed my hand over my racing heart and stared up at him. “Yes, of course.” I followed him to his office and sat down.

  “I just wanted to touch base with you. How are you doing?”

  “Why does everyone keep asking me that?” I muttered. “Thanks for your concern. I honestly do appreciate it, but all I want is to move on and get back to normal. Can we pretend that nothing ever happened?” My gaze was pleading as my eyes met his.

  He leaned forwards in his chair, his brow furrowed. “I saw the way you two were looking at each other in the meeting today. It’s clear to me that there are still unresolved issues between you.”

  “Ethan, I love him still. You know that. As for him—my guess is that he feels a sense of guilt towards me. I don’t know. Please can we stop talking about it and move forwards? The last few weeks have been a nightmare for me. I’m finally starting to feel better about everything, and I’d like to get on with my life.”

  “If that’s what you want.” He slumped back in his seat, defeated.

  “Avery!” I grinned as my friend raced over to me, throwing her arms around me in a hug.

  “Look at you.” She held me at arm’s length, staring at me. “You look so much better. You’ve got a sparkle in your eyes again.”

  “I feel better. Now, are you ready for the best Saturday night of your year?”

  “So ready. And I love you for planning this.”

  Exiting the Tube station at Covent Garden, we ducked and weaved through the crowds of tourists and Londoners as we made our way towards the Lyceum Theatre. I’d surprised Avery with tickets to see The Lion King to show my gratitude for her being there for me during the fallout with Luke. I’d also surprised Eddie and George with a treat—they were currently on their way to see Eddie’s favourite comedian perform during his sell-out tour. Those tickets had been almost impossible to get, but I was nothing if not determined, and it had paid off. I owed my friends so much. They’d been there to pick up the pieces and hadn’t hesitated to stand behind me through everything that had happened with Luke.

  Sitting in the huge auditorium, waiting for the show to begin, I turned to Avery.

  “What’s Ethan up to tonight, being left to his own devices?”

  She twisted her hands together, not looking at me. “Uh, I think he’s having a boys’ night in with Alex and, uh, Luke.”

  “Aves, you don’t need to worry about mentioning Luke in front of me. It’s okay, I promise.” I reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “I’ve managed to survive the last week of working with him just fine. I think I can cope with you mentioning his name.”

  “Okay. I want you to know that I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled at my best friend.

  “How has it been at work this week, anyway? I feel like I haven’t really had a chance to speak to you about it.”

  I contemplated her question as I reached into my bag and turned my phone off in preparation for the show. “Well, we haven’t spoken much. There was one weird moment, though…”

  Avery raised a brow expectantly, folding her hands in her lap and giving me her full attention.

  I laughed at the expression on her face. “It’s nothing, really. Ed and I offered to get everyone coffees on Wednesday afternoon. In the spirit of putting everything behind us, and all that, I made Luke’s. I took it over to him and he said ‘thanks’ in a really soft voice and gave me this intense look. Oh, Aves. I can’t even describe it, but it made me catch my breath. It…it…” I fumbled around for words. “It was so longing. My heart started racing, and I didn’t know what to do.”

  “Did he say anything else?”

  “No. I was so shaken by the look he’d given me that I kind of ran
away.” My mouth twisted. “I don’t know what it meant, but it made me feel things I shouldn’t be feeling, not when I’m starting to move on.”

  Avery pursed her lips, deep in thought. “Okay. Here’s my take on it. He still has feelings for you, only, he’s got so good at denying them to himself, they only appear when he’s been caught off guard.”

  I huffed out a frustrated breath. “If that’s the case, I wish he wouldn’t. How am I meant to move on properly?”

  “Liv.” Avery’s serious tone had my eyes flying up to meet hers. “Do you still want to be with him?”

  Deep down, I knew my answer.

  I couldn’t, wouldn’t, lie to my best friend.

  “Yes.” My voice was small. “But, Aves, I can’t. I can’t risk that heartbreak again. Not only that, he hasn’t given any indication of wanting to be with me again, so there’s no point in talking about the what-ifs. Other than that one moment, he’s been treating me with indifference. I truly believe, in my heart, that he’s moved on.”

  As the house lights went down and the familiar opening music of The Lion King began, I pushed all thoughts of Luke way, way, down. He hadn’t cared enough about me to try and make things work, and I had to remember that. He didn’t love me. He was carrying on with his life, and I would do the same.

  I let the tiny ember of hope that had sparked to life inside me wink out, until all that remained was darkness.

  31

  Luke

  The evening I’d been dreading had arrived. I sat on Ethan’s sofa, placing my head in my hands.

  “Mate.” Ethan patted me on the shoulder. “Start at the beginning and tell us what happened.”

  Sighing heavily, I stared between him and Alex, knowing they wouldn’t drop it. I began to speak, my voice halting, giving them a rundown of the situation, ending with the messed-up night at the bar. Fuck, explaining it all again—I sounded so irrational.