All The Time: A Boyfriend's BrotherFriends to Lovers Romance (Hard-Won Love Book 2) by Autumn Miller

Author:Autumn Miller [Miller, Autumn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Miller Publishing
Published: 2022-07-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Nora

Between Ashleigh and I, the last few boxes for my belongings are piled up by the front door, ready to be taken downstairs and into Liam’s car. I sent him a picture of how much there was to move and he was pretty confident it would all fit.

There was something rather troubling about my entire life fitting into a medium-sized car. Something inconsequential about the small pile of bags, boxes, and odds and sods I’ve collected over the years. And I know possessions do not maketh the man, or whatever the phrase is, but I can’t help but make comparisons. Still, I have my work, and even if my personal life is lagging behind, professionally I am totally on my game.

Casting a last look around the living room to ensure I’ve not left anything, I lean into Ash for a big hug. We’ve already said our goodbyes a hundred times, but she still mumbles into my hair, “Don’t be a stranger.”

“Likewise.”

“I want an invite round soon,” she demands, pouting at me theatrically. A platinum blonde with grey, alluring eyes, she has a face made for the stage or screen.

“Deal. I hope everything goes smoothly moving in with Richard.”

We pull apart, Ash gently pulling on one of my curls. “I’ll miss you.”

“Now, now,” I tease, trying to be stoic. “We agreed no tears.” An end of an era it might be, but we will always be friends.

“They’re just crocodile tears,” she objects. “Secretly, I’ve been counting down the days until I left you and this shit-hole behind.”

“Well, that’s good to know, because I’m running out of valuable storage space on my phone. Deleting all our selfies will help.”

“Make sure you delete my number too.”

“I took care of that already.” We share a smile. It’s riddled with false bravery and sadness, a bittersweet concoction. But there’s also excitement and hope because she’s moving on to good things, and I’d like to think this means I am too. “Better start lugging this downstairs. Liam will be here soon.”

“First,” Ash starts, licking her lips nervously, “I just wanted to say that I know this could be a complicated thing moving in with Liam, but this is the happiest I’ve seen you in a long time.”

“Really?” Her words have me starting an internal analysis of my mood over the past few years. I was definitely down in the dumps when Aaron cheated on me, but I’ve been in a better place since, haven’t I?

“When you met him at that party, you seemed conflicted, but happier. After France, you seemed sad but buoyant. Hopeful I suppose. Positive. Liam is a good influence, and while I can’t predict if you two stand a chance, he brings out a good side of you. A side I’ve not seen in too long.” She runs her hand down my arm. “Stop listening to Aaron, Nora. He doesn’t deserve your attention nor your confidences about who you’re seeing.”

Immediately, I bristle. While Ash might not mean to criticise, that’s how it sounds.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.