CHAPTER THREE

No words could describe how I felt as Georgie took a seat beside me, wearing one hell of a smirk on his face. I wasn't sure how much he'd heard - wait, I rewound to a few minutes ago when Emily was staring at something, no, someone over my shoulder. 

Right, so that would mean Georgie heard me mistaking his boyfriend for Emily's. Oh, good. Lovely. Fan-bloody-tastic.  

'So,' he drawled as if he could read my mind. 'What did I miss?' He sounded like a gleeful child. 

I wanted to melt into the floor but settled for shuffling gnocchi around my plate. I'd comment on how bloody good it was, or make some sort of joke... if my voice hadn't retreated to my anus.  

Henry cleared his throat. 'Well, Emily and Lincoln were just... catching up.' 

I chanced a glance at Emily who was staring at her plate. From the intensity of her gaze I could tell she was processing my humiliating outburst. I may as well have dropped to one knee again.  

'I see,' Georgie said, and reached for the glass of wine the waiter had just poured him. 'And how is that going?' 

As he waited for one of us to answer, he scanned the menu and then our table. Seemingly satisfied with the look of the seafood linguine Emily had all but finished, he ordered the same thing and sent the waiter on his way. 

'So...?' 

I stared into my lap and gripped my fork even tighter. 

'That well, huh?' He continued when neither of us said anything. 

Internally, I shouted at my last two brain cells to think of something to say. Anything. And yet all I could think of was excusing myself to go to the toilet and then legging it all the way home. 

No - don't be a dickhead, Lincoln. 

I cleared my throat and forced myself to look at Georgie. 'It's good to see you again,' I managed to say. 

Georgie snorted. 'You too, mate,' he said, and grasped my shoulder... a little too tightly. 'You should've told me you were back!' 

Although he was smiling, I didn't miss the look in his eyes - a mixture of disappointment, confusion, and something else. Concern? His eyes flickered to his sister's for just a moment before returning to mine. 

'How long have you been back for?' he asked so pointedly, it made me chuckle. 

'You never clock off, do you?' I retorted. I briefly toyed with the idea of pivoting the conversation to how he met Henry, even though I was sure I knew the answer. They were both journalists after all. A short conversation.  

'It's a fair question,' Emily added quietly. 

Her voice had the same effect as pouring cold water over myself. It temporarily disarmed me, emptying my head of all and any escape plans. I didn't even notice when Georgie released my shoulder from his iron grip. 

I seriously couldn't believe she still had this effect on me. 

'Well?' Georgie pushed, startling me from my thoughts. 

'Bout four years,' I answered. 'We launched Sunshine a year later.' 

'Four years ago.'  Georgie didn't bother to hide the disbelief in his voice. It almost sounded like he wanted to laugh. 'Right, I see.' He planted his elbows on the table and rested his chin on both hands. 

He and Emily made the same face when they were trying not to shout or yell in excitement - same scrunched nose, narrowed green eyes, and pursed lips. 

'And when did you interview his partner again?' This was directed at Henry, who suddenly looked like a poor deer in headlights. 

Henry interviewed Cam six months after we launched. Come to think of it, we may have even met. Cam was always forcing me to meet people and I was always running away at the first chance I got, which was usually right after introductions were made. Henry seemed to realise this at the same time I did because we shared a look that said holy shit. 

Who would've thought that years later, he'd be dating the brother of my ex-girlfriend. And the four of us would be sitting around a table having the world's most awkward dinner. 

'Jesus, you'd think it was meant to be,' Henry muttered. 

Emily's gaze collided with mine, and then she had a mouthful of wine. Followed by another. And then one more. When her glass was empty, she looked at me again with those piercing green eyes and sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth. 

I remembered that look. I knew what it meant, Emily was about to grill me. 

And three...

Two...

One... 

'I'm not going to lie and say I'm not mad about this entire situation. And I'm not going to pretend like this isn't excruciatingly awkward for me, but for the sake of...' she paused as Georgie's food arrived, 'for the sake of knowing, what happened?' 

'What happened?' 

'Did you go home to LA, or did you come straight here?' 

'Spent a month packing up my stuff,' I answered. 'Came here not long after.' 

'Why?'

'Cam offered me a job.' 

'And then?' 

'I've been working ever since.' 

It was the truth - Sunshine was young, it required all of our attention. Which is how I preferred it, because it meant less time spent thinking about spontaneously running into Emily/running away from Emily/somehow kicking myself in the ass. With every month that passed, I thought less and less about her as I focused on Sunshine's growth. 

Emily paused long enough for me to shovel some gnocchi into my mouth. 

'Were you ever going to reach out?' She said this quietly, like she was afraid of the answer. 

I took my time to answer, chewing thoughtfully. 

'Were you?' I asked, after washing down the gnocchi with some wine. 

Georgie stiffened beside me. 

Emily and I locked eyes again. I could tell she wanted to say more but was holding back for some reason. Maybe she didn't quite know what to say. I knew the feeling. I remember almost DMing her after I'd had too much to drink one night, only to delete every single attempt. 

Hey 

Delete.

Remember me? 

Delete. 

I miss you 

Delete. 

How've you been? 

Delete. 

The thought of coming across as a sad, horny fuckboy was the main reason I never sent her a message. That, and putting myself out there again. Being vulnerable? Screw that. 

Emily opened her mouth to speak. 'I - I don't know,' she sighed. 'I've been so -' 

'Busy -' 

'Busy -' We said at the same time. 

'The timing was never...' Emily stopped herself, this was all starting to sound too familiar. 

I spooned the last of my gnocchi into my mouth, sensing the conversation between us had come to an end. 

The timing was never... 

Just like last - 

'But what about now?' 

We turned to Henry, who seemed to realise he had spoken those words aloud at the same time we did. 

***

After our plates were cleared and all that was left was half a bottle of wine and four glasses, Emily started to relax. And while I could tell her walls were still up, every so often she'd crack a smile at something stupid I'd say. 

Georgie kept giving me shit for staying away for so long, which I'd counter by saying my ego couldn't stand being so close to what one magazine described as Emily Margot's unbelievably dreamy brother. 

'It's hardly fair that you got to keep tabs on us,' he pointed out. 

I shrugged, 'I'm just a mere mortal looking up at the stars.' 

This time, Emily snorted. 

As the night stretched on, I learned Georgie was ghostwriting a book for a retired cricket player turned filmmaker. And if that went well, he might just write a book himself. He wasn't sure what it'd be about yet, but was tossing up between a serious crime thriller or a more cosy whodunnit. 

I voted for the latter, so did Henry. 

'Write it like every other character but the detective thinks they're living in a comedy.' 

Georgie laughed aloud. 'Of course you'd think of that.' 

'I think he might be on to something,' Henry commented. 

'You see,' I said to Georgie, while gesturing at his partner, 'he gets it.' But Georgie just rolled his eyes at me. 'How did the two of you meet anyway?' 

As I predicted, they met through work at an awards night for excellence in journalism. It took Henry a couple of wines to find the courage to walk up to Georgie at his table.  

'I knew who he was,' Henry explained, bright blue eyes twinkling. 'And admired his work. Meanwhile, he never even noticed me until I introduced myself to him.' 

Georgie made to protest, but I beat him to it. 'Don't worry, Henry. I know the feeling.' 

This time, Emily made a face. 'Oh, please.' 

I grinned. 'Emily, I literally fell for you.' 

She inhaled sharply, seemingly in a war against herself. I could tell by the way her lips kept wiggling, as if she was trying to figure out if she wanted to laugh or cuss at me. Potentially both. Probably both. 

In the end, she settled on a sigh. 

I met Georgie's gaze just in time to see the knowing smile in his eyes. 

'One last drink?' he asked, reaching for the bottle. Before any of us could answer, he began topping up our glasses. 

'Well, alright, you've twisted my arm,' I exclaimed with the theatrics of someone whose arm was most definitely not twisted.

Emily laughed, drawing my eyes to hers again and for a split second I saw what the past four years could've been like. 

Damn. 

'So,' Georgie said, raising his glass. 'What should we toast to?' 

'To friendship,' Henry offered, obviously jok - 

'To friendship,' Emily repeated. 

The three of us stared at her, but Emily was looking at me. Challenging me. 

I turned to Georgie, who rose his eyebrows as if to say 'ball's in your court'. And right on cue, a plan began to form - one that would probably end in my own tears, but I'd cross that bridge when I got there. 

'To friendship,' I cheered, and smiled more to myself when I saw the flash of surprise in Emily's eyes. 

Friends with Emily Margot? 

Not a chance in hell. 

N/A

Sorry this is so late! Work's been hectic :( But thank you so much for the continual support!!