Page 91 of Coming Up Roses
“Okay,” Olivia says, her expression barely flickering at my confession.
“Okay? That’s it? Why aren’t you freaking out?”
“I’m trying to work out whyyou’refreaking out. Was it really bad?”
“What? No. The opposite.”
“Are you worried she thinks you were bad?”
Oh god. Does Abi think it was bad?
No. I’m fairly certain she was fully in the moment, or moments as the case may be, and she had a good time. A really good time.
“Ew. Stop thinking about it while I’m sitting right here.”
“Ew? What’s ew about it?” I’m mortified. Horrified. Was it ew?
“You’re like my brother. I don’t need to know details about your sex life.”
Oh, thank fuck it’s only that.
“It wasn’t bad, Liv. It was definitely as far away from bad as you can get.”
“I still don’t understand why you’re freaking out.”
“Because … it was supposed to be one thing, and I’ve turned it into something else. Something it was never supposed to be.”
Her eyes widen. “Shit. This got involved didn’t it?” She pokes me hard in the chest, right above my heart. I give her a look, but don’t need to say anything else. “I’m not surprised.”
“You’re not?” I thought this would be a shock to her. But she’s taking it way too calmly.
Fuck. Maybe she has cameras in the office at the event centre. That would be very, very bad. So bad. I’m going to have to ask her and hope she doesn’t have too many questions.
Before I have a chance to fully panic about that, Olivia continues.
“You have so much love to give, it doesn’t surprise me that you fell for her. She’s pretty cool, a strong, badass woman and obviously gorgeous, so it all makes sense.”
“Nothing about this makes sense, least of all you being so calm about it. Does nothing faze you?”
She snorts. “Plenty of things faze me, but my friends being happy doesn’t. Am I supposed to be pissy that you two hooked up? If it doesn’t affect your jobs then I don’t care.” She points across the paddock to Dallas’s cottage. “Exhibit A.”
I lean towards her and rest my head on her shoulder, the contact familiar and so, so comforting.
“I want to get a dog,” I say. I really have zero tact or conversational skills today. “One of those puppies you showed us the other week.”
“Sounds good. I considered it, but I don’t think I’m ready.”
“That’s it?” I ask, lifting my head to look at her. “No jokes about my lack of responsibility?”
Olivia looks puzzled for a moment, then her expression clears, before quickly turning apologetic. “I’m sorry. We were just joking, but we should never have said what we did.”
I sigh and drop my head again, leaning into my best friend. “You were right though.”
“No, we weren’t. You have lots of responsibility. If you want more, just let me know. You can have some of mine.”
I snort. “You’d trust me with it?”
Olivia shifts away and I’m forced to sit up again, then she places a hand on my leg and drags it towards her, forcing me to twist in my seat so I’m facing her, our knees touching. She places her hands on my shoulders and leans in close.
