After they’d finished dessert, they ordered coffees, and Wyatt sat back in his seat, relaxed and full. He was surprised at how relaxed he felt considering that Edith was sitting across the table from him and decided to take it as a positive. He’d lapsed into teasing her earlier — in the way he used to do — about what and where she’d studied, and after he’d done it, he’d wondered why. If he’d admitted to Finn that he’d attended the same university as Edith and that they’d studied the same course at the same time, that would have raised even more questions. Things could have become quite awkward. And yet he’d done it.
Why?
Had it been down to a part of his subconscious that longed to be exposed as Edith’s former love? It had been over a decade since they’d parted, but they had a shared history.
Was it, then, because he’d wanted everyone to know so he could allow himself to admit it too? After all, his past with her wasn’t something he was ashamed of.Not. At. All.He’d always beenproud to be by her side. In fact, he had adored her. But then, he’d returned home and… Well, that was best left in the past now.
Seeing Edith had brought so much back, and he suspected some part of him wanted to admit that she had once loved him as much as he’d loved her. Look at her now, for goodness’ sake! She was stunning, successful and confident. She was an incredible human being. He was so proud of her for building the wedding-planning business she’d always dreamt about. She had followed her heart and succeeded, and that only confirmed for him what an exceptional person she was.
‘Right then…’ Titus snapped Wyatt from his thoughts. ‘I have something I would like to ask a certain someone.’ He winked at Finn and then turned to Wyatt.
‘Me?’ Wyatt asked, taken aback.
‘Yes, indeed.’
‘Okaaaay.’ He turned in his chair so he was facing Titus.
‘First, I’d like to give you all some background about how Wyatt and I know each other,’ Titus said. ‘About seven years ago, I was out in New York working at a wellness retreat as a guest practitioner. I was there to develop my skills and knowledge and to network. Having some time in New York was a major bonus, and I certainly made the most of that time. Anyway… while I was out there, I developed a client base, and Wyatt was one of my clients.’
‘It’s true,’ he agreed.
‘The first time I saw Wyatt, I was worried.’ Titus frowned at the memory. ‘He came in terribly burnt out and stressed.’
Wyatt glanced up and found Edith watching him, concern etched across her beautiful features. He wouldn’t have shared this with her, but his friend was doing it, and so he had to sit there and breathe through it all.
‘I worked with him for a few months, and we got the knots out of his shoulders, the tension out of his lower back and eased the restlessness in his legs.’
Wyatt nodded slowly. He had been in a state, and it was only after Titus had worked on him that he realised how much tension he’d been experiencing.
‘This man had been carrying around a great weight, both emotionally and physically, and he came to see me at the right time. We got to know each other quite well, and became friends. When I left New York to return to the UK, I was sad to leave him behind, but we have stayed in touch ever since. We are, I’m proud to say, the very best of friends.’
Wyatt looked up at Titus, something tingling in his throat. ‘I… I’d like to agree with that. You’ve been there for me over the years, and I’m proud to call you my friend too.’
Titus leant over and wrapped an arm around Wyatt’s shoulders and hugged him. Some men found it hard to show affection for their male friends, but Titus was very tactile. Wyatt had often struggled to express his emotions, and he found it comforting being around Titus. He felt safe and happy around him and that he could be himself. He’d told him some things about his life that he hadn’t shared with anyone else. Not everything, of course, and not anything about Edith (because that had been too hard to speak about with anyone), but enough that they understood each other as human beings.
‘In a totally unromantic way, lol, Wyatt and I connected. Over the years, he’s been there for me too, and having a friend in New York that I could stay with whenever I wanted a place to crash has been fantastic. I care a lot about this guy.’ Titus beamed at them all. ‘And that is why… When Finn proposed to me, I knew I could only ask one man to be my veryBEST MAN!’
The table gasped, and Wyatt’s eyes locked on Edith. She was sitting up, stiff as a board, her eyes wide, and her mouth open. She looked like she’d had an electric shock, and it hit him then exactly what this would mean for her.
‘Well?’ Titus squeezed Wyatt’s shoulder. ‘What do you say?’
‘I…’ He glanced at Edith, but she was staring at her lap.
‘Please say you’ll do it. There’s no one else I’d rather have by my side as I say I do to the man I love.’
‘Of course I’ll do it!’ Wyatt swallowed hard, then stood up and hugged Titus. ‘I’m honoured that you’ve asked me.’ His eyes stung and he blinked rapidly as his friend whispered words of gratitude into his ear.
When Titus released him, Finn hugged him too, and then Wyatt waved the server over and ordered another bottle of champagne.
As they raised their glasses, and Titus made a toast, Wyatt saw with dismay that Edith’s eyes were filled with apprehension. She reminded him of a photo he’d seen of a rescue dog sitting in a shelter after its owner had abandoned it. For her, of course, this meant that she’d have to see him again, and clearly that did not sit well. He’d thought leaving was the only way to keep her safe from the chaos waiting for him back home. He knew he’d hurt and confused her, but he had done it for the best. In fact, whenhe’d left, his own heart had been in shreds, and he’d tried to work out how to make everything better.
But time and distance had grown between them, and soon it had been easier to let things drift. After all, he’d had a life in New York that he hadn’t wanted her to be part of. Not because he didn’t wantherbut because he didn’t want to inflict it upon her. When he was in the UK, he could put that life to one side, if only for a while, but when he was back in the US, it was impossible to ignore.
And so, Wyatt had done the best thing for Edith and let her go.And look at her now!She was successful, beautiful as ever, and happy. Surely that was evidence that he had done the right thing for her, even if it had been the hardest thing he’d ever done in his life.
Now he would do whatever he could to make this easier for her because he couldn’t turn this offer down. Seeing his former lover regularly wouldn’t be easy for him either. But as he sipped his champagne and listened to Titus and Finn chatting about how they couldn’t wait for their big day, Wyatt felt a tingle of excitement spreading through him too. The joy Finn and Titus shared was infectious, and he wanted to be part of it.
Knowing that Edith would be involved in the planning and preparation, as well as the actual day itself, made his chest tighten with a familiar, undeniable longing. He’d thought about this woman every day for the past ten years. Seeing her again, finally, was better than he could have imagined because he knew now that he had done the right thing back then. He could finally let go of some the guilt and simply enjoy seeing how well her life had turned out. There was one thing he knew for absolute certain — she deserved the very best, and he’d try to ensure that she had it. Even if that meant keeping his distance again.
