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My sister kept to her word, even buying the round of drinks when she learned they were out in celebration. She got her intro and ducked out.

“It’s really hard to think she’s the same Ha-yun we’ve been hearing about for decades,” my best mate, Matt, muttered after she was gone about five minutes so no chance she could overhear him.

I bobbed my head and flagged our server. “I hear my siblings are really nice people. They have a lot of friends and are genuinely liked—especially in the pack.” I swallowed loudly before finishing off my whiskey. “That’s just not what I know of them. Tonight was the first time she said anything nice to me or wanted…” I shook my head and ordered shots from the server.

I already had enough to sulk about. I didn’t need more or to go looking for more.

“I barely get to see you tossers and you should celebrate,” I said when they told me to unload what was going on.

“You’ve done the same for us,” my other friend, Russ, told me. “And we’re here to celebrate my success and that I’ve made it big enough your sister wants to talk to me professionally. So let me crash at your nice flat when I need a break from London and we’ll call it even.”

“Always,” I agreed, patting his back.

So I told them. All about the new job and how Mandy showed up—how she behaved and how that all blew up.

“I knew there was a bird,” one of my mates said with a cackle when I started to tell them about Ellie. “How is she? It good between you, yeah?”

I blew out air between my lips and took another shot. “Mate, it’s like—it doesn’t even fit the normal scale. And when she feeds from me it’s like my mind and soul—mywolfare at a new level.”

“Really? I’ve always been—I’m not food,” one of my other friends muttered.

“It’s not like that,” I said, a few of my mates echoing me. He seemed to accept that and I moved on, telling them the rest.

“So what’s the problem? She’s awesome and finally got that twat out of your life forever,” Matt asked. “I love her already.”

I let out a heavy sigh. “I feel like I might be going down the same path—history repeating itself. She didn’t tell me she was a doctor? What else is keeping and—”

“No, no, no, no,” Russ interrupted. “Nothing but love for ya, mate, but ya way off base on this one.”

“I know but I don’t, and it’s all just anxiety,” I mumbled, rubbing my chest.

“Mandylied, as in told you bullshit to your face when you were too young to sense it or just too in love,” he told me firmly. “Sky was purple, night was day. This bird—lady didn’t tell youyet. You’re not official, and clearly she’s had shite with her beinga doctor in the past in her current role. If youaskedher if she was a doctor and she said no—that’s a lie.

“This isn’t even hiding she’s talking to her git ex-lover keeping things from you. This is too new knowing each other and the information didn’t come up. If she was doing shite in the operating room or trauma bays during the disaster and hid it—that’s lying. She’s clearly a bird who’s been damaged. You know how that feels and thecareneeded. She’snotMandy.”

“I agree,” Matt and the others said, basically repeating what Russ said but in different ways with good examples as well.

“I hear you,” I accepted and rubbed my chest. “I just…”

“You’re falling hard,” Matt chuckled, nodding when I blinked at him. I saw the others nodding as well. “Oh, come off it, mate. You’re so into this lady that you’ve got hearts around ya. That’s the anxiety and worry. The only other woman you ever got lost in like that was Mandy. But you were—we were stupid nippers.

“I didn’t see her shite either and I thought she was a bitch.” He shrugged when I did a double take. “I never liked her and not for you. But I never saw the lies. We were duffers.” He reached over and patted my shoulder. “Now we’re not. You know this is different. Fine, that wasn’t how you should have heard it, but she was in deep shite.

“You take a breath—like a smart bloke and you have—and then go apologize for taking the time. That you wanted to make sure your head was on straight with all the stress you’re both under and she’s too important to make mistakes with. Even take the week and settle better into your life and your routine. See whatyouneed and then go back to her and explain.”

It was maybe the best advice he’d ever given me and that was saying a lot since he was my attorney.

“Though I’m still gonna kick your arse for signing a contract without letting me have at it first,” he added with a bit of a hiccup.

It made me realize we were all pretty hammered. I texted my father asking for the driver to take them all home because they’d been good mates and helped me sort out my head through too many shots.

Then I remembered what he’d said. “The starting contract is the starting contract at ASH.” I held up my hand to hold him off. “But yes, I should have let you check it. The situation was crazy and I jumped at the chance since I always wanted it.”

“Fine, let me see it now. There could be some wording we could change or—just let me see it and stop making me worry, git.”

“I promise. I’ll email it to you the moment I sober up.” I pulled him close and kissed his hair, laughing when he smacked me away. I should have still given it over to him when he handled so much for me.

Thirty minutes later, Da walked in and looked amused.