Page 36

We stopped for a drink and Bo nodded, then wiped the sweat off his face with his shirt.

Fuck me, that man’s abs made everyone jealous.

“You’ve been working on that core strength, huh?”

He laughed. “Ollie started working out, too. I spend a lot of my free time in the gym these days. And he likes it.” A faint blush tinged his cheeks.

“Bet he does.” I nudged him with my elbow. “Need to look good for the wedding, too.”

They’d get married at the end of our training camp in Scotland so they could go on a little honeymoon afterwards.

“Right. We’re going to Scotland to get our wedding outfits sorted in two weeks.”

We jogged on.

“Are you nervous?”

“Oh, no. Maybe a bit when I think about having to make sure I don’t forget any lines I’m supposed to say, and I’m shit scared of losing the rings, but not of getting married. This is the man I want to spend my life with. I have no doubts.” He smiled ahead, and I felt genuinely happy for him. And somehow I thought of Jules, who had taken up residence in my heart over the past couple of weeks.

Would he be interested in coming to the wedding with me?

“You two belong together. Anyone can see that.”

“Right?” Bo beamed at me.

We talked a bit more about the wedding, my diagnosis, and how I was coping. I went home with a much lighter heart.

The week flew by, though. Quality time with one of my closest friends and knowing I’d be back with Jules on Saturday to spend the night again helped me pull through.

There was one thing I couldn’t deny or ignore. My feelings for Jules were getting out of control.

The more I tried to convince myself that we were “just friends”, the more my brain obsessed over him.

This is getting ridiculous, Nik! You have to tell him.

But what if he didn’t feel the same and wouldn’t want to see me any more? Jules was my favourite coping mechanism.

Jules and fidget toys.

I’d ordered a ton of those online and was a little addicted, especially to a rainbow-coloured foam chicken.

He needs to know. You know that he likes you.

“Nikolai!” he called out as he walked up the path to the arch taking long strides.

My heart rate sped up at the sight of him.

God, you beautiful thing.

Then Jules stopped in his tracks. He stared at me as if I was a snack on two legs and was about to dig in.

Without any mental capacity to go shopping, I’d grabbed a few things from our merch shop.

A crop top and shorts.

Well, it is hot.

Judging by the bit of drool that glistened on his lips, Jules thought so, too.