Page 29 of Date Knight (Roll for Romance #2)

“That’s big,” Chloe said, “given all the travelling he did with his ex.” Jack and his ex had travelled full-time together for years, and that relationship had fucked him all the way up, to put it lightly.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m a bit worried about that,” Morgan admitted, a half frown appearing on her face.

“Not because I think it’ll be the same, but I’m just worried he’ll freak out if his precious independence feels threatened.

And given that we’ll be stuck in the car together for a month, we’ll be pretty codependent for a while. ”

Honestly, I would have thought the same thing after the mess that was his previous breakup, but I wasn’t worried. Anytime Jack wasn’t with Morgan, he only ever seemed anxious to get back to her.

“Well, that’s far from full-time travel,” I said, “but even then, you’re right. It wouldn’t be the same. I’m surprised he hasn’t asked you to move in yet so you can be attached at the hip constantly.”

“I know, right?” Chloe said. “He’s playing it very cool.”

“Tell me about it.” Morgan groaned. “I wish he would. Don’t get me wrong, you’re a great housemate, Fatima, but you’re just not as good in bed.”

Fatima laughed. “Maybe he’ll ask once you’re back from travelling and he sees how easy it is to live with you. But you realise you’ll need your licence if you’re gonna move to that cabin.”

“True,” Morgan sighed. “And I really don’t fancy learning to drive. But I’d still want it.”

“And that’s that on true love,” Chloe said. “Thank god he found you.”

“Hear, hear!” I said. “He’s had so much bad relationship baggage for so long, it’s nice to see him so happy.”

“I suppose you’re the queen of overcoming relationship baggage,” Chloe said, and it took me a moment to realise she was talking to me. I frowned.

“Wait, what? What’s that supposed to mean?” As far as I knew, Phil hadn’t had any long-term relationships to qualify as baggage.

Chloe shrugged. “Just that Phil’s been through the town’s population of eligible women twice over, and that must be hard.”

I didn’t know how to respond. No, it hadn’t been hard, but would it have been if we were actually together? Was it just the pretence of the relationship that kept it from being a problem?

“Everything going okay between you two?” Fatima asked.

“Yeah, great,” I said, but I wasn’t convinced myself. It was all starting to feel very… real. And intense.

If we’d actually been together, I suppose our relationship progress would have been ideal.

And maybe that was why I was feeling so confused: because it was progressing like an actual relationship, if a bit fast. But the truth of what it was kept undermining my feelings.

I wondered if he was feeling the same, or if he was keeping his emotional distance.

Then Morgan asked for an update on Ethel, and suddenly I had a lot more to say, both because I was grateful for a change of subject, and because I’d become way more involved with Ethel over the summer.

I told them about her physio updates, and the arthritis, and how she’d managed to remember the names of some of the crystals I’d given her, and the somewhat sad but ultimately hilarious attempt at a joke she’d made the day before, where she’d ended up calling Phil a bellend, and we still didn’t know what the punchline was supposed to be.

“See, that’s why he loves you,” Chloe said. “Ethel is the most important thing in the world to him, and you clearly care about her.”

I felt myself tense up just the slightest bit, and Chloe caught it instantly, her eyes going wide. “Holy shit, have you two not dropped the L-bomb?”

I tried to play it cool; I hadn’t expected the lore we’d made up about this to actually be needed. “Please, we’ve been together for like five minutes.”

“Uh, yeah, and you’ve been avoiding being together for like five years .”

“Don’t remind me,” I muttered. I wracked my brain for anything I could throw out to change the subject, but ultimately it was Morgan who saved my ass.

“Oh my god!” Morgan gasped, pointing at the hedge line several metres away.

We all snapped our heads to look, and I saw a tiny muntjac deer poking its head through the greenery.

It was rare to see them out so long before sunset, and we all froze to watch it as it snuffled around for a moment before darting out of view.

Morgan and Chloe turned the conversation to some rabbits they had at the local rescue, and I was relieved that the spotlight had moved off me. Eventually they started talking about rescheduling their girls’ day, and I was surprised when their revised plans seemed to include me by default.

I’d been so desperate for friends after moving home that I’d agreed to play Dungeons so much more than I’d ever had in Manchester.

Time with Ethel, my relationships with Morgan and Fatima and even Chloe…

I wasn’t sure I was willing to sacrifice any of it.

Phil and I were more than halfway to our breakup, and I didn’t feel confident anymore that we’d do it gracefully. So I promised myself then and there that I would be the one to bring it up, no matter how desperately I didn’t want to.