Page 113 of Nineteen Letters

“I know you wouldn’t.”

She smiles before continuing. “She told me they’ve been secretly hooking up for years. Did you know that?”

“Until Lucas’s confession, I had no idea.”

“Things got serious between them after our engagement party.”

My eyebrows jump in surprise. “It’s been going on that long?”

“Yes. He spent the night at her hotel, and when he drove her to the airport the next day, he asked if he could call her sometimes. She said that at first, he didn’t call often, but over time, the calls became more frequent. They’d talk for hours. They made a pact not to tell us.”

“Why?”

“She said we were always trying to set them up, and they were just having fun.”

“We were,” I chuckle. “They always got on so well.”

“Anyway, to cut a long story short, after our wedding, he took her back to his place. That night, he told her he loved her, and she told him she loved him too. He begged her not to go back to New York.”

“That wouldn’t have gone down well—she loves that job.”

“I know. She said at the time she panicked. She waited until he fell asleep and snuck out.”

“Ouch!”

“He turned up at the airport the next day, and she told him she wasn’t prepared to give up her job. And he told her he wasn’t interested in a long-distance relationship. They got into a big fight, and haven’t spoken since.”

Sitting back in my chair, I ponder her words as I take a swig of my beer. “It all makes sense now.”

“We need to do something, Braxton. If they love each other, they shouldn’t be apart.”

I try not to show how much her comment stings.Welove each other too, but we’re apart. Well, I love her; she just doesn’t remember that she loves me just as much.

“I’m not sure if there’s anything we can do.”

“We need to get them to talk. I felt for her this morning.”

“I feel for Lucas as well, but I don’t know how we can fix this when she’s on the other side of the world.”

“That’s the thing: she told me she’s thinking of quitting her job and moving back to Australia.”

I certainly wasn’t expecting her to say that. “Well, I guess that changes everything.”

“I should think about getting this roast in the oven,” Jemma says as she rinses the lunch dishes and passes them to me to stack in the dishwasher. “Christine said the meat takes about three hours to cook.”

“That sounds about right. I’ll help you with the prep when we’re done here. I’m an expert potato peeler.”

“Is that so?” she says, laughing. “You’re a man of many talents.”

Once upon a time, I would have thrown her over my shoulder and carried her upstairs to show her just how talented I am, but those days are long gone.

It’s funny, because when we were younger, I was content with being friends, but now I’m not sure I will ever adjust to being just that—not after everything we’ve shared. I’m trying, I am, but the closer we become, the harder it gets to keep things platonic.

I switch on the oven while she grabs everything from the fridge. This is only her second time in the house since the accident, but she already seems at home.

She sets the timer once the roast is in the oven, before we head outside to take the dog for a walk along the beach.

“She seems to love living here with you,” Jemma says as I pick up the stick Bella-Rose drops at my feet.