Page 93 of Suddenly Beck

‘Hey,’ Jesse snaps. ‘He’s nothing like that selfish prick, and once you get over yourself, you’ll figure that out.’

‘Me?’ I snap, slamming the bottle down on the step next to me angrily. ‘I’m not the one with a secret fiancée. I’m not the one who’s leaving.’

‘Who said anything about leaving?’ Jesse replies in bewilderment.

‘He did.’ I shake my head, my thoughts a quagmire I can’t seem to wade through. ‘Or at least he did back when we first started this, it was only ever supposed to be a summer fling. It was always going to end, he was always going to leave and go back to his life, back to her.’

‘He’s not leaving,’ Ryan finally speaks.

‘What?’ I frown in confusion. ‘How would you know?’

I watch him draw in a deep breath. ‘Beck, Nat’s the one who saved Sully’s.’

‘What?’ Both Jesse and I turn to stare at him.

‘He’s the investor,’ Ryan says quietly. ‘There was no bank loan, it was Nat. He ploughed almost all his inheritance and savings into saving your dad’s restaurant, and it’s a huge financial risk for him. Sully’s is doing well but far from stable. He could still lose everything if it fails.’

‘How do you know that?’ Jesse frowns.

‘I overheard him talking to your mum.’

‘I don’t understand, why would he do that?’ I shake my head.

‘Because, you idiot, he’s in love with you.’ Ryan shakes his head. ‘You think he’d take such a risk if it wasn’t your family’s place?’

‘I don’t…’

‘Yes, you do understand,’ Ryan replies. ‘You just don’t want to. Nat is a good man, he’s kind and sweet and thoughtful, and hot as hell.’

I flash him an angry glare, and he grins.

‘He may have been engaged to a woman, he may have walked away, but I do know that he wouldn’t have done that lightly or without good reason, and you need to give him the chance to explain.’

My stomach sinks, and I know he’s right; I do know Nat, and he’d never intentionally hurt someone. A hot, hard ball of misery settles in my stomach, and I know I should’ve given him the chance to tell me the truth.

‘Oh, and by the way,’ Ryan adds. ‘Nat’s sister told me at his party that he’s put his flat in Chelsea on the market. He’s not going back to London, and he’s sure as hell not going back to some woman he clearly doesn’t want to be with. Beck, I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I’m telling you, the boy is all the way, head over heels in love with you. I’m pretty sure I can bet money on what Nat wants, so the question is what do you want?’

I reach into my pocket and pull out the small silver coin I’ve had since the night Nat passed out drunk on the beach. I turn it over in my fingers as the sunlight catches it and stare at the picture of Peter Rabbit.

The rabbit made me do it…

I think back over all the moments we’ve shared for the past couple of months, the way he’s looked at me, the way he’s touched me, how we’ve laughed together, how we’ve lain together, a sweaty tangle of naked limbs and shared breath. He’s been present the whole time. He’s given every single ounce of his focus, and he’s nothing like Mattia. He wasn’t trying to hide me or use me.

Everything happens for a reason…

‘Beck,’ Ryan sighs. ‘Nat isn’t going anywhere, so are you going to cut and run like you did with Mattia, or are you going to hear him out and fight for him?’

I hear Jesse’s phone ring and am vaguely aware when he wanders down the garden to answer it.

‘When did you get so smart?’ I look across at my best friend wryly.

Ryan grins and holds up one of his craft beers, on the label is a little illustration of a cave man, and the name of the beer is ‘Beer make man smart...’

‘Oh my god.’ I roll my eyes as I see Jesse striding back across the grass with a grim expression.

‘What is it?’ I ask.

‘It’s Nat,’ Jesse replies as he stares at me. ‘Mum called; his dad just showed up at the restaurant.’