Page 41 of Try Hard

Eve leaned on the counter carefully, smiling at my mum. “You’re the best. I can’t believe how hard it’s coming down suddenly. But, don’t worry, I’m taking care not to wreck your house with the river I just brought in.”

Mum laughed and watched her warmly as she set the kettle on to boil.

It was ridiculous how much Eve—massive sporting celebrity, interior designer to the stars, woman who’d moved to another country to chase her dreams—fit in there, in my parents’ kitchen, chatting to my mum like they were old friends.

I didn’t think Eve had ever met a person she didn’t immediately click with, who she couldn’t dive into conversation with like they’d known each other for years.

My heart ached as I listened to Mum grilling her on the weather she’d experienced in the US, and Eve was so animated as she replied.

I’d never worried my parents wouldn’t like her. Even when I’d thought her reciprocating my feelings had been a pipe dream. Everyone liked Eve. She fit in everywhere.

I felt a twang like I’d let her down. Sure, her family liked me well enough, but I didn’t have the conversational ease she did. Even fully engaged, I could still be prickly in my responses. But I enjoyed her family and I wanted them to like me—not just because of how much I liked Eve.

Mum finished making tea for everyone and I pulled the cake out for her, Dad, and Jeremy.

She offered us some, but we’d both had Marnie-sized portions earlier and couldn’t eat another bite.

Marnie and Terrance were well matched for a lot of reasons but especially for how much they showed their love through food.

I got the feeling they’d get along with my parents.

“Have a good night,” three knowing, suggestive voices called after us as we headed upstairs with our mugs. I felt my face burn. They were all ridiculous.

And I would have a great night.

Eve was comfortable everywhere she went, including my former bedroom.

She followed easily after me to put her mug down and drop her bag in the corner of the room.

We’d taken our coats off downstairs, but before she could remove any of her other wet clothes, I fell into her arms. It felt like days that I’d been away from her.

I couldn’t remember ever feeling so complete around another person, so much like we understood each other with or without words, or more like I could just be myself around them. It made me ache when she was away, and ache in a completely different, deeply unfamiliar way when she was close.

She smelled like she always did—like Eve —combined with the rain, and it was perfect. The sound of it still hitting the window, fast and heavy, played at the edges of my awareness, every other part taken up by Eve—the scent of her, the play of her back muscles under my hands, the way she held me.

After a second, she breathed a gentle laugh. “I worked hard to keep you dry and now you’re getting drenched.”

“Worth it.”

She ran her hand ever so tenderly through my hair and down my back. “I’ll still hold you when we’re both dry, you know?”

Will you? The voice in my head that asked was desperate, more needy than I’d been for another person in a long time. “Just one more minute.”

She softened against me. “All the minutes you need.”

“Did I let you down tonight?”

“What? Ophelia, no. Not at all. You were perfect.”

I pressed my lips together sharply and nodded against her chest. I could hear the way her heart rate spiked at my question. I hadn’t meant to stress her out. “I’m glad.”

“You were worried? Why?”

I shrugged. “I’m not as… friendly as you are, not as chatty with people. My mum loved you within a second of you walking through the door. People aren’t like that with me.”

She laughed warmly. “I’m pretty sure my entire family was in love with you before tonight, and dinner only made it increase exponentially.”

“I don’t know if I want them all to be in love with me.

” My heart was pounding faster than Eve’s.

Relief that they actually liked me and a raging, desperate desire to have her love me swirled through me.

The latter was unbelievably familiar. It was more now, real and concrete in a way it hadn’t been when we were kids, but it had always been her.

Eve held me tighter, breathing a laugh into my hair. “Yeah, that’s fair. Soph is really enough.”

“You know,” I said, trying to walk back the emotion that had taken over my voice despite knowing she’d heard and understood it all, “I actually heard something very interesting from her tonight.”

“Marriage proposal?” Eve deadpanned, but I could feel her concern in the very real way she stiffened under my touch.

“Not that. Thankfully. No, she’s seeing someone.”

Eve kept her arms around me but she pulled us apart just enough to look at my face. “What?”

“Mm. Someone from her studio, apparently. I’d guess she’s pretty into them. She said she’s better than you because she’s actually asked them out and you haven’t asked me out, but she couldn’t quite seem to label what they were.”

Eve laughed again and rolled her eyes, pulling me back into her damp chest. “She has no idea. But I guess that was the reason she was being oddly… cagey the other day. It really was a date she was going on.”

“Seems like it.”

“I’d be upset that she hadn’t told me but I’m delighted she’s not competing for your affections.”

I laughed easily. “It was never a competition, Archer.”

“Even better. But I still like the reassurance.” She paused, sounding more confused when she continued. “Is it an open relationship? She was still flirting with you pretty heavily tonight.”

“Extremely heavily. But I have no idea. She simply said they know the deal and are cool with it. Also, I think she’s only really flirting with me to annoy you.”

“Ugh. Siblings, huh?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Well, we can be glad of that.”

“Indeed. I have no interest in sharing you with anyone, and that includes any fictional siblings who would definitely be vying for your attention.”

“You think so?” she asked, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

I pulled back to look up at her. “I know so.”