Always and Only You

Chapter Seventy-Two

CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO

Five years ago

He goes out for a run, and afterwards he doesn’t go back to the house. How can he? How can he stand seeing them, especially after what might have been their first night together? And what the feck is Simon playing at? This was not the plan. This was not the plan at all.

But then he can hardly blame anyone but himself. It was his own stupid fault for not being honest from the get-go. As they say … the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and he’s created his own private purgatory. He has no idea how long it will last, how long they will stay an item, especially when Erin returns to yachting. When it comes to romantic entanglements, Simon prefers variety rather than longevity.

After his run he sits in a café for a couple of hours, and then he goes to the library, even though he hasn’t got a pen or a notebook. He spends longer than he could have thought possible browsing the section on computers and technology, especially as many of the books are hopelessly out of date.

When he can put it off no longer, he returns home, sliding his key gently into the lock and opening it slowly, hoping no one will hear him. He hides in his bedroom but eventually he has to use the bathroom, which is on the ground floor beyond the kitchen. As he passes through, he finds Simon whistling, one hand on the open fridge door as he stares inside.

When Si hears him, he turns and grins at him. ‘Morning.’

He and Simon have had their share of disagreements, but they’ve never actually fought about anything, not properly. However, at this very moment, Gil wants to punch his friend so hard he’ll be feeling it until Christmas. ‘So I take last night didn’t exactly go as planned,’ he says, and he’s surprised how even his tone is, how normal.

Simon raises his eyebrows.

‘I bumped into Erin when she came downstairs to get a glass of water.’

Si gives a sheepish chuckle and looks away.

‘I thought you weren’t interested.’ There’s an edge to his voice now, but Simon doesn’t seem to notice.

‘I wasn’t. At least, I wasn’t until last night.’ Simon closes the fridge and turns to lean against the kitchen counter. ‘But I didn’t want to dump her in a public place over dinner, so we started talking and I remembered what a great girl she is. I have no idea why I let myself forget that!’

As he laughs at himself, Gil frowns.

‘And she is really into me. Like, completely besotted. It’s hard for a guy not to get swept up by that, if you know what I mean?’

Gil nods tersely. He knows exactly how easy it is to get swept up in Erin Ross. ‘So what happens next?’ He holds his breath. As much as he hates himself for it, he hopes Simon is going to say this is a one-night stand, that now he’s satisfied his curiosity he’ll move on to pastures new when Erin goes back to her superyacht.

Simon shrugs. ‘Maybe it’s time I got serious with someone, and if I’m going to get serious, it might as well be with someone like Erin.’

It feels as if all the blood rushes from Gil’s body in a downward motion, leaving him chilled to the bone.

Simon walks over and gives him a one-armed hug. ‘And it seems I might have you to thank for this chance. Erin was talking about messages …’

Oh, God.

‘And I know you said you answered her a couple of times when I first gave you my phone. I don’t know what you said, mate, but it has earned me serious brownie points!’

Gil thinks he might be about to vomit as Simon claps him on the back.

‘Thanks for keeping her warm for me. You’re the best friend a guy could have.’