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Lucy.
I hurry to the kitchen and push through the door, and the first thing I see is Winston, collapsed in his bed looking royally pissed off. Then I find Lucy slumped over the table, still in her daring pink playsuit. Her head is in her hands, and Becker is leaning against the worktop in a pair of grey jersey shorts, arms folded over his bare chest. His hair is a wild sexy mess, his glasses in place. Beyond my awe, I find space to be worried. Because although I can’t see Lucy’s face, it’s obvious that she’s distraught, and Becker looks less than sympathetic.
I glare at him and mouth, what have you said?
He shrugs. ‘I just gave her a recap on last night.’
I jump when Lucy lets out a hysterical wail, flinging her head back. She exposes a face that should be kept from public view until it’s washed. Bits of sticky hair are protruding haphazardly from her head, some stuck to her face, her eye make-up is smudged over most of her cheeks, and her red lipstick is all over her chin. She looks horrific.
‘Oh my God,’ she cries. ‘I’m such a—’
‘Twat?’ I suggest softly. This girl caused more stress in one night than most women can in their entire life.
‘That’s a bit harsh, Miss Cole,’ Becker pipes up, flipping me a wink. He’s got a nerve. I know he mentally called her harsher things last night.
‘Yeah,’ Lucy joins in, clearly thinking she has backup. She hasn’t.
‘He was being sarcastic.’
‘Oh.’
‘Who says?’ Becker does an amazing job of looking insulted. ‘We’ve all done something stupid when we’re in love.’ His sturdy shoulders jump up, his bottom lip juts out, and I give him an epic eyeroll.
‘Who said I’m in love?’ Lucy throws Becker a filthy look. ‘Eleanor’s the one who’s fallen.’
His bark of laughter makes Lucy jump. His reaction is warranted. Stupid girl. ‘Give me a break, woman.’ He turns away from us and pulls the fridge open, exposing his back to the room, and, subsequently, to Lucy. I watch on a smile when her jaw goes slack, her eyes roaming the beauty of his tattoo. ‘I hate to break it to you,’ Becker goes on, grabbing something from the shelf before closing the fridge and turning back to face us. He has an apple in his hand. The forbidden fruit for the forbidden man. ‘But even I can see what’s going on here.’ He takes a huge bite from the flesh and chews slowly, holding it up in an indication that he hasn’t finished. I lose my ability to stand on steady legs, so hurry across to the table and take a seat next to Lucy, intrigued by what he’s going to say. He swallows, and I swear I hear Lucy hold back a cough. ‘And I’m a novice at all this love shit.’ He nods and takes his apple back to his lush lips.
‘You don’t do too bad,’ I tell him, watching as the fruit pauses at his mouth.
He grins behind it. ‘Thank you, princess.’ He rips another chuck away and proceeds to chew with his grin still fixed firmly on his beautiful face, looking rather proud of himself.
I look at Lucy when I feel her arm brush against mine, finding her fidgeting in her chair. ‘Magnificent,’ I whisper, knocking her with my elbow.
She gives me an exasperated look, shaking her head.
‘Trust me,’ Becker says around his chews, and we both look across to him – me cool, Lucy still fidgeting. I’m used to his lethal naked presence by now . . . kind of. Not really. But Lucy definitely isn’t. She’s purposely darting her eyes all over the kitchen to avoid looking at him. Becker points his apple at her. ‘I’ve run faster and farther from women who’ve acted less crazy than you.’
‘I was drunk,’ she grunts while I grin from ear-to-ear.
‘They all say that,’ Becker says around his laugh.
‘Thanks.’ My friend rests her arms on the table and lets her head fall into them with a thud.
‘Welcome,’ Becker chirps, chest puffing out on a smile that tells me he thinks he’s done good. I’ve just fallen in love with him all over again. My insensitive, clueless, crooked sinner is giving my best friend advice on relationships. Albeit crap advice.
‘Be quiet now,’ Lucy says, sitting up and trying to comb through her knotted mane with her fingers.
‘Why?’ Becker asks, hurt. ‘I’m just getting started.’
‘Because I might fall in love with you, too.’
I laugh loudly, receiving a surprised look from Becker and a sideways grin from Lucy. It takes Becker a few seconds to catch up. Then he shakes his head in dismay and throws his apple across the kitchen. It lands in the bin with accuracy. ‘So,’ he says, squaring confident shoulders as he moseys over, peeking down at his bare feet casually. I narrow cautious eyes on him, and when he arrives at the table, both Lucy and I follow his cool face down as he bends, resting his elbows on the table before us. ‘My princess told you that she’s in love with me?’
