“No, Kat.” Her voice is kind but firm. “That is very much the point.”
I finally bring my gaze back to hers. “It doesn’t matter if I’m in love with him or whatever, becau—”
“Whoa!Love?”Grace jolts upright on her couch. “This is serious, Kat.”
A flush creeps up my neck. I stare down at my throw, picking at a loose thread. “I knew I shouldn’t have started this. I’m not made for relationships, and I have to accept that. I don’t know why I keep pretending otherwise.”
“I think you’re wrong about that. Archie is so into you. Noah said they talked for hours last night. He’s really hurt, Kat. Maybe you sh—”
“That doesn’t change anything,” I say quietly. My heart aches knowing he’s hurting because of me. “It’s not about feelings. It’s about facts. We don’t have a future together. You know it, I know it. And now, he knows it too. He just hasn’t accepted it yet.”
She gnaws at her bottom lip. “I’m not so sure, Kat. You don’t want kids, and maybe he’s the same. You should at least talk about it, or just give it a try and see where this goes.”
I scoff. “You’re not the one who’ll be completely devastated when he leaves me in a few years for someone who can—or wants to—give him a child. You don’t know what it feels like, but I do.”
She nods softly. “I get it, I really do. It’s just such a shame. I’d never seen you so happy before. And Archie too.”
My throat tightens. I don’t want to cry, but the pressure behind my eyes is unbearable.
“I just wish things were different,” she murmurs. “I wish this hadn’t happened to you.”
“Thanks,” I whisper. “But it did. And I have to accept that. I have to move on.”
Archie
How am I supposed to move on from this? Fromher?
Being with Katwas unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. We were compatible. It was easy. And honestly, we just clicked. I never had that with anyone else, and I’m convinced I’ll never find it again.
The worst part is that we ended things because of something that might happen some day, and that’s tough to swallow. I get where she’s coming from, and I hate that she’s been hurt so badly in the past—the last thing I want to do is cause her pain—but there’s no way we could know it would end up that way. I meant what I said. I’ve never even thought about having children. I don’t know if that’s normal or not. Do guys my age already know those things?
I like my life the way it is, and I’ve never made any plans about the future. Kids are fun, and I love hanging out with them, but they also come with loads of responsibility, and I don’t think I want that. I never even wanted a dog, even though I love pets, so maybe—
“What’s the craic with you, lad? You all right?” Finn’s voice cuts through my thoughts like a knife through butter.
I blink and look up. He’s standing there with one hand on his hip, eyeing me like I’ve just grown a second head.
The changing room is nearly empty now, though steam still clings to the tiles. I’m the last one here—still in my towel, slouched onthe bench, staring at the floor like it has all the answers.
Finn sits next to me. “It’s definitely not nothing. You’ve been weird for at least a week. Has something happened to your mum? Is it Kat?”
Just hearing her name twists something in my chest. I close my eyes, hoping the ache will finally dull.
“Did you two break up?”
“Yeah.” The word feels like splinters on my tongue.
He winces. “Why? You were great together.”
I swallow hard. “I know.”
“Well, what happened?”
I hesitate, since it’s not really my story to tell. What Kat confided in me, it was personal, deeply so. Then again, Finn’s been my best mate since we were kids. He’s earned the right to hear the truth, and maybe—just maybe—his perspective will help me see things differently.
“You can’t tell anyone,” I begin, fixing him in a firm look. “Not Fallon, not Cillian. No one. Swear it.”
He nods solemnly. “Of course. Want me to spit on it?” he adds, a small smile on his lips.
