Page 120 of Brighter Together

“Thanks.”

Then she hands me mine.

There is a shortbread biscuit on the saucer.

I look at it.

“You haven’t had lunch,” she says.

“I had lunch.”

“Half a sandwich doesn’t count. Eat the biscuit.”

I glance at Alex.

He is deliberately studying us with a smirk on his face.

Bastard.

“I’ll eat it,” I tell her.

“Good.”

Ella gives me a small smile and leaves.

Nothing remotely inappropriate happened.

Which somehow makes Alex’s amusement even more annoying.

He waits until the door closes.

“You’re seeing her.”

It is not a question.

I sigh.

“Apparently I’m less subtle than I thought.”

“Only because I know you.”

That is probably true.

I lean back in my chair.

“Yes. We’re seeing each other. We have been since Manchester.”

Alex’s teasing disappears. “And it’s good?”

I think about Ella asleep against me. Ella laughing while I cook in her tiny kitchen. Ella dragging me away from my laptop because apparently nobody should answer work emails in bed.

These two weeks have been more than good.

“Very.”

Alex smiles. “Then I’m happy for you.”

Simple as that.