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“I think so. I’ve met some people, seen some of the area… I can drive myself to a couple of places without dying, so there’s that.” I laughed. “I guess I was fine until Ffion started this.”
“No kidding. She’s rather persistent about it, isn’t she? I wasn’t sure if she was joking or serious at first.”
“Oh, she’s serious about it.”
“Well, then I suppose we better figure this thing out.” Addy paused as our food was brought over and set on the table in front of us. “Thank you,” she said to the waitress, then turned back to me. “Is there any chance at all that you could be?”
“Of course,” I replied, reaching for my water. The shepherd’s pie I’d ordered smelt delicious, and we were both on water tonight.
We had given our word, after all.
Besides, it didn’t feel right to drink alcohol as long as Ffion was so certain.
Just in case.
Addy raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, not like that. I’m on the pill, aren’t I?” I said quietly. “But it doesn’t always work, so technically speaking, there’s a chance. What about you? It wouldn’t be the first time something has been wrong with one of us and the other has picked up on it.”
Adelaide snorted, moving a roast potato to the side. “First, I love that you just referred to a pregnancy as ‘something wrong’ with someone.”
I dipped my chin, fighting a laugh. “I didn’t mean it like that. Something different, then.”
She giggled. “I know what you meant. Technically, yes. There’s a chance for me, too. We’ve spoken about it, and next year is the idea, but I suppose if it happens, it happens.”
Well, yes.
There was that.
There wasn’t much one could do if it did happen. These things did tend to happen when they were ready, whether you were or not.
“I’m sure it’s not the case for either of us,” Adelaide said, turning her attention to her food. “I don’t feel any differently to say that mine is coming, and neither do you. You took a good test, it was negative, and those ones definitely pick it up early. Ffion is just having some wishful thinking, in my opinion.”
“Yes, that’s what I lean towards, too. Same with Matthew. He’s going to speak to his mum about it tonight, but I hope she doesn’t keep going on about it. I’m not sure I can take this month after month, or I have half a mind to get on with it, pop out a boy, and get out of here before she drives me insane.”
She laughed, digging through her roast. “How are things? With you and Matthew? Is it really weird?”
“Um…” Excellent question. “Not really,” I said slowly, using my fork to free the edges of the mashed potato from the little dish the shepherd’s pie was served in. Steam slowly rose up in little misty curls from the dish. “We get along well, and actually, most of the time we’ve spent together has been kind of work related.”
“Really?” She stabbed a carrot with her fork. “Aside from the obvious, all you do is work?”
“Mm, sort of.” I explained to her about The Heron and how I’d stepped in at the last minute, then the search for a property for the next one. “Ivan doesn’t like me much, but I managed to get the seller to bring the price down, so…” I shrugged.
“Sounds like you’re enjoying it.” Adelaide eyed me. “Are you sure it’s the work and not the guy you’re working with?”
“Adelaide. That’s not it at all.” That might have been part of it.
“Evangeline,” she replied. “I don’t know. I saw you both earlier. You’ve never acted that way around each other.”
“His mum thinks this is real. We have to be a real couple around them.” I scooped some of my food onto my fork and finally started eating.
“Mm.” Adelaide turned her attention to her food, and we spent the next few minutes eating in silence.
She wasn’t done, though.
The thing about being a twin was that you often knew your sibling better than you knew yourself, and I knew Adelaide was not done with me. She still had questions, and as she had the restraint of a hungry three-year-old in front of a biscuit tin, she was going to explode in approximately thirty seconds.
She put down her fork and looked at me. “I just don’t understand how you can act like you’re actually in a relationship and not feel a thing for him.”
There it was.
I drew in a deep breath and slowly sighed it out. “Did I say that?”
She hesitated. “I suppose not.”
“Look.” I rested my fork in the dish and leaned forwards. “Addy, if I think about things I may or may not feel, it’s going to end in disaster. I like Matthew. A lot. We get along well, I enjoy his company a great deal, and…” I trailed off.
