AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Leah buttoned up the jacket, which fitted perfectly. She looked like a female James Bond, licensed to annoy. ‘They all had one thing in common.’
Matt frowned. ‘Which was?’
‘They were boring.’
‘No, they weren’t,’ he said, stung by the accusation.
Leah gave him an incredulous look. ‘Excuse me? They were dull and boring.’
He turned to his mum, expecting her to jump to his defence, but when nothing was forthcoming, he felt the need to defend his ex-girlfriends. Not just them, but himself, too. After all, he’d chosen to be with these women. What did that say about him? ‘Just because they were easy-going and nice, it didn’t make them dull.’
‘Until they left you.’
He baulked. ‘Thanks for that.’
Leah came over. ‘But that wasn’t your fault,’ she said, hugging him.
‘Miss, be careful with the jacket!’ the assistant scuttled over, wiping his brow as if serving the Hardy family was akin to dealing with the Capones. He took the jacket from her. ‘I think we’re done here. I’ll prepare the paperwork.’
Leah waited until he’d disappeared, before taking Matt’s hand. ‘For some inexplicable reason, you’re drawn to unexciting women. It’s probably something to do with you wanting a safe and quiet life, no dramas or scandal. Which let’s face it, is understandable, considering where our father currently is. But it’s never going to work.’
Matt frowned. ‘How do you figure that?’
‘Because you don’t behave naturally with them. You put on this act, like you’re this perfect polite gentleman who never wants to cause any fuss and who complies with whatever they want.’
He shifted in the chair. ‘That’s not true.’
‘Yes, it is.’ Leah’s eyes narrowed. ‘It was like you were always treading on eggshells around them.’
This was news to him. Why hadn’t anyone pointed this out at the time? Would he have listened? Probably not.
‘And we both know that’s not the real you.’ Leah glanced at their mum for confirmation. ‘When you’re with us, you behave very differently.’
He did? Again, something he hadn’t been aware of. ‘How so?’
‘You argue back, for a start.’ Leah nudged him in the ribs. ‘You tease us, you’re not afraid to disagree with us and you stand up for yourself. But you let Alison and Jenni walk all over you.’
This was an alarming insight into his past relationships, and something that was shocking to hear and difficult to compute. He rubbed his forehead, trying to recall how he’d behaved with Alison and Jenni. Perfectly normally, or so he’d thought. Maybe it had felt a little strained at times, like he was having to try all the time, but he’d assumed that was normal. Didn’t everyone have to make an effort to get a relationship to work?
‘There didn’t appear to be any passion, either,’ Leah said, making it sound almost as a question. ‘Which meant that when someone else came along who offered them that, they…’ She left the sentence hanging in the air.
‘Buggered off,’ he said, a wave of depression settling over him.
This really was turning out to be a crap Saturday. Shopping instead of rugby, too fat for clothes, and now an unwelcome insight into why he’d failed at every relationship he’d ever had. ‘Well, thanks for the free psychoanalysis, guys. Good to know I’m so flawed.’
‘You’re not, love.’ His mum grabbed his hand.
‘God, no.’ Leah hugged him harder. ‘As men go, you’re pretty damn near perfect. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. Just the women you date.’
He gave her a disbelieving look, or he tried to – it was hard to move with both women clinging on to him. ‘Is that supposed to make me feel better?’
‘You need someone who sees the real you,’ his mum said, her grip not letting up.
‘Yeah, like this Beth woman.’ Leah’s lips twitched with mischief. ‘You know it’s tradition for the best man and maid of honour to hook up, right?’
Matt gave her a wide-eyed look. ‘Not going to happen.’
‘You said it yourself. She’s hot and she gets on your nerves. It’s a winning combination.’
