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“But you two are in love with each other and…how can I stand in the way of two of my favorite people being happy.”
“Lucas…” I trail off, hearing where he’s going with this train of thought.
“This is what you want, right? To be with him?”
I nod. “Yeah, Lucas I do. But I want us to be okay too.” I bite my bottom lip to try and stop the tears from coming. “Is it selfish of me to want both?”
He shakes his head. “It doesn’t make you selfish but it might always be weird for me on some level? Weird between us? I mean like, it’s mydadandyou.” He leans back in his chair and puts his hands over his face. “I feel like I lost both of my best friends to each other.” He laughs and I hadn’t thought of it like that. I hadn’t thought that maybe it wasn’t all about his feelings for me but how much this changed the dynamic between the three of us and the eight years of history we had. How keeping a secret from him when he trusted us both altered our relationships. “But I want you to be happy, Avery.”
Tears well in my eyes. “I want you to be happy too.”
“I will be.” He puts his hand over mine. “Gonna be kind of weird seeing you like a stepmom though.” He cocks his head to the side.
“How about I’m just your best friend and also your Dad’s girlfriend and we don’t have to go further into detail on what that means.”
He moves his head back and forth like he’s thinking it over. “Maybe eventually.”
“I’m really sorry that I hurt you,” I whisper. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t… be what you wanted.”
“You don’t need to apologize for that.” He shrugs. “And I swear… I haven’t had those feelings in years.”
“Have you talked to your dad?” I ask.
“No, I’m going to go there next. I just took the train down this morning.” He stands up and pulls me into a hug and presses a kiss to my forehead like he’s done a million times before. He pulls back and makes his way to the door, with the muffin in one hand and the coffee in the other. “I’m going to be in town for the weekend. I think Rory is going to come down tomorrow, maybe we can all get a drink? Like old times?” He shrugs. “You can bring your new boyfriend.” He smiles and I laugh even as emotion builds in my throat that maybe everything is going to be okay.
“You’re the best, you know that?”
“Yeah, I know…it’s kind of the worst,” he jokes before he’s out the door.
That night, the three of us and Raegan and Wes are at Theo’s house for dinner when Lucas speaks up. “So, how’d Camille and Shawn take it?” Lucas says as he takes a bite of the steak Theo had prepared.
Theo and I exchange a glance. “Well…”
Lucas’ eyes widen. “Holy shit, they don’t know?”
“My mom does!” I say and Lucas’ mouth drops open.
“Oh, shiiiiit. Please. You both owe me. Just let me be there when you tell Shawn.” He puts his hands together like he’s praying.
Raegan giggles and shoots me a look. “You do kind of owe him.”
“You’re absolutely not helping,” Theo interjects as he glares at her.
“I’ve helped a lot, thank you very much,” she says with a snap of her fingers. “Besides, this is not why we’re here. We’re here to talk about wedding things.” She points back and forth between her and Wes. “This is the whole reason you’re home,” she says to Lucas as she smacks his arm. “Tuxedos. Tomorrow. All three of you. Ten a.m.”
“Yes, I know,” Theo says like he’s heard this a hundred times, and based on how Raegan has been in wedding planning mode, I don’t doubt it.
“Do Avery and I need to come?” She says and Wes presses a kiss to her temple.
“Baby, we got it,” he tells her and she puckers her lips for him to kiss her lips which he does instantly.
“But no seriously, when are you going to tell Avery’s dad? And can I be there? For moral support of course,” Lucas asks again.
Raegan laughs. “Yeah right, you just want to stir the pot.”
“I mean, I think Shawn will love it. He doesn’t have to worry about not having anything in common with his daughter’s boyfriend. I mean you golf with him twice a month!” He claps. “I think it’s great! You think he’ll call you son?”
Raegan and Wes chuckle quietly and I roll my eyes at all three of them. “I am glad you’re all so amused!”
