Page 78 of How We Began

Twenty minutes later we sauntered into what has effectively become our local hangout since the Lilah McCannon personal reserve bank closed its doors. Meredith was already there and even through the dim hazy lighting of Digby Student Union Bar I could see what the big news was.

Sitting on her ring finger was the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen. I stopped dead in my tracks and Ben pulled to a stop by my side, looking at me and then at them.

“Oh.”

I slid my hand into his and we walked over the sticky floor to meet them. The entire way I wracked my brains trying to think of what the hell to say.

Meredith cracked up laughing like a hyena sporting some serious bling. “You should see your faces.”

Tristan was at the bar getting what looked to be a bottle of champagne. I glanced over at Trev the barman.

“Since when did you start selling the good stuff?” I asked.

“Just call me an old romantic,” he replied with a chuckle, handing us some terrible wine glasses.

The Student Union Bar is not known for its wine cellar.

Tristan turned towards us beaming like a bloody idiot. “So anyway,” he said as he weaved around empty tables to get to us, “yesterday after all that stuff. . .”

He didn’t need to tell us what, Ben and I both winced automatically when we thought of what they were doing yesterday.

“. . . I asked Meredith if she would marry me.”

He read my expression, which I am ashamed to say was a little shocked. I don’t know why. A few days ago I thought they were going to have a baby together. This was nowhere near as BIG as that.

“After she finishes Uni— Jeez, Lilah! Take a chill pill, Anyway, Meredith has very generously agreed to spend the rest of her life with me.”

The look on his face melted my heart completely and my eyes stung so I had to blink super-fast in the hope of not crying with sudden tears.

Meredith stood up to hug me, which I returned as tight as I could, squeezing the life out of her with my arms.

“It’s okay, Lil, I know I’m young,” she whispered. “We aren’t rushing down the aisle now. It’s just after what we have been through, we know we always want to be together and this is just to cement that between us.”

As she finished speaking, she wiggled the iceberg under my nose. It was very pretty but somewhat large for my taste.

“Guys, if you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

I gave my brother a massive hug and then squeezed Meredith one more time for good measure. She really deserved it. She’s going to put up with Tristan forever.

Ben just stood there watching this all play out until Tristan gave him a confused glance which seemed to wake him up and into action. Ben gave his head a shake, as if to clear whatever thoughts he was having and stepped forward to taking his glass of bubbled. “Congratulations, guys.” He clinked his glass against Tristan’s and Mer’s and then downed his wine. “I’m going for a cigarette.”

We watched as he strode long legged from the bar.

Bit weird.

Giving the others a shrug, I turned and followed him out.

I found him under a large tree in the middle of the green, near the lake. Leaning against the bark he was punishing a cigarette. I stepped closer, raising my hand to brush his cheek, fingers grazing his skin.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as I ran a finger along the arch of his eyebrow.

“I’m pissed off.”

Yep, not one to mince words.

“I see that, but why?”

He just stared, the blues drilling into my confused gaze. It made me shift uncomfortably.