Page 25 of How To Not Need You

I look up. "Really?"

She grins. "Don't let it go to your head, handsome."

I swear my brain completely disconnects from the rest of my body.

"Right." Brilliant response, Jake. I shove my phone into my pocket before I can embarrass myself any further.

"I'll…” I point vaguely towards the door. “Go."

"Probably for the best."

I nod. Take two steps. Then pause and turn back. "See you around, Liv."

She smiles. "I certainly hope so."

As I leave, I catch Luca watching from behind the counter. He sees me, winks, and then makes a show of polishing a coffee cup, like he wasn’t just navigating my life earlier. I somehow make it out the front door without walking into the glass.

Small victories.

Outside, the air is cold and bright. The truck is gone, because apparently Ben’s support for my love life does not extend to waiting around for me.

I shove my hands in my pockets and start walking back to the station with a stupid smile on my face.

Chapter

Five

Liv

It’s Thursday evening and I’m exactly where I like to be.

Cross-legged on my bed, laptop open, tablet balanced against my knee and colour swatches spread across the duvet like I’m planning some kind of soft-furnishing heist. My thumb ring clicks against the keyboard as I type out an email I should have sent yesterday.

No interruptions. No five-year-olds. No handsome firefighters. No well-meaning friends trying to rewrite my emotional roadmap.

Then my phone starts buzzing.

At first I ignore it. But it just keeps buzzing. The screen lights up, casting blue shadows across my pillows.

I sigh, set the laptop aside, and pick it up.

And then I stare in shock.

Because my phone is not buzzing because of a client. Or Harper. Or Luca with some new emergency that almost certainly isn’t one.

My phone is buzzing because Tilly has apparently commandeered her father’s phone, found my contact and decided that I am now the recipient of what can only be described as a full-scale emotional assault. I scroll through the messages.

The first one: Liv! It’s Tilly!

Followed by three heart emojis. Two smiley faces. A star. A cat wearing sunglasses. A rainbow.

Then: Skool art fundruser tomorw

Spelled exactly that way. I feel my lips twitch before I can stop them.

We need helpers

I told my teacher you are coming