Page 56 of How To Not Need You

"Rude."

Nobody reacted. Apparently this happened often enough that an opinionated parrot had become just another member of the Rewrite Club.

At the other end of the table, Sophie and Elsie had somehow turned the conversation into a debate over whether Rebecca's behaviour qualified as "obviously suspicious" or merely "dramatically suspicious."

"There's a difference," Sophie insists.

"There absolutely is," Elsie agrees.

Harper looks up from her notebook. "Would either of you like to define the difference?"

Sophie considered it seriously. "No."

Noah had wisely decided not to participate at all. He sat beside Elsie quietly working his way through another shortbread biscuit.

I wasn't entirely convinced this group should ever be allowed to investigate anything.

Something brushed against my hand and I looked down to see that Liv's fingers had slipped between mine.

When I looked back up at her, she gave me the smallest smile.

"They're not like this all the time."

I glanced towards Luca and Ben.

The two of them were now standing beside the table, gesturing enthusiastically at the increasingly incomprehensible serviette while Harper looked moments away from confiscating it.

“I don't believe you. They've recruited Ben.”

Liv laughs. “Yeah. I think he fits in well.”

“That's what worries me.”

She turned towards me then and gave me a smile that sent my stomach somersaulting. “I think you fit in well too."

I lifted my free hand and tucked a loose red strand of hair behind her ear.

“I'm glad.”

Her eyebrows lift in confusion or maybe just surprise.

“They're important to you,” I say. “So they're important to me.”

Her eyes softened. "They are."

The words were barely louder than a whisper.

I didn't think about everyone else sitting around the room. I didn't think about the investigation. Or Rebecca. Or Matthew.

I lean over and kiss her.

She smiles against my mouth.

Then someone fucking whoops.

"ABOUT BLOODY TIME!" Ben announced.

Luca clutched dramatically at his chest. "I've never been so emotionally fulfilled by someone else's relationship."