Poison - Jade West Page 0,116
now.”
I was surprised.
Surprised enough for the shock on my face to be seen, I’m sure.
Moose shuffled on the spot. “Won’t be any more glitches now though, will there, Lucas?”
I shook my head. “Absolutely not, Moose. I’m sure the system is well and truly fixed now. No more glitches to be had.”
“Good,” he said, and then he nodded his head at me. “Sure nice to have you back, boss. Keep up the happy, will you? It’s a whole load better than the sads.”
He was at the meeting room door when I called his name.
He turned to face me and I realised for the first time in a long time that I really did have true friends. I’d lost sight of just what they were over the years.
“Thanks, Moose,” I said. “It means a lot that you cleaned that up for me.”
He shrugged at that. “No biggie,” he said. “Can you just make it to quiz night next week please? Marketing team caned us last month and I want to come out with the trophy.”
I laughed out loud and gave him one hell of a smile.
“I’m damn well sure I can be there.”
Anna was looking incredible, head to toe in a cream dress suit when I met her outside her office that evening.
I leaned in to kiss her and she lingered for a few beautifully long seconds.
“Good day?” I asked, and she nodded.
“Very good day,” she said. “Got an invite from Mum and Dad for Sunday dinner over the next few weeks.”
“Nice,” I said, and took her hand as we set off on our walk to the car park. “You haven’t been to dinner at theirs for a few, have you? About time they started back up again.”
She stopped me in my tracks, and shook her head, and she was so alive. So fucking alive that it took my breath.
“No, no, no. I’ve got an invite from Mum and Dad for us to go to Sunday dinner,” she told me. “Both of us.”
Jesus Christ, it took me a second to digest it.
“You’re serious? Your parents have invited me for Sunday dinner?”
She nodded. “Yep, sure have. Took me quite by surprise as well.”
My smile was all genuine. “I’d be very honoured to accept the invitation.”
“I know,” she said. “I’ve already said we’d love to be there, just need to get it pencilled in. Can’t wait to get you suited and booted for the big event.”
My heart was already absolutely pounding at the thought. Jim and Terri must have absolutely despised me for a whole damn decade, and I didn’t blame them. I never would.
The very thought of them welcoming me across their threshold was quite surreal.
Anna pulled me back in my tracks again before we rounded the corner to the car park.
“Can we just take a detour?” she asked me. “I have a wish for the fountain…”
I looked at the sky, such a lovely day in spring. The clouds were pink and the air was warm, and the city was bustling just right with evening life.
“Sure, let’s go see Neptune,” I said.
I don’t know what her wish was that she made that evening. I just watched the usual addictive sparkle in her eyes as she pulled that coin from her purse, gripped it tight, then tossed it into the water.
She turned to me, just like always, and asked me the question, just like always.
“You going to make a wish today, Lucas?”
The words were right there, right on my tongue ready to flow, just like always.
The universe isn’t responsible for my road ahead, Anna. I am.
Only today those words didn’t come.
I surprised myself as I reached into my pocket and dug around for a coin.
Her eyes widened in shock as I held it up in front of her, and I loved it. I loved the gorgeous enthusiasm on her face.
I loved her so fucking much it hurt.
So, I wished.
I wished to the universe that Anna would one day be my wife, and Millie would love her almost as much as I did.
I wished that our road ahead would be long and blessed, and I’d be every scrap the man I’d intended to be for her before I fucked up the past decade.
I wished to be her world, and everything she ever deserved, and make right all the stupid wrongs I’d ever pushed on her.
“Made your wish?” she asked, and I nodded, and kissed her head.
“Made several of them actually,” I told her.
Then I tossed that coin into the water and took my beautiful Anna