I didn’t say anything.

“And I will admit that I did deliberately flirt with him a few days ago when we saw you in the garden centre,” she continued. “It really didn’t take me long to realise that it was a fruitless endeavour and a complete and utter waste of my very precious time.”

I went to say something when she held up one finger.

“It was pointless, Gabi, because I’m quite sure I could have thrown myself on top of him in nothing but nipple tassels and a suspender belt, and you would have been the only woman in the room as far as he was concerned.”

“I don’t understand,” I said quietly.

“He likes you,” Adelaide explained. “He was nothing but perfectly polite to us, yet he teased you like you’ve been friends your whole life. And, I don’t know. There was something in the way he looked at you.”

I looked between them, then shook my head. “No, there’s no way he—” I paused. “We’ve only just become friends, and I—”

“I flirted with him after that to see if you’d react,” Eva said, tilting her head with mischief in her eyes. “You were not happy with me, were you?”

“I—”

“And you were even less happy tonight when you saw me sitting next to him.”

I looked away. “I don’t know what exactly you’re trying to get me to say, but there’s nothing to confess.”

“Who said there was anything to confess? Gabi, a two-year-old with chocolate over their face could tell me they didn’t eat the last chocolate buttons, and I would believe them over you.”

“I’m not that bad a liar.”

Addy held out her hand and shook it from side to side.

Great.

“Gabs.” She took my hand between hers. “I wasn’t trying to upset you. I wanted to see if I could get him to admit he has feelings for you. I knew that dinner tonight was my best chance at getting to have a conversation with him, so I took it.”

“I told her if she wanted to see where things would go, to put you two on a table alone. Switch some name cards around, you know?” Adelaide rested her arm on Eva’s shoulder. “She didn’t listen.”

“Do you mind?” Eva side-eyed her for a second then turned back to me, squeezing my fingers. “And I’m afraid it was a big fat bloody bust, because the git wouldn’t tell me a damn thing.”

“I was right,” Adelaide mouthed, grinning.

I didn’t want to smile, but I couldn’t help it. “You’re such a bloody idiot. Why not just tell me if you knew I was bothered by it?”

“I didn’t think you wanted us to know. If you had feelings for him, I thought you might have told us.” She smiled sheepishly. “I thought I’d try my hand at playing Cupid.”

“Never, ever do it again.” I hugged her tightly, closing my eyes for a brief second. “Look, our… friendship is complicated. I… admit… I do have some feelings for him, but I have no intention of acting on them. No, no,” I said when she opened her mouth. “It’s for the best. It’s just a crush, and like all the others, it will pass.”