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Jake snorted in amusement. ‘You know that wasn’t even cool when we were kids?’

‘Then it’s a classic. Can’t ever go out of fashion. So I repeat, wassssssssup?’

‘Mate, you’re not making this any easier.’

‘Sorry. Seriously, what’s up?’

‘Maybe everything. I don’t know what to do,’ Jake admitted quietly, knowing that if there was anyone in the world he could talk to right now, it would be him.

‘Can I make a suggestion?’

‘Please do. I’m out of any of my own,’ Jake answered honestly.

‘Come meet me at the pub. I’ll get the drinks in, and we can sort out whatever it is.’

‘All right. I’ll see you in a bit.’ He swiped the call off, and stuffed his phone and hands back into his pockets.

True to his word, Nick already had two beers waiting on a table in the corner of the bar when Jake arrived. He waited until Jake had sat down and taken a few sips before starting the interrogation. ‘So what’s going on, mate?’

‘Does there have to be something up?’

‘No, but there is. Don’t forget, I’ve known you since we were trading football cards and still thought girls had cooties!’

‘Simpler times.’ Jake laughed. ‘When the most important thing was finding that rare sticker to complete the book.’

‘Yeah. Simpler times,’ Nick agreed. ‘But I wouldn’t trade them for now. But you didn’t come here to reminisce, so spit it out.’ Nick gave him a knowing look.

‘How did you know, I mean for sure, that Claudia was the one for you.’ The words tumbled out, and he tried to wash the taste of their fear away with a couple of gulps of beer.

‘Because she made me want to be a better person, someone who I felt was more worthy of being with her. And I liked who I was when I was around her.’ He fiddled with his drink. ‘And because the thought of not being with her was physically painful.’

‘I think I get that,’ Jake admitted quietly.

‘You think?’ Nick guffawed.

‘It’s not funny.’

‘It kind of is, mate,’ he argued. ‘You’ve turned your life upside down, dragged me and almost the whole village along with you, found an experimental treatment for a kid you didn’t even know this time last year, and pretty much exhausted yourself making sure she can get it. I heard you had a run in with her ex, and Evelyn knocked him on his arse? And that you read him the riot act.’

‘There might be some truth to that. What’s your point?’

‘My point is, that maybe you’ve found someone you care about enough to take a risk for. Two someones. So what’s the problem?’

Jake took a huge breath. ‘I tried to tell her before we found out how ill Summer was. After that, it didn’t seem fair. Or that important.’

‘Love isn’t “that important” to you?’

‘It’s not like I haven’t had girlfriends before.’

‘But not like Evelyn,’ Nick challenged.

‘No, not like Evelyn. I knew I loved her and Summer, but I wasn’t sure it was love, love. Like you and Claudia forever type of love.’

‘Well what the hell did you think it was?’ Nick laughed again.

‘I don’t know.’ Jake gulped down the last of his drink, and waved to the barman for another one. He felt like he’d more than earned it. ‘If we pull this off …’

‘We will. I’ve seen the initial numbers,’ Nick interrupted to reassure him.