In the eight months Daniel and Abi had been together, Ade had learned one thing and one thing only: how to be a third wheel. He took his job with a pinch of salt and preferred to wriggle out of his third wheel responsibilities with one of the many girls he'd slept with. Unfortunately, Miriam made that impossible, for if he was certain of one thing, it was that he had to be good. So, when Daniel and Abi returned to the flat hand in hand, Ade hunkered down for what promised to be the longest night of his life.

"How was dinner?" Ade asked when the happy couple collapsed onto the sofa.

Before responding, Daniel focused on shifting Abi onto his lap and leaving a trail of kisses from her cheek down her neck. "It was good," he said once he came up for air. "Next time our parents come for a visit we should totally take them."

Ade smiled despite the fact he knew he's parents would rather skip another dinner with Daniel's and instead said, "I'm glad you had a nice time."

"Miriam would love it," Abi added quickly. "You know, for your date."

"Date?" Daniel glanced between them. "When did this happen?"

"Last night," Abi said.

Ade scowled at her, but she simply grinned and snuggled closer against Daniel's chest. "Shit, congrats man."

"Don't sound so surprised." Ade rolled off the sofa and stalked towards the kitchen.

"I'm not." Daniel raised both hands; Abi huffed and dragged them back to her waist. "Anyway," he said, "when is it?"

"Tomorrow night." Ade grabbed a glass from the cupboard beside the stove and filled it with water from the tap.

"Where are you going to take her?" Daniel asked.

Abi shook her head. "The more important question," she said, "is what are you going to wear?"

Ade finished his drink in four quick gulps. "Why does that matter?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Because if there's one thing Miriam loves, it's a well-dressed man."

"I can dress well," Ade bit out.

Abi raised both hands and frowned innocently. "I never said you couldn't. I just also know what Miriam likes."

"Why?" Ade frowned, both hands gripping the edge of the countertop. "Has she said something?"

Abi grinned like a Cheshire cat, licked her lips all predatorily, and opened her mouth, but Daniel got in their first. "Ryan's going out tonight," he said. "We should go to."

"Ryan's always going out." Abi frowned; any sign of her earlier delight was now burned in an ashen heap.

"So don't come," Ade said.

"I'm sure you'd love that," she said, smiling sardonically, "but remember, I hold the keys to Miriam."

"The keys?" Ade rolled his eyes.

"I mean if she and Wes are back from her parents then I'm sure I could get her down there."

Ade stiffened. Her parents? Wes went to her parents? "Why did they go?" he asked in as even a tone as he could manage.

"It's her dad's birthday," Abi explained.

Bile rose up his throat. He and Daniel were closer than close, but he wouldn't dream of intruding on one of his parents' birthdays. And yet here Wes was with privileges Ade could only dream of.

"Invite her," he said determinedly. "But only her."

~*~

Miriam arrived an hour later than everyone else with an unwanted guest by her side. Ade could barely conceal his grimace while she and Wes slipped through the crowd, his arm clinging firmly to her waist. Thankfully, Abi sprung from her seat, forcing Wes aside, and practically threw herself at Miriam. From his spot, Ade couldn't hear a word that passed between them, and watched instead as Miriam turned to Wes, muttered something, then headed towards the bar with a laughing Abi in tow. Wes then took a seat as far from Ade as humanly possible.

When Miriam returned, drinks in hand, Ade's breath hitched until she was safely by his side. Slotting herself in the space between him and one of Ryan's flatmates, she twirled her straw and said, "Hey."

"Hey." Ade flexed his hands against his kneecaps. "How were your parents?"

"How did you—"

He nodded at Abi and Miriam laughed, shaking her head. "I actually went to my sisters," she said, "but my parents were my parents."

"You don't get along?" Ade guessed.

She shrugged and finished her drink in a single gulp. "Does anyone really get along with their parents?"

"You got me there," Ade laughed. "So, what do they do?"

"My parents?"

He nodded. He wanted to know more, to understand her on a deeper level. On Wes' level.

"My dad's a dermatologist," she explained, "hence the flawless skin." Pausing for laughter, Ade gleefully obliged. "And my mum works in finance. What about your parents?"

"My dad owns a restaurant in Lewisham and my mum's a nurse."

"Looks like we have the healthcare thing in common." She winked. "And you totally have to take me to your dad's restaurant one day."

"He would just love that," Ade said. "He'd say you're too beautiful for a guy like me."

Miriam's face stretched into a gorgeous smile Ade wanted to bottle up and save. One he'd release at his lowest moments, bathing in its glory for the necessary serotonin boost. "That's impossible," she said. "I know for a fact you have a rather large fan club."

Smiling, he said, "Who could resist these dimples."

"I know I—"

An unfamiliar woman with bright red hair slid towards the group. Her ponytail bounced with each step until she came to a stop in front of Wes and launched herself at him. When his hands rested on her waist, Ade knew he'd lost Miriam's attention, at least for the time being. Any desire to win it back was quelled by the threat of rebuff, so he leaned back in his chair and finished his drink.

"Sorry." Miriam whipped round to face him. "That was incredibly rude."

Ade placed his empty glass on the sticky table and hopped off his seat. "Don't worry about it. Do you want another drink?" he asked.

Miriam startled. "Um, yeah, sure."

He offered his hand and she slipped hers into it, fingers tightening alongside his. "Tequila and sprite, right?" he asked once they reached the bar.

"I'm thinking vodka tonight," she said. "Shots?"

"Sure," he smiled good naturedly. "Why not. You only live once, right?"

"Precisely."

Shots secured, they drank them there and then, eyes locked while they tapped the plastic glasses against the mahogany bar before throwing them back. Miriam winced, nose scrunched cutely, and Ade felt warmth spread through his chest. Whether it was from the alcohol or her he was unsure, all he knew was that he never wanted it to stop. Never wanted this to stop. If he could keep the last thirty seconds repeating on a groundhog loop, he would.

Once they finished their shots, he ordered another round of drinks before leading her towards the complete opposite side of the pub to the rest of their friends. "Are you trying to get me alone again?" Miriam teased with a kneading finger to the chest. "All you have to do is ask."

"Is that all it takes?"

She shrugged. "Give or take."

"Alright, so why don't we get out of here?" he suggested.

She cleared her throat and took a sip of her drink. "As fun as that sounds, let's just wait for that first date, shall we?"

He'd scared her, of that, he was sure. Slow and steady, he reminded himself. That was all it took, and boy would it be worth it, for if he was also sure of anything else, it was that. "You're right," he said with a self-deprecating smile. "We might go out tomorrow night and realise we hate one another."

"Despise," she giggled.

"Then again, I think I'll rather like you."

"Think?" She pressed a hand just above her cleavage; it took everything in Ade not to lick his lips and groan. "And here I thought I'd won you over already," she said.

He pinched his thumb and forefinger together and squinted. "Almost."

"Wow, it's like that?"

"Until tomorrow night it'll have to be."

The corners of her mouth softened into what might've read as sultry on anyone else, but simply seemed sweet and innocent on her. "I'm looking forward to changing your mind," she said.

"There's not much to change," he promised.

As much as he wished he could've kept her to himself, Abi eventually appeared, Daniel hot on her heels, and collapsed against Miriam. "Everyone's so boring," she whined. "If I hear one more person talk about how Goosebumpsis Travis Scott's best song, I'm gonna kill a bitch. It's obviously Sicko Mode."

"Obviously," Miriam said with a face so straight Ade felt she deserved a medal. "How dare they get it wrong."

"Right. Anyway, you ready to go? Daniel and I are thinking McDonalds."

Miriam glanced at Ade for a split second then nodded before he had the chance to shake his head. McDonalds meant the end of this, of them. It meant saying goodnight and watching her disappear until tomorrow. It meant sending her back to Wes. But, when Ade looked over his shoulder, catching Wes' laughing face far too close to the redheads, he knew there was no Wes, at least not tonight, so he relaxed into the idea of him and Miriam turning into him, Miriam, Daniel and Abi.

They said their goodbyes, noteworthy only because Miriam and Wes said nothing to one another, then headed out, turning left, and heading towards the bright lights of the town centre. Daniel and Abi walked up ahead hand in hand laughing far too loudly while Ade and Miriam hung back. They didn't hold hands, Ade wished they were, but he could respect her boundaries and filled the space instead with questions.

"Did you grow up in London?" he asked.

"Yeah, west. I'm guessing you grew up in south London."

"You guessed right. High five."

Miriam rolled her eyes and declared the act cringe, but slapped her hand against his nonetheless.

"What do you miss most about home?" he asked.

She sighed deeply, cracking her neck, then: "Probably Westfields. Wes and I used to spend hours in there on a Friday after school."

"Shopping?" Ade asked, proud of himself that he managed not to grimace at the mention of Wes' name.

"Kind of," she said with a laugh. "First, we'd go to Waterstones, naturally, and he'd let me spend ages browsing even if I left without buying anything. Then we usually hit up the food court, sometimes the cinema, and always ended in JD. Back then Wes was very into his trainers. I remember his mum put him on a shoe ban."

"So you've always been close then?"

"He's my best friend," she said, so sure of the fact it pierced Ade's soul. Best Friend. If he were going to be anything more, surely it would've happened already. "What about you?" she said, glancing up at him. "What was your Friday ritual?"

"Home," he laughed. "My parents would've killed me if I thought I was going out on a Friday night."

"Fair enough. Mine were like that too most of the time."

"Strict beyond belief?"

"To the best of their ability, although it was a lot easier to get away with shit when my mum travelled."

Ade noted the hint of resentment in her voice, rough and ready. He wanted to smooth it away, hide it from view, but Abi saved him from the impossible task by turning to ask what Miriam wanted to order. "My treat," she said once Ade and Miriam reached her.

"Nuggets," Miriam said.

"Always," Abi laughed. "McFlurry?"

"Yeah, smarties."

Daniel made a face. "You and Ade are perfect together," he said, slinging an arm around Abi's shoulder. "Only losers like a smartie McFlurries."

Miriam smiled good naturedly. "As long as I'm a loser with him," she said, nudging Ade's shoulder, "then I'm cool with it."

Daniel, Abi and Miriam headed into the store while Ade hung back, watching as Miriam and Daniel bickered teasingly and Abi began to order. In that moment he realised that she slot into his world perfectly, turning their unsteady tricycle into a much needed carriage.

***

Please vote, comment and share.

Misslaughalot_

xxx