REMI
After lingering a bit too long in the spa area, I just about manage to reach Scarlett Green on time. Francis is already outside, arms folded, eyebrows raised in theatrical impatience.
“Finally! I’m wasting away here.”
He pulls me into one of his trademark bear hugs and murmurs in my ear, “Doesn’t matter. I need to refuel after last night… if you catch my drift.”
“Ugh, Francis. Must you?” I groan. “And don’t call Seb ‘our little pianist,’ for God’s sake.”
“Touchy,” he says, smirking. “I wonder how he puts up with you.”
“Drop it," I snap.” And spare me the bedroom updates. Anne’s like a sister to me.”
“Exactly,” he says, grinning wickedly. “Which is why you’re lucky she’s the one I’m sleeping with. Otherwise, we’d have a serious problem.”
We do have a problem, actually, just not the one he thinks. And he’s about to find out.
He slings an arm around my shoulders as we head inside.
It’s my first time at Scarlett Green, though I’ve heard the hype; it’s one of London’s current hotspots.
The place is all soft greys, warm woods, and deep greens, lit by rows of oversized bulbs hanging low from the ceiling.
Lush potted plants spill over shelves and windowsills in that effortlessly curated way that probably took hours to get right. Cosy, polished, and clearly not cheap.
I just hope the food lives up to the decor, because something tells me the bill won’t be gentle.
Francis, ever tuned in, leans closer and murmurs, “Chill. Weekday lunch deal.”
I breathe a silent sigh of relief.
A hostess appears and leads us to a booth tucked into a quieter corner. Once we’ve settled in, I glance at the menu. “Alright, what do I order? You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
“Loads. Anne’s obsessed. Trust me, get the Fancy Bacon Roll. And for dessert, banana bread. It’ll ruin all other banana bread for you forever.”
“Sold,” I say. “You’re the expert, order for both of us.”
“Endless coffee, yeah? It’s brilliant here.”
“Actually… something stronger today.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Wine?”
“Pinot Noir. Your call.”
He flags the server and places the order, adding a bottle of red and some still water. As soon as we’re alone again, he leans in, elbows on the table, fingers laced together, eyes fixed on me.
“Alright, Remi. Spill.”
And just like that, I forget how to breathe. It’s not the gym session that’s got me winded, it’s this. The moment I say it out loud, there’s no taking it back. But that’s what I want, isn’t it?
I want Sebastian in my life. Not as a fling, not as a secret. As something real. Long-term. But if there’s any hope of making room for him, I need to start here. With Francis. He’s not just my best mate, he’s family. And he deserves the truth.
“Remi! Are you even listening? Come on, man. You’ve been off for days. I know things with Maddie are rocky, but how am I supposed to help if you won’t talk to me? There’s got to be a way to fix it.”
“No,” I cut in, too sharply. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bite your head off. But there’s nothing to fix. It’s over. Me and Maddie? We’re done. And I’m not going back.”
He doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t even look surprised. “Anne and Maddie have talked, obviously. I stayed out of it. Still... I figured it was just a rough patch. Long-distance makes everything harder.”
His voice is quieter than usual. No teasing. No snark. Just concern. And that’s what makes it harder to say what comes next.
I take a deep breath.
“It’s not the distance. It’s... because I fell in love with someone else.”
The words hit the air like sparks, and then it’s like I can finally breathe. Like I’ve opened a window after months of suffocating.
Because it’s true. I didn’t just fall for someone. I fell for him. For real. For the first time in my life.
Francis blinks, caught off guard. “Wait, what? You’re serious? Who? When did this even happen? And how the hell didn’t I see it coming?”
He doesn’t give me a second to reply. “You’ve been all over the place, snappy, restless, practically living at the gym. At first, I blamed it on Maddie leaving. Then you started hinting things weren’t going well… but falling for someone else?”
He throws his hands up theatrically. “Okay, forget all the drama for a sec, here’s what really blows my mind: when did you even meet her?
Your social life’s a desert, mate. Since Maddie left, it’s been all work, workouts, and the occasional night out with us.
Unless you’ve secretly been hitting up dating apps in the middle of quantum mechanics seminars… ”
He trails off. Eyes narrow. His whole face changes.
And just like that, he knows.
He doesn’t say the name, but he doesn’t have to.
He stares at me in stunned silence, mouth slightly open, as if trying to process what he’s just pieced together. And when the silence becomes too heavy to bear, I speak.
“Francis, I swear… I didn’t see it coming either. This hit me like a freight train. I’ve never had a problem with the idea, I just… never felt it before. But with Seb? It’s different. It’s him. Only him. And it’s,” I shake my head, exhaling, “completely overwhelming.”
Francis is still frozen, still trying to make sense of it all. But I keep going.
“From the moment I first saw him, something short-circuited in my brain. I tried to fight it, I really did, but the more I resisted, the more I wanted him. And not just physically. I want all of him. His mind, his heart, his fears, his brilliance. I can’t let him go. I won’t.”
A tightness swells in my chest. Just imagining a life without Sebastian feels unbearable.
Francis reaches across the table and places a hand on my forearm. His touch is steady, grounding. When I meet his eyes, they’re softer than I’ve seen them in ages. That one gesture says it all: I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.
Right then, our food arrives, smelling absolutely divine, but my stomach is still doing somersaults. I can’t even look at my plate properly.
Francis, on the other hand, doesn’t miss a beat. He tucks in without hesitation, chewing contentedly like I haven’t just dropped a bomb on him.
I blink at him. Then burst into laughter.
“How are you eating right now?”
He glances up, unfazed. “Because I’m not a drama queen like you,” he says brightly. “And if you don’t start eating, I’m nicking yours too.”
I reach for my wine glass and pour myself a very generous amount. “Fine. But I need this first.”
Without a word, he slides his glass across the table. I fill it.
“You’re impossible. How are we even still friends?”
“Because you love me,” he says, smirking. “Admit it, you’d be lost without me.”
I groan, but I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face. He’s already bounced back from the shock like only Francis can.
“Just trying to lighten the mood, mate,” he says with a shrug, his tone warm. “You looked like you needed it.”
“I get it," I mutter.” But this is serious. It’s a mess.”
A few diners glance over, and I hadn’t even noticed my voice had climbed.
“Remi, chill,” Francis says under his breath, sliding my plate toward himself. “You weren’t eating it anyway. Maybe dessert will tempt you.”
I knock back the rest of my wine, letting the burn settle in my chest. When he starts talking again, I’m a little lighter. A little fuzzier. But calmer.
“Look, Remi,” he says. “I didn’t expect this, but honestly? I’m not that surprised. Drama aside, if you and Seb want to be together, that’s not the end of the world. Weirder stuff has happened. Wait, he does want to be with you, right?”
I snort. “Yeah. Somehow. I don’t get it either. He’s brilliant, gorgeous, magnetic… and I’m just a stressed-out nerd with a thing for obscure academic theory.”
Francis whistles. “Wow. You’re screwed.”
“Excuse me?”
“Remi, you’ve got it bad. I’ve known you half your life, and I’ve never seen you like this.”
“So what the hell do I do?!”
He leans back in the booth, considering. “Well, since it’s pretty clear you’re not letting go of your beautiful pianist, and fair enough, you’ve only got one real option.”
“Which is?”
“Tell Maddie. Soon. This isn’t something you can keep under wraps much longer.”
I wince. “Anne’s going to hate me. That’s bad enough. But what if she turns her back on Seb, too? He came back to rebuild their friendship, and I’ve just gone and wrecked it.”
“Stop.” Francis fixes me with a look. “You told me he wants you back. That means this is mutual. You didn’t trick him or drag him into anything. Life’s messy. Love’s even messier. But it’s also rare. And if you find the real thing, you don’t walk away from it. You hold on.”
He pauses. And for just a moment, I see something shift in his eyes, something raw and unspoken.
It pulls me straight back to the day my dad died.
Francis was sitting on the edge of my bed, not saying a word.
No empty reassurances. No clumsy attempts to fix it.
Just a quiet presence, holding me while I let the grief come.
That’s when I knew I’d never lose him.
Now, he speaks from that same quiet strength.
“You’ve always deserved to be happy, Remi.
I thought you had that with Maddie. But when you talk about Sebastian.
.. mate, your whole face changes. If you walk away from this, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.
So fight for it. Love him. Be brave. And whatever happens, no regrets.
All you owe Maddie is the truth. I’ve got your back. Always.”
In almost twenty years of friendship, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say that much in one go.
“Confirmed,” I say, voice breaking. “You’re officially a sap. You actually made me cry.”
I’m half-laughing, half-sobbing, and it’s a mess, but a good one. A necessary one.
“Love you, too, brother. Always.”
And just like that, I know Francis is right.
If I want any chance of building something real with Sebastian, something lasting, there’s only one way forward now.
The truth.