He shifted in his seat. ‘I do think there are lots of people who need help with how to navigate dating apps, but we are discussing how we can make sure there is transparency, and people are as honest as possible so that real connections can be made,’ Blake said diplomatically.
‘That sounds good, mate,’ Dylan said.
‘What work did you both do before?’ Willow asked them as she helped herself to more food. I did the same. Adam was such a good cook. I didn’t want another takeaway ever again.
‘I worked for a tech company so I always knew I wanted to create my own app one day,’ Sarah said. ‘And Blakey worked with his father in his shop.’ She said that sentence with an audibly snobby edge.
‘Oh, I loved your shop,’ Dylan said enthusiastically. ‘The antiques were so cool. My mum bought quite a bit from there when I was growing up, didn’t she? Willow, we should take a trip there one day; you’d get happily lost in it.’
‘Sounds great,’ she agreed.
‘It’s not that far from here, is it?’ Dylan asked Blake.
‘It’s about a forty-five-minute drive away,’ Blake confirmed. He seemed a bit sad when he said that; maybe he was thinking he should visit his father’s shop.
‘I’d love to see it too,’ I told him, earning myself a small smile.
‘I’ve already been there of course,’ Sarah said, throwing me daggers. ‘The town is really small and quiet. Blake wanted to do more with his life. Didn’t you?’
There was another beat of silence as awkwardness washed over us all.
‘I think I need some air.’ Blake pushed his chair back and got up. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’
I watched him hurry out and I knew that claustrophobic feeling well. Like you just had to make a break for freedom. I wasn’t sure why I did it exactly, but I pushed my own chair back.
‘I’ll check on him,’ I said, and then rushed out after Blake before anyone could say anything to stop me.
15
‘Are you okay?’ I asked when I walked out behind Blake.
He was pacing outside while I stood and watched, wondering why I was worried about a complete stranger. Maybe it was because his situation was so similar to my own. And now that we had lied to Sarah and Henry, we were in this together.
‘I don’t know. It’s all so confusing. Everything moved so fast with me and Sarah. We only met a year ago and now we live and work together, and I bought a ring… and then I walked in and found her with another man in our apartment. And now she’s here saying it didn’t mean anything and I should take her back.’
‘Only a year?’ My eyes widened as that sank in. ‘You really changed your whole life so quickly for her? You must have been head over heels,’ I couldn’t help but say.
Blake stopped pacing and looked at me. ‘I did fall head over heels but everything happened so fast, I didn’t have a second to think about what I really wanted. That’s why I came to stay here: to think. But now Sarah has followed me and I’m feeling that same feeling all over again – like I’m on a rollercoaster that I’m not sure how to slow down.’ He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry I blurted out that we knew each other but I didn’t like how Henry was talking to you. And your face… I wondered if you also felt like you were on a rollercoaster. I never lie. I feel terrible about lying. But then Willow confirmed it, and I couldn’t take it back.’
‘It’s okay. I know you, and Willow, just wanted to help me. But I don’t think it’s worked. Henry seems unable to believe I’d consider another man. I don’t think he buys that anything is going on between us.’ I realised then that I wanted him to believe it. That maybe it would stop me from going back to him.
‘Sarah believes it, but she thinks I’m only doing it to punish her for her betrayal, that it doesn’t mean anything in the same way she says that her fling withthat mandoesn’t.’ He said the words ‘that man’ with bitterness.
‘She thinks we’re… dating?’
‘I’m sorry,’ Blake said, thinking that annoyed me.
‘No, maybe she can persuade Henry that we really are,’ I said hopefully.
The farmhouse door opened and Sarah walked out, closely followed by Henry.
‘I can’t believe you two are sneaking off like this,’ Sarah said. ‘Blakey, I told you I made a mistake. Why won’t you let me fix this? Are you really choosing her over me?’
‘I don’t know,’ Blake said, looking from her back to me, sounding as confused as I felt. ‘I asked for space, time to think, but you just showed up and now I don’t know what to do.’
‘You want space?’ she repeated, confused.
‘Yes,’ Blake snapped. ‘I want some space to think!’
