‘I haven’t spoken to anyone about the situation. I hoped it would all go away, but now that they’ve announced their wedding and the save-the-date cards have gone out, I feel ten times as humiliated.’
‘You really do need some breathing space. This must consume your thoughts every day.’
‘Exactly that. But my parents think I should put it all behind me and move on. They think I should go to the wedding. It’s not that I’m still harbouring any love for Sophie—believe me, that died on the spot—and I know she has to be in my life because of Holly, but Lydia… I can’t get over her betrayal. She should have put me and Holly first; we’re her blood. I’ve tried to move on but every day the deceit of those two is rubbed in my face. I don’t need or want the constant reminder.’
‘And you’ve had no support, or anyone to talk to?’ At least when she was going through her break-up and the devastation of an early menopause Libby had had her family. She couldn’t have got through it without them.
‘No one. I’ve never spoken about it before.’
Guy’s eyes filled with tears. Libby opened her arms wide and he immediately fell into them.
‘I’ve got you,’ she whispered.
‘Thank you,’ he murmured.
It was definitely all a mess.
* * *
According to the clock above the fire it was two in the morning. It took Libby a second to realise she’d fallen asleep on the couch with two strapping arms wrapped around her, and Pickle fast asleep at their feet. Cuddling into the warmth of Guy’s jumper, Libby inhaled his aftershave. It felt good being in his arms. She felt safe. She was happy that Guy trusted her enough to open up his heart. What must it have been like for him during the last few years? Devastating. And it still was. She believed him when he said that he no longer had any romantic feelings about his ex, but she understood that he didn’t want the new relationship rubbed in his face either.
Libby wanted to help, to make everything okay for him, but she had no clue how to do so. Guy had two options: either he could try and forgive his sister for the sake of Holly and his parents, or he didn’t, and things would carry on much as they were. But she didn’t know how—or if—he could live his life like that.
She felt Guy’s arms squeeze her lightly as he kissed the top of her head.
‘Hey,’ she said softly. ‘We fell asleep on the couch.’
‘Mmm, I have to say it feels good,’ he murmured.
‘I was just thinking the same thing.’ Libby held on to him, not wanting him to move. ‘Everything is going to be okay; I’ve just got that feeling.’
‘I’ve got that feeling too.’
‘Don’t shoot me when I say this…’
He pulled away a little to look at her.
‘How about I come with you to the wedding, so you would at least have some support?’ As soon as the words left her mouth Libby began to worry. She might have just offered to do something she couldn’t go through with. She’d not asked when the wedding was. Maybe she wasn’t even going to be in the country.
Guy was silent for a moment. ‘You’d do that for me?’
‘Yes, of course. I’ll help out in any way I can. Sometimes things can be less difficult with someone else by your side. I can scrub up pretty well when I need to. But don’t make a decision now, have a think about it.’
‘Thank you, Libby. That has given me a little bit of faith.’
‘I’m glad.’
‘I vowed never to let anyone in again after this happened, but talking with you is so easy and it’s helped me getting a lot of it off my chest.’
‘I’m glad.’ Libby tilted her face up to his and kissed him softly on the lips. She could already see she was breaking down his barriers and she hoped his opening up about his situation would help him work through his feelings. ‘Apparently Heartcross is well known for mending broken hearts and getting lives back on track.’
‘And once you arrive, you never want to leave, I heard.’
For a moment, they lay in silence, lost in their own thoughts, Libby feeling guilty that she still hadn’t shared any details of her past life or any future plans with him. She wasn’t sure why.
‘I don’t want to go, but I think I need to. If I wake up after Holly and she wanders into my room, she’ll see my bed hasn’t been slept in.’
Libby kissed him softly again. ‘It’s okay, I understand,’ she whispered, pulling away slowly. But before she could swing her legs to the floor and sit up, Guy pulled her back into him. Even in the darkness Libby could feel his face close to hers. She’d never felt attraction like this to anyone before. The electricity was sparking between them as Guy kissed her, stealing every breath from her body. Embracing the tingling pleasure that flooded her, she kissed him back. Fifteen more minutes wouldn’t hurt.
