Clemmie hesitated, her heart pounding. The truth was, shehadthought about him– too often, in fact. But she wasn’t ready to bare her soul just yet. ‘I mean, you were hard to forget,’ she said with a teasing smile, deflecting.
He smirked, clearly not fooled. ‘You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?’
‘Where’s the fun in that?’
They both laughed, but the air between them remained charged. Oliver leaned back in his chair, swirling his champagne thoughtfully. ‘Puffin Island’s special,’ he said after a moment. ‘I can see why you love it so much.’ He hesitated, then added, ‘I did a little exploring and took a walk up the cliff path, sat on that old bench outside Clifftop Cottage. Ended up talking to Pete, who told me he and your granny are some of the island’s oldest residents. He said plenty of relationships have blossomed from chats on that bench.’ He smiled. ‘Sometimes it’s easier talking to someone who isn’t involved in the situation, you know? And Pete… he didn’t know me, but he listened. No judgement, just friendliness and a bit of wisdom. I can see why no one would want to give up this place.’
Clemmie raised an eyebrow.
‘It’s not just the views or the people, it’s the sense of belonging. I’ve spent years travelling, chasing stories, but there’s something… different about being here. It feels real.’
Clemmie didn’t know what to say, so she stayed quiet for a moment while she sipped her drink and eyed him. ‘So, you asked me if I was married but what about you? Is there… someone in your life?’ Clemmie immediately noticed the flicker of something in his eyes– hesitation? Maybe even guilt? He glanced down at his glass, swirling the liquid slowly before looking back at her.
‘Oh God, not Fiona?’ she said, sitting up straight. ‘You said she was just a family friend.’
He didn’t answer.
Clemmie arched an eyebrow. ‘So, itisFiona?’
‘No,’ he said quickly, leaning forward. ‘It’s not what you think.’
‘And what do I think?’ she asked, giving him a sceptical look. ‘Enlighten me. Some sort of… situationship, maybe?’
Oliver exhaled, looking slightly uncomfortable. ‘Not even that,’ he said, his voice softer now. ‘It’s… complicated. Or, itwascomplicated. I put an end to it once and for all the second I saw you again.’
Clemmie blinked, her pulse quickening. ‘Is that what the argument was about between you two earlier?’
He nodded reluctantly, rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Kind of. She accused me of having feelings for you and she wasn’t happy about it.’
Clemmie’s heart skipped a beat at his admission, but she forced herself to remain calm. ‘So, what exactly was it? Between you and Fiona, I mean?’
Oliver leaned back in his chair. ‘Honestly? I’m not even sure. We’ve known each other for ever, our families are close friends, and everyone just sort of… expected us to be a couple. It was easy to fall into that idea, even if it didn’t feel entirely right.’
‘Because?’ Clemmie prompted, her voice quiet but steady.
‘Because there was this trip to London,’ he continued, his gaze turning distant, as if he were replaying a memory in his mind. ‘Because I met someone. This girl… she was nothing like Fiona. She was kind, funny, gorgeous, a little chaotic but in the best way. She made me feel alive, taught me what real happiness felt like, even if it was short-lived. She broke my heart, but she also showed me what love could be. After that, I knew Fiona and I would never work. Not in the way people wanted us to. I ended things three years ago, but she never quite let go. Every shared moment since then, family gatherings, get-togethers with mutual friends, she’s treated it as an opportunity to try and rewrite our ending. I let it slide, maybe out of guilt, maybe out of habit. But I’ve made it clear now that there’s nothing left to rekindle.’
Clemmie didn’t know what to say. The raw honesty in his words left her momentarily speechless. Her eyes stayed fixed on his until he briefly closed them.
‘Clemmie,’ he said, his voice low and steady, ‘whatever it was with Fiona, it doesn’t feel like this, and I’m sure I’m not really the love of her life either. I think she’s more into using me for my contacts to help her career and bakery than into, you know… me.’
Clemmie tilted her head, intrigued. ‘What makes you say that?’
‘We’ve never had deep or personal conversations. We were thrown together by our parents as children and she never went out of her way to remember details about me or my life unless it suited her. For starters, the other day, I mentioned my childhood dog, and she couldn’t even remember I had a dog, let alone what its name was.’
‘Easy,’ Clemmie said, grinning. ‘Percy. A scruffy little terrier who loved cheese and hated postmen.’
Oliver’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. ‘Impressive, but I bet you can’t remember why I had two broken teeth when Iwas nine.’
Clemmie didn’t miss a beat. ‘Cricket accident. You tripped over your own feet, crashed into the stumps and bam! Down you went.’
He stared at her, half-amused and half-impressed. ‘You really did listen during the time we spent together.’
‘I did,’ Clemmie said with a shrug. ‘I wanted to know everything about you. And I meaneverything.’
Oliver chuckled. ‘Oh yeah? Like what?’
‘Well,’ Clemmie began, holding up a finger, ‘your favourite drink is a banana milkshake with chocolate sprinkles because, apparently, you’re seven years old at heart.’
