She meant it.
‘Thank you.’ I nodded. ‘That means a lot.’
‘I’m only telling the truth. I really hope you don’t let what that bitch did ruin your joy for relationships in the future. I know it’s easier said than done, but if you can, try to rewrite the script when it comes to weddings. It’ll be painful at first, but if you can find a way to get more involved in Jess and Theo’s wedding, you can start to replace the negative feelings with more positive ones, y’know?’
‘You’re right. I’m really going to try.’
‘And now I know what you’ve been through, I feel terrible for asking you to come to my brother’s wedding!’
‘Like I said before, you didn’t ask. I offered.’
‘I know. But it must’ve beensohard for you.’
‘It wasn’t easy, but if I didn’t go, we wouldn’t have got involved, so it was worth it.’ I smiled.
I needed Sarah to know how much she’d helped me. It was like a ten-tonne weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
‘That’s true.’ Sarah kissed me softly on the cheek, then squeezed me tight.
‘Right.’ I straightened my shoulders and wiped my eyes. ‘That’s enough doom and gloom for today. I’ve already taken you away from your writing for long enough. How about you return to the flat and spend the afternoon catching up? And I’ll ask Theo if he wants to head to London for a spot of suit shopping.’
‘Are you sure?’ Sarah said, her voice laced with concern. ‘Remember, it’s me. You don’t have to pretend. If talking about everything has left you feeling like shit and you want to be alone in your flat so you can mope, that’s totally fine too. I can just go back to the B&B. You’re probably sick of me hanging around anyway.’
‘No,’ I said quickly. ‘I love having you there. And I’m okay. I want to move forward. I don’t want to keep letting my past dictate my future. Suit shopping with Theo is a positive first step. It’ll be good for me. Then when I get back, we can start planning their wedding.’
‘Really?’
It was sweet of Sarah to keep checking, but I genuinely felt so much better.
Stronger.
More resilient.
I was going to be fine.
‘Absolutely.’
61
SARAH
‘Welcome to our first official readers’ retreat!’ Jane said enthusiastically as the ten guests sat on the comfy sofas in the living room.
It was amazing to see the retreat up and running. It didn’t seem like that long ago that this building was a dilapidated shell and the concept was just a dream that Jess and Theo hoped to bring to life.
I looked around the reading room. Just like in the main library hall, bookish quotes like ‘Reality Is Overrated. I Prefer Books’ and ‘Spread Those Pages Like a Good Girl’ adorned the walls.
There were three large sofas (each with extra-wide chaise longues) which had already been tested by multiple bottoms (including mine) for comfiness and had an obscene amount of cushions. Beanbags, bespoke reading beds and chairs were also dotted around the room, which was kitted out with everything readers needed to feel at home.
There was even a fireplace installed, to make it extra cosy when the cold winter nights rolled in.
Just like I’d suggested, the retreat also had an extra-large open-plan kitchen diner so that all of the guests could eat and chat together, and there was a quiet room with a table for readers who preferred to sit at a desk, which would also be perfect for running a writers’ retreat in the future.
Outside, the gardens had been beautifully landscaped. At the front there was a green vibe with grass and flowers, and the back garden had been filled with sand and decorated with seashells and sun loungers to create a beach vibe.
The beauty of this retreat was that it was only a stone’s throw away from Sunshine Bay’s real beach, so we had fold-up chairs that readers could borrow if they wanted to go across the road. But we’d agreed that it was best to also have the option to get that ‘beach read’ feel at the retreat itself, just in case our guests were so engrossed in reading that even five minutes away from their fictional worlds would be too much to bear.
Upstairs, there were several bedrooms. Some were designed for single occupancy. We knew that one of the reasons readers would come to these retreats was to make friends because there was no one in their lives who enjoyed reading as much as they did, so they’d be travelling on their own.
