I kept expecting to see Ben in the office or to bump into him in the corridor.
Dealing with all of the hopeful social media comments was even worse.
I’d posted the first of the last two videos on Tuesday, just to get it out of the way and the response was so good, I had to put my feelings aside and keep the momentum going by posting the final video on Friday.
Just as I expected, it blew up. Our followers went feral. If I had a pound for every ‘we knew it!’ and ‘you two were meant to be’, I’d be a millionaire by now.
The buzz made the video go viral. It’d already notched up hundreds of thousands of views in less than forty-eight hours.
There was no doubt about it. The reel had been a huge success and the corresponding online sales were already coming in thick and fast.
I should be happy. I’d done a great job, just like Jess had hired me to do.
I’d finally proved my worth. But I still felt so empty inside.
I missed Ben so much.
‘There’s no way I’m gonna let you give up that easily,’ Jess warned. ‘When I get back, we’ll figure out a plan. Okay?’
‘I appreciate it, but I don’t want to come up with some sort of scheme topersuadeBen to stay. I want him to want me himself.’
Jess fell silent. She knew I was right.
‘Don’t give up,’ she said. ‘I better go, but if you need me, just call or message.’
‘I’ll be fine. Please just enjoy yourself. And bring me back a bottle of white rum!’
I didn’t tell her that I’d use it to drown my sorrows. She’d remind me that alcohol wasn’t the solution. And she’d be right, but I deserved at least one drink.
‘Will do. Take care.’
‘Same. And say hi to yourhusband.’ I smiled.
When I hung up, I saw that I had several messages from Adrian.
When I opened them, I groaned.
Adrian
Hey, sis. We FINALLY have the wedding photos! Just sending some of you and Ben. You two are SO cute together! Talk soon x
It was at times like this that I wished I hadn’t set my phone to automatically download images, because there were the photos in all their glory.
I knew I should close the app and not look at them, but as soon as I caught sight of us together, I couldn’t look away.
Adrian was right. We did look cute.
So damn cute.
As well as the posed photos we’d taken with Adrian and Debbie, there were a couple of us alone. But it was a candid shot the photographer had captured that really took my breath away.
We were dancing together on the sand. I was laughing like Ben had told me the funniest joke and he was staring at me with that look of awe. As if I’d just started levitating and he was desperate to know how I’d done it.
My heart squeezed.
I wished things could be different.
But it was over.
