‘Jake, I’m not sure I know what to say,’ she admitted, ‘it’s a lot to process. I thought, well, I thought there was something here.’ She gestured between them. ‘I’m not imagining that, am I?’ She turned to him, searching his face.
Jake met her eyes and let out a long exhale. He looked so serious, so forlorn, like he really didn’t know what to do next. ‘No, Effie, you aren’t. I’m sorry that I got carried away when so much of my life is in limbo. I couldn’t resist you but you deserve better. It was never my intention to hurt you, please believe that.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I have a job further up the coast this weekend. I have the exhibition. I’m sorry, Effie, but I need some time to think about what I really want.’
Incensed by his indecisiveness, Effie stood up and turned to him. ‘You should’ve been more careful with my feelings, Jake. Even when we were just friends. Are you just going to keep swanning in and out of here saying you don’t know what you want? Are you waiting for Tara to call you up and ask for you back? Or are you actually going to make your own mind up? You couldn’t decide about Freya’s exhibition. You dithered over your business. It seems to me you’re waiting for everyone else to decide your life when it should be down to you.’
The words fell on Jake like a slap of reality. Effie watched them land, sink in. Watched as he processed what she’d said.
‘Effie—’
‘No! No, Jake, please, just leave me alone for a bit. In fact, I think we could both do with some space.’
Jake stood up, reached for her hand, but Effie had already stepped out of his reach. Pulling her cardigan tightly around her, she took him in, one last long look, his mane of golden hair, his eyes as blue as the Cornish sea, a man who it seemed was only going to be a brief chapter, not her happy-ever-after.
‘Goodbye, Jake,’ she said squaring her shoulders, then she marched back into the village, wiping away the threat of tears.
She unlocked the shop, stepped inside and leaned against the door, taking deep, steadying breaths. They were only on a break. He’d implied that at the Easter egg hunt, but she’d allowed herself to get swept up in his storm of confusion and possibility.
Once her bruised heart had calmed down, Effie glanced around the shop, at the books, her home and haven. It was time to get on with the reason she’d come to Polcarrow: to sell books.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Effie smoothed the silky midnight-blue material over her hips and wondered if the dress was too much. She’d bought it years ago on sale because she’d fallen in love with the colour but had never had an occasion to wear it. Until now. Although she couldn’t help but wonder if it was a bit too fancy for a small gallery opening in a little Cornish fishing village.
A smile spread across her face as she imagined Lola telling her that there was no such thing as too fancy. However, as she put her earrings in and fastened her necklace, Effie noticed the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. She tried again, an attempt to turn the light Jake had dimmed back on. There was a glimmer. It would have to do.
The past week had been difficult. Jake hadn’t been into the shop since their talk. Effie had allowed herself the indulgence of one wine-soaked night of tears before pulling herself together and getting back on with her life. Maybe in time her feelings would revert back to simple friendship. Or maybe Jake would head back to Bristol, to Tara and she’d never have to see him again. Effie didn’t know how that made her feel. Filled with a strange sense of loss, of what could have been. Mostly she felt a bit foolish for choosing to ignore the signs he’d clearly laid out.
Jake had been noticeably absent from Polcarrow for the last week, which had helped her heart begin to heal. Effie had caught fleeting glimpses of him as he exited the café, takeaway cup in hand, jumping into his car and heading off to whatever adventure he was chasing. She missed the companionship, the early-morning chats about what they were doing that day. The cups of tea he’d bring her.
Thankfully Lola had been far too busy planning her wedding to ask her too many questions about where Jake was. Effie wanted a bit of time and space to get over the romance that never quite got off the ground. Like all her romances, it had been a brief burst of excitement before inevitably fizzling out.
Tonight, however, there was no escaping the fact that she would be seeing Jake. After all, he was showing his photos at Freya’s gallery. Another reason for choosing the dress. It might have been slightly fancier than she’d usually go for, but Effie felt a million dollars in it. She might not be able to compete with a glamorous influencer, but she was determined to show Jake what he was missing.
Effie put on her shoes and picked up her bag. As she let herself out of the flat, she heard voices as people gathered waiting for the gallery to open. Her breath caught a little.You don’t have to stay all night, she reminded herself as she descended the stairs, enjoying lifting her long skirt like a Regency lady.
This time she didn’t feel as nervous as she had at Alf’s party because she knew everyone. Polcarrow had enthusiastically embraced her and the bookshop. The figures in the till showed that Clive had been right to trust his hunch on opening a branch in the tiny village.
Slightly wobbly in her high heels, Effie picked her way around the front of the shop and into the alley that separated the bookshop from the café. She paused, taking in the scene before her. Golden light spilled out of the doorway, illuminating Alf as he waited to cut the ribbon. Effie caught sight of Jake standing next to Freya. She held back, listening as Freya made a short speech.
‘I think this must be the whole village.’ Freya laughed as she tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder. ‘Thank you so much for coming. I don’t know why I didn’t expect this crowd, but I should’ve known you’d all want to come along and support a local venture. Thanks, everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful night. Alf, can you do the honours?’
Alf took a pair of scissors off Freya and paused before cutting the ribbon to say, ‘Scruff sends his apologies. He’s not got much of an artistic eye, I’m afraid.’
Everyone laughed as Alf cut the ribbon, and Freya, throwing her hands up in the air, declared the gallery open. Effie’s heart swelled to see her new friend achieving her dream. Maybe Lola was right and there really was magic in Polcarrow. Effie certainly believed it as she made her way towards the gallery, drawn along by the tide of villagers.
She was one of the last through the door. Picking up a glass of Prosecco, Effie glanced around. Freya had done an amazing job transforming the outbuilding into an intimate cosy space for artists to showcase their work. Although the space was small, the fresh white walls gave the illusion of it being larger than it was. The light was low and golden, inviting the viewer in towards the work on show. Effie made her way over to where two of Freya’s seascapes were hanging on the left-hand side of the room. Effie studied them, transfixed by the soft swirling pastel skies, the way Freya had captured a soft, candyfloss dawn across Polcarrow bay.
‘Beautiful, aren’t they?’ A familiar voice ran like fingers down her spine.
Effie turned to her right and swallowed. Jake was there, his eyes skimming over her face as if he was trying to figure out how to make amends.
‘Jake?’ was all she managed. He looked utterly gorgeous, and her heart took a traitorous turn. He’d tried to smooth back his wild blond waves and his blue suit brought out the colour of his eyes. She clutched on to her glass to stop herself from reaching for him.
In turn, Jake’s eyes skimmed from her head to her toes and back again. ‘Effie, you look stunning,’ he managed before taking a gulp of his drink.
