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‘I still love you, Katie. If you don’t love me or feel the same way, then at least sit down and tell me.’
Panic rose within her. ‘It’s not as simple as not loving you.’
‘It seems that way to me,’ he said softly. ‘You said we should stop seeing each other and I accepted that, although I’ll admit I agreed because I hoped that a clean break might give you the space and time you needed. I hoped, bizarrely, that splitting up might somehow be the best hope of us getting back together one day.’
‘Oh, Ned.’ Katie fought back tears. She’d half hoped she might feel differently towards him too.
‘But if you tell me now that you don’t love me and can never love me, I’ll get back in the car and head down south again right now.’
‘I don’t want you to drive all the way back when you’ve only just got here. That’s not sensible. And anyway, would you really? Just go, if I asked you to?’
He smiled. ‘Probably not. I think I – we – deserve more of a shot now we’re finally talking.’
He picked up her hand and Katie let him hold it, feeling the comforting warmth of it, his palm around her fingers. He’d always said her hand fitted so perfectly in his, as if they were made specially for that exact purpose.
He lifted his gaze to hers. ‘Will you answer me one question?’
Katie nodded, too full of memories to speak.
‘Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t love me.’
Katie felt her head shaking slowly, her stomach churning. ‘That’s not fair,’ she murmured.
‘Why isn’t it fair?’ he said gently. ‘It’s a simple question.’
Her heart thumped. ‘I can’t answer it.’
‘All you have to do is say the words: “Ned, it’s over between us because I don’t love you.”’
She let go of his hand, her emotions a tangled knot of confusion. ‘Don’t do this, Ned. I can’t say I don’t love you. We both know love is – complicated and I won’t be forced into a corner.’
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Arlo froze at the entrance to the cave.
‘I can’t say I don’t love you. We both know love is – complicated …’
He should have known. That was what you got for venturing in places you had no business going.
He really hadn’t intended to follow Ned and Katie. He’d intended to carry on cleaning the Land Rover before heading to the Rosthwaite Hotel to finalise plans for the Twixmas Barn Dance, leaving Pongo behind at the Lodge.
However, the knowledge that Katie was going into the cave had changed his plans. It had sent shivers down his spine, even if his fears were way out of proportion to any danger Katie might be in. She had looked a little tired to him, and he was sure she’d been limping, both when she’d stepped off the launch earlier and when she’d walked to Ned’s car.
Battling a sense of responsibility towards Katie against an awareness that he shouldn’t interfere, he set off early for his meeting. He still hadn’t been sure what he intended to do until he spotted Ned’s Audi in the village car park.
He was sure they’d be safe and yet … he hadn’t been able to stop himself from checking on them; he’d made his way to the cave, intending to confirm that Katie was OK and leave immediately.
On the way, Arlo reminded himself that the cave was a well-known spot that thousands of curious walkers visited every year. Nothing would go wrong, as Ned had pointed out.
Even if it did, he wouldn’t be any use because, even standing at the entrance, he was on the verge of feeling light-headed. Even if he’d wanted to go inside, he wouldn’t have been able to set foot over the rocky threshold – and step into the gloomy interior with its dank scent and water dripping from the roof and pooling on the floor.
He pushed his fist into his mouth. Jesus, why had he come up here? He was a wreck – a wreck only fit for lighting fires and changing beds at a house far from anyone.
Even so, the realisation that Katie had gone in there made him feel sick.
As he was about to scramble back down the crag, he overheard them talking above on the platform outside. He ducked down low and knew he ought to leave but the words kept him fixed to the spot.
‘Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t love me.’
