‘Not about that. I meant please tell me that you’re kidding me about that being the reason you came here and messed up my life all over again.’
‘You’re the only person I’ve ever loved. I haven’t found anyone since who I can bear to be around for longer than a few months. I don’t have time to keep looking. I’ve never got bored in your company so I thought we could make it work. I thought I might have a struggle if you were still with Jason, but when I found you here working in a shop, I thought it would be easy.’
‘You thought wrong.’ I shook my head. ‘I didn’t think you could stoop much lower than that day outside your office, but you’ve just descended to a whole new level. Trying to win me back just to secure a promotion and a bigger salary? You really think a relationship could work on that basis?’
He nodded vigorously. ‘With the right person.’
‘And I suppose I’m that person?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then you’re deluded. You really think I’d be with you for those reasons? If I get married, it will be out of love, not to secure a bigger pay packet. Seriously, Andy, what sort of person do you think I am?’
He just stared at me blankly again.
‘I think it’s time for you to go back to London. Without me.’
‘You can’t mean that. Not after all the effort I’ve put in to win you back. My boss has spent a fortune on you, you ungrateful?—’
‘Your boss paid?
Andy wouldn’t catch my eye. ‘No. I did. I didn’t mention my boss. It was me. My money.’
Another piece of the jigsaw slotted into place. If his boss had organised and paid for it, it would explain a lot of things like how he’d managed to secure Denbury Castle on Boxing Day and fireworks over Whitsborough Bay Castle. His boss would have the influence and connections to have pulled in favours like that. Why would his boss do it, though? It still didn’t make sense.
‘To be honest, Andy. I don’t really care who paid. Even if it wasyou, you need to understand that I didn’t ask you to do any of it. You chose those things. I wasn’t holding a gun to your head.’
‘But I wouldn’t have got your interest without it, would I?’
‘You would. Don’t get me wrong; all those things were amazing. But they were only amazing because I seemed to be experiencing them with the old Andy but he’s long-gone, isn’t he? Which means any chance of us trying again is also long-gone.’
Andy looked pale. For a fleeting moment, I thought he was genuinely gutted that he’d blown it with me because he really did care. But then he ruined it. ‘What am I going to tell my boss?’
‘About what? What is it with you and him?’
‘Didn’t you wonder how I’ve managed to get all this time off work?’
I shrugged. ‘Not really. It’s the Christmas holidays. I assumed you were on annual leave.’
‘I might have told my boss that you were my girlfriend before I went to Dubai but the distance caused us to split up. Returning to the UK meant the relationship was back on the cards but I needed to spend a lot of time with you.’
‘Might have told him or actually told him?’
He didn’t answer the question. ‘I might have said a grand gesture was needed to make it up to you.’
‘Like a balloon flight?’
He nodded. ‘And I might have said I was going to propose to you on the balloon so we’d need it to ourselves. He’s all about family and he felt really guilty that posting me to Dubai split us up so he was keen to do what he could to fix it and he organised the venue.’
I covered my eyes. ‘All these lies, Andy. What happened to you? You never used to lie and now it seems you do it as easily as breathing.’ I took my hands away and looked at him. ‘I’m done talking now. We could sit here and talk all night and I don’t think I’ll ever understand what has happened this week or why you’ve done this to me or to your poor boss.’
He narrowed his eyes and shrugged. ‘What do you want me to say?’
‘How about, “I’m sorry, Sarah, for being a lying little shit. I’m sorry, Sarah, for coming back into your life without warning andgetting you to split up with an amazing man to see if we could make it work again. I’m sorry, Sarah, for insulting your shop, your home, and your life. I’m sorry, Sarah, for being an ignorant, arrogant, self-centred lying pig”.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘You could try to sound like you mean it. It’s time you left now.’
