‘We can get some after. Follow me.’
Ashleigh reluctantly grabbed all her things and squeezed through the café into the cold night air again. She followed him as he marched into the Lanes, hop-skipping to keep up, until she realised where they must be heading. When she slowed, Romesh linked his arm through hers and led her on until they arrived, there, outside the chocolate shop.
‘Ro—’
‘No. You need to see it.’
She took a deep breath and stepped up to the glass. The lights were off inside the shop but there were still fairy lights twinkling around the display. Her breath caught in her throat.
It was like every moment of her time with Olivier this Christmas had been captured and transformed into beautiful, delicate detail. The Pavilion was there, in its caramel glory – which she knew tasted heavenly – fretwork delicately piped across the pillars and the domes seamlessly joined, looking down on an ice-rink of marbled white chocolate. Somehow it glittered under the lights and the ice-skating figures were perfectly positioned so the colours were like reflections.
All the little people were small and almost jelly-baby-shaped, but made with white, or dark or milk chocolate and as her eyes sought them all out, she noticed that they all wore tiny bobble hats in the exact colours of the rainbow flag. The same one’s he’d given out to the kids as they walked up and down their road the night the lights had all been switched on.
Then there was the clock, another painstaking masterpiece, with tiny threads of glittering gem drops spreading out from it to the small buildings around.
And the sea. Somehow, he’d done it. He’d captured the movement of the water, an icy blue rolling up towards the beach, which was full of pebbles made from the mottled sugar casing usually found around mini-eggs. She could almost hear the rush of the water, feel it between her toes, so icy, and yet his hand around hers so warm as they’d danced in and out.
Her heart flipped again as she saw the aquarium. The pier stretched into the distance, but there at the end of his pebbled beach was an opened-up version of the aquarium, complete with gorgeously sculpted sea animals. Turtles and fish and sharks and above them all, floating over the scene like something out of a dream, the stingray.
She swallowed and dragged her eyes away. ‘What’s this supposed to prove?’ she asked softly. ‘He’s crazy talented. We knew that. He sees all the beauty and the joy in the world and celebrates it.’
‘Ash. You told me he wasn’t that interested in going to the aquarium.’
‘No. He was humouring me to start with, then he got into it I think.’
‘Yes. Becauseyoushared it with him.’ Romesh moved closer and pointed to the stingray. ‘That is your favourite animal at the aquarium, and he’s made it part of this gorgeous scene, flying, because that is what you think of when you look at them. He’s included it either because he loved the idea or because…’
Her heart tripped a little, but she forced it to stop by taking a deep breath. ‘Because…?’
‘He wanted to make your dreams come true.’
She took another deep breath, willed the floating feeling to subside, concentrating on the cold and the feel of the hard cobbles beneath her feet. ‘You’re such an old romantic, Ro.’
Romesh let out a little growl of frustration. ‘Why are you so determined to believe he doesn’t care about you?’
‘Because heleft. He went back to Paris.’
‘Wellof coursehe did. You didn’t imagine he was going to throw his job and his home away on the basis of a few weeks of not-really-dating did you?’
‘No.’ Ashleigh flushed and turned her back on the window.
‘Exactly. He just went back to Paris, which was going to happen sooner or later – you always knew that. It didn’t mean you couldn’t start a relationship.’
‘A long-distance relationship? I don’t know if I could do it. And he never gave me any indication that’s what he was interested in either.’
‘But hedidstill want to go on the date, right?’ Romesh folded his arms and the look he gave her told her that there was no point her trying to dodge the question. She’d messaged him after it all happened anyway, so he’d probably just pull out his phone and start throwing the evidence of her pathetic meltdown at her.
She sighed. ‘Yes.’
‘Youwere the one who said it wasn’t worth it.Youtoldhim, he wasn’t worth the risk, Ash.Notthe other way around.’
All the blood was draining from Ashleigh’s head. Had she done that? She moved back and leant on the old stone sill of the window, letting all her bags droop down. She bit her lip. ‘Oh God, you’re right. I didn’t give him a chance. It just scares me, Ro. Caring about someone who could flit in and out of my life – leaving it longer and longer between visits and phone calls.’
‘That can happen with a man you meet who lives two roads away, sweetheart. I know why you’re scared. I do. But you’re letting your fear trip you up and lie to you. Telling yourself rubbish about not seeing the world the way he does. Never once has he said he thinks you’re dull or a downer, has he? And you know why? Hedoesn’tthink that. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and frankly, it almost makes me jealous. Almost. Because I have the best husband in the world.’ He turned around and sat next to her. The busy shoppers squeezed by, bundled up in their coats and hats. ‘Look, there’s no denying long distance is a ball-ache. But there are harder things people have to overcome to be with the people they love.’
Ashleigh’s mouth dropped open. She looked into Romesh’s dark, solemn eyes and felt awful. ‘I’m sorry. I’m making such a fuss and you’re right: it’s so much easier for me. I’ve never had to worry about someone taking offence or getting aggressive with me just because I held Olivier’s hand when we were out somewhere.’
‘Sweetheart, you don’t have to feel guilty about that. Grateful, yes, but all I want is you to realise that your difficulties can be overcome – if you want it enough.’ He put his arm around her shoulders. ‘Do you want to be with Olivier?’
