It’s a good question. I told Vandi, after all. ‘Because you were weirded out about what happened with him when I was sixteen.’
‘That was different. You were a kid then, but this connection with Mark now, it’s the real deal. I suspected he might have feelings for you, but I wasn’t sure if you did.’
‘They’ve taken me by surprise. But everything changed after Dad told me about …’
Yan frowns.
I pause. But then I fill him in, and his expression turns from confusion to wonder.
‘Shit,’ he says eventually. ‘All this stuff going on under our noses.’
‘Yeah.’
We both silently take sips of our drinks.
‘So, what’s going to happen now?’ he asks.
‘Nothing’s going to happen. He’s going to Venezuela the day after tomorrow.’
‘Hypothetically, what if hewasn’t?’
‘But he is, Yan.’
‘Plans can change.’
I shake my head. ‘It’s been exactly three weeks since I found out Rich was cheating.Three weeks, Yan. I still haven’t moved my stuff out of his flat. I’m not going to run headlong into another relationship.’
‘I don’t understand how you can be so level-headed about this. Is he rubbish in bed or something?’
I roll my eyes. ‘Yes, he’s terrible at sex. I had to close my eyes and think of Channing Tatum. Forhours.’
An appreciative nod. ‘Hours? Must be all those protein shakes.’
Raised voices announce that Pen and Tig are close by.
‘We should get going,’ I say. ‘I can hear our darling sisters.’
I try to stand, but Yan stops me. ‘We’ve heard from your level head – what does your heart say?’
He deserves an honest answer. I’m just not surehowhonest I can bear to be.
‘I’m going to miss him like crazy. And I could so easily fall head over heels, but I’m fragile and I need to be sensible. Besides, everything’s been such a rollercoaster with him. Who knows if this thing has legs or if it’s just based on—’
‘“Terrible sex”?’
‘Exactly.’
He seems convinced by my answer.
All I need to do now is convince myself.
Chapter 54
Tig is surprisingly calm in the limo on the way to the church. Mum and Dad have gone up ahead and it’s me, Pen, and Yan who will be accompanying Tig down the aisle.
She could not look happier or more radiant. And when I tell her, she replies, ‘Duh, why do you think I’m taking so many selfies? I know where my best angles are. I don’t trust this photographer that Theo found at short notice.’
‘Don’t worry, we’ll all be taking photos,’ Yan assures her.
