Page 74 of The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop

‘He was kissing Emma? You sure?’ Max looked shocked. His hand clenched around his glass as though he might just crush it.

‘Look, there may have been a drink too many involved or something. Emma did seem a bit tipsy as we left. And I hate to be the one to tell you, mate. But if it were Holly … well, I’d want to know.’

Adam’s voice was fading in Max’s head. The bastard. The sodding bastard.

Max stood up. Nate was still there, clearing tables. Max strode across, picked him up by the scruff of his T-shirt and raised him into the air, so they were eye to eye. Nate was dangling with several pint glasses precariously balanced in one hand. ‘You little piece of scum! You leave Emma alone.’ The words were forceful.

Nate stayed silent at first. He had no doubt that he deserved this. He didn’t know how to begin to explain his actions with Emma. All he managed was a feeble ‘Sorry mate’, which came out slightly strangled as he was held in Max’s grip. He waited for the punch that would inevitably follow.

Max’s fists tingled, but there was a family sitting out in the garden just a few metres away from them. He placed the little piece of shit back on the ground. Jesus, any man who’d take advantage of their dead brother’s girlfriend wasn’t worth fighting with anyway – though it might well have given Max a great deal of satisfaction to punch his lights out.

But what hurt more … That massive sense of disappointment he felt wasn’t with Nate, it was with Emma. And it made Max feel sick.

Max walked back over to Adam. ‘Sorry, mate, but I’ve got to go.’

‘Yeah, understood. No worries. Just shout if you need anything, okay.’

But Max was already away. The ring that was safely stowed in the jeweller’s box in his pocket now felt as if it was burning a hole in his palm.

Emma looked up out of the kitchen window to see Max striding back across the courtyard. He’d only been gone about twenty minutes and she’d thought she was meeting him down there. He looked stiff, angry almost. Emma smiled. He didn’t smile back.

He walked right in. Emma was washing up, having just finished the chocolates.

‘Max?’ There was definitely something up.

Two heartbeats of silence.

And then she knew, even before he spoke.

‘I can’t believe it, Em. Is it true? Ah shit, it has to be true. Adam wouldn’t make something like this up.’

‘What is it, Max?’ She knew, but was clinging onto one last shred of hope, that there was some other reason for his anger, some other annoyance they could get back from.

‘Come on, Em. Don’t play the innocent. Your lying just makes it even worse. Holly and Adam saw you.’

Emma just nodded and bit her lip as the tears crammed her eyes. ‘Yes, it’s true. I did kiss Nathan. But—’

‘Fuck.’ He seemed to double up in pain.

‘Max, please. It was just a silly, crazy moment. I think he reminded me so much of Luke … I’m sorry. So sorry. It didn’t mean anything.’

‘I thought this, us … I thought what we had was special. I thought it was love, Em. I was ready to give you everything.’ He paused.

‘It is special. I do love you, Max.’

‘Well, you’ve got a funny way of showing it. This isn’t love.’

‘I had a couple of drinks, Max. I regretted it straight away. It was a huge mistake.’

‘That’s one thing you’ve got right, Em. This is one huge mistake.’

‘Max, I’m sorry.’

The anger subsided, but instead he looked at her blankly. He appeared almost numb.

‘Sorry isn’t enough, is it?’ She knew she had pressed the self-destruct button on their relationship.

‘No, Em. I can’t just ignore this.’