Page 88 of The Cosy Seaside Chocolate Shop

‘It all sounded fine, sensible,’ Adam started. ‘Give you the chance to start afresh. Go off to uni with a clean start. Make your new friends and settle in down there without being tied back here.’ He paused, looked out across the sea. ‘But then I saw the look on your face when I told you and I could see how much you were hurting. I didn’t know any more … and I was hurting too.’

Holly stood listening silently, holding her breath.

‘But then I felt like I had to carry it through. Oh Holly, I’ve been such a dickhead haven’t I?’

‘Uh-huh. You have.’ She wasn’t going to make this easy for him, but there was a curl of a smile playing on her lips.

‘Argh,’ he groaned, frustrated with himself.

Holly sat down on the rock beside him.

‘Jeez, I’ve done it all wrong. And I’ve hurt you … and I can’t bear the thought of not seeing you again, Holly.’ He looked up into her eyes.

‘I’m here now.’ And that’s the only place she wanted to be.

‘Holly, do you think we can just wipe that conversation from earlier? Can we try again? Even when you’re away? I know it might not be easy but …’

‘We’ve gotta at least try, yes.’

‘Oh, thank God.’

She shifted a little closer to him. ‘And hey, you’re a cute, gorgeous dickhead, by the way.’

‘Hah,’ Adam laughed.

He then leaned in, put his arms around his Holly, and they shared the most exquisite making-up kiss ever.

‘Hey, I’d better get going,’ said Bev, as she put the last of the crockery into the dishwasher at The Chocolate Shop. ‘Pete’s just texted; he’s wanting me to help with the last of the clearing up down at the harbour. I think there’s still tables and chairs to return to the village hall. It’s been a good day, hasn’t it?’

‘Yeah.’

‘And it’s great that Pete’s back getting involved with the village and not on the golf course quite so much. Things have been much better lately. Even Mum’s feeling a bit brighter too; she popped in earlier when you were down with Holly packing up the stall and she and Dad took a stroll around the fete this afternoon.’

‘That’s good. I’m so pleased to hear that. Do you need an extra pair of hands with those tables and chairs?’ Em offered.

‘No, you’re fine, thanks. I know you’ve still a lot to do here ’cos you’ll probably need to make up some more supplies for the shop tomorrow. We’re looking a bit like Old Mother Hubbard’s here, after today.’

‘True.’

The shop was then quiet. Em headed to the kitchen and started making some gourmet chocolate bars. Whilst she was melting the chocolate callets and getting the moulds out ready, her mind began replaying her conversation with Holly. Something nagged her inside.

Some things were worth fighting for. Some things were too important not to put right. It wasn’t just Holly who was miserable. Emma had been hiding her sore, sore heart for weeks now.

So, Max may not want to see her or speak to her, but she at least had to try. As fast as she could she filled the moulds, slightly slapdash compared to her usual careful crafting, left them on the side to cool and ran upstairs.

45

‘Come on, Alfie. We’re off boy.’

Emma grabbed her handbag, making sure her phone and purse were in it, and the T-shirt she’d quickly scribbled on as a last-minute idea. After letting Alfie into the boot, she set off to where her heart was pulling her.

It felt right, what she had to do and maybe what she should have done a couple of weeks ago.

Max hadn’t phoned. She had tried sending a couple more texts just this morning, but he hadn’t responded. But that didn’t mean it was a lost cause, not yet. He was just hurting. She couldn’t just let him slip away like that, without even trying to fully explain. She felt all wrong, had done ever since that crazy kiss with Nate. She’d been having trouble sleeping, she’d been off her food. Her soul felt sore with it all.

The traffic was frustratingly slow, with all the holidaymakers filing back southward after their weekend away or day out. And then there was a tractor holding everything up. As she finally turned off at the exit, she knew she was only twenty minutes away from Max’s house, and she couldn’t hold back the surge of hope that raced through her.

‘Not far now, Alfie,’ she called over her shoulder, ‘then you can have a runabout in Max’s garden.’