Page 47 of Never Gonna Happen

‘Fine by me. Anna next door is definitely a passion-killer.’

‘Weekends only.’

Jamie stared at her, his eyes wide. ‘You’re kidding.’

Emily shook her head. ‘I’m not. In the week I need to work and get my beauty sleep. I can’t have you keeping me up half the night.’

Jamie laughed, and Emily still couldn’t help but wonder how on earth she’d ended up in bed with this beautiful man. She finished her toast and swept the crumbs off the duvet and on to her plate, then scrambled out of bed and hastily wrapped herself in a towel.

‘Right. Shower, then I’m going back.’

‘What’s the hurry?’ asked Jamie. ‘It’s not even lunchtime.’

‘I need to do some life admin. I came back two days ago with a bin bag of dirty clothes, I need to do my nails myself since I can’t drive to Norwich in all this snow, and your family are back later so I should probably get my shit together.’

‘Fine,’ said Jamie. ‘At least it’s Wednesday so I get to see you in a couple of days.’

‘That’s true,’ said Emily. She thought for a second, then smiled sweetly at him. ‘Would you call yourself an environmentalist?’

Jamie frowned. ‘What kind of question is that?’

‘I mean, do you recycle and do stuff to save the planet, that kind of thing?’

Jamie shrugged. ‘I suppose. Why?’

‘Because showering together is apparently a really good way to save water.’ She turned off the light in the bathroom and dropped the towel in the doorway, then grinned at the noise of clothes being hastily removed and a mug and plate being abandoned on the windowsill.

Emily trudged back to the house with an end-of-school-holidays cloud hanging over her, adjusting to the idea that time with Jamie was going to have to take second place to work from now on. The snow had formed an icy crust overnight, making it treacherous to navigate, and the trees were already dripping in the sunshine. By the weekend the biggest snowstorm in Norfolk in decades would be reduced to a wet, grey slush.

The Hunter family were due back from Switzerland in a few hours, and she’d already had an email from the charter company to say that everything was on schedule. She could see Leon’s car outside the garage and Anna’s in the yard, so they’d both arrived back at some point since yesterday evening. She’d be glad to see Leon and say thank you for the blanket, and there was always a chance that ten days of rest and festive spirit had made Anna a bit more friendly. Then again, pigs might fly.

She found them both in the kitchen, Leon sitting at the table looking mutinous, and Anna standing by the kitchen island with her arms folded and a face like thunder. As Emily came through the kitchen door Leon turned and looked away, which prompted Anna to give her a look of purest loathing.

‘I’ll leave this to you,’ she hissed in Emily’s direction, then stalked out of the kitchen and up the back stairs.

Emily approached Leon with a creeping sense of doom, pretty sure she knew what this was about. She sat in the chair opposite him and laid her hands flat on the table. ‘Hi.’

Leon glanced up at her, then looked away again.

‘Is everything OK?’ she asked.

‘You said it wasn’t me,’ whispered Leon croakily. He wasn’t crying or anything, but he looked bereft, like someone had just died.

‘What do you mean?’

‘You said you didn’t want to go out with anyone.’ His tone had an edge of bitterness. ‘But you stayed with Jamie last night. Anna said your bed hasn’t been slept in.’

Fury bloomed in Emily’s chest. How could Anna rat her out and make Leon feel like this? And aside from anything else, what was she doing in her room?

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. She wasn’t sorry about Jamie, but she was sorry for hurting Leon’s feelings.

‘Why did you lie to me?’ he demanded.

‘I didn’t lie to you, Leon,’ she said gently, turning her palms upwards. ‘When you asked me out I definitely wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. But even if I was, it wouldn’t have been you. You’re my friend, but I’ve never felt more than that. I’m sorry.’

‘But you do feel more for Jamie?’

Emily nodded. ‘Yes. I didn’t plan it that way, but that’s how it is.’