Page 61 of The Secret Holiday Kiss

Daisy heard a but in his voice. ‘What is it?’

He looked down at her, his grey eyes in shadow. ‘Why is your favourite view the one where you’re looking at the village from a distance? It’s pretty, but so is the view from the green, or the fish and chip shop. The pub has big windows.’

Daisy forced a laugh. ‘You want to show me the view from the pub?’

‘Of course I do,’ he said easily, ‘but that’s not what I’m saying and you know it.’

She sighed.

‘You were always a bit apart, back then,’ he went on. ‘I know your mum got ill, that it wasn’t easy and not everyone was kind, but—’

‘Who wasn’t kind?’ Daisy cut in. ‘I wasn’t the most forthcoming child, but I don’t remember people being mean about me.’

Avery had gone very still.

She put a hand on his arm, felt a crackle like electricity passing between them. ‘You have to tell me now. You can’t just mention it then clam up.’

‘There were these boys, at school,’ Avery said. ‘They had always given Harry grief about living in the manor, but then one of them overheard the teachers discussing your mum, and they ramped it up. They said she was the cursed witch in the haunted house, and it was so fucking mean, Daisy. It was so—’

‘I didn’t know,’ she cut in. ‘I don’t ever remember hearing that. Not from Harry or Dad or anyone else. I was never outgoing, but then, when Mum got ill, I just wanted to be with her, to help her get better.’ She swallowed. ‘I don’t remember … What happened to them? The unkind boys?’

Avery turned his gaze back to the darkened rooftops, the pockets of light. ‘They didn’t get away with it.’

‘What do you—?’ She stopped, because it was suddenly so clear. ‘You beat them up? They were the boys you fought with? The reason your parents sent you to boarding school? You ended up there because of us?’

His sigh was harsh. ‘I was Harry’s friend, and your mum was really ill. They were being fucking assholes, and I thought you were … I thought you were fragile,’ he said. ‘I didn’t want you to hear anyone say those things about you or your family, and I knew the teachers would brush it off and they wouldn’t stop. I had never done anything like that before, but it was the only way.’

‘And you got punished for it.’

Avery folded his arms. ‘Ironic that the boys my parents were worried about me hanging out with were the ones I’d fought with. But they saw it as me going off the rails, and there weren’t many secondary options around here.’

‘But it … it changed your life.’

‘Every action, every decision we make changes our lives,’ Avery pointed out. ‘You can’t always predict the consequences. I’m mostly happy with where I’ve ended up.’

‘Don’t be flippant about this. Does Harry know? May?’

He shook his head. ‘It’s in the past. I don’t know why I told you.’

‘You did a huge thing for us, when you were so little. Avery …’ She didn’t know what to say, so she wrapped her arms around him. He didn’t hesitate; he pulled her close and hugged her to him, his chin on her head.

‘It’s a great view,’ he said quietly. ‘All the houses lit up like that. But I’d still like to take you to the pub.’

‘I would like to go to the pub with you.’

He pulled back to look down at her. ‘And not because of what happened over thirty years ago. I don’t want any pity from you, any sense of paying me back, OK? It was a long time ago, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I just knew you were going through a shit time. You and Harry.’

‘I don’t want to pity go to the pub with you,’ she said. ‘I want to do it because I like you, and I know we’d have a good time.’

‘Great.’ He smiled. ‘That’s settled then. Monday night?’

She wrinkled her nose. ‘I’m in London on Monday, but I can make it back in time.’

‘London? Why?’

‘I have to check on my flat, and I want to pick up some bits for the ball.’

‘You’re going all out.’