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I force myself to look at him directly, a bright smile on my face. I might feel as though my heart is breaking all over again, but there’s no reason why he should guess that. Pity is the last thing I need from Alex Fielding.
He frowns. ‘You’ve lost me. I understand what you mean by together, but “back together" seems to indicate that she and I were once together. And nothing could be further from the truth.’
I feel a flash of anger at his duplicity, quickly followed by an emotion I can’t quite define.
‘Your memory can’t be that bad,’ I say. ‘Or have there been so many other girls that you’ve lost track? I’m talking about that New Year’s Eve party. You and Suzy were certainly together back then. I remember it clearly because I was stuck at the hospital watching it all on Facebook.’
He looks thunderstruck. ‘So, that was why –’
He stops. ‘I mean, there was absolutely no reason why you should have wanted to continue dating me. But me and Suzy? How could you have got that idea?’
‘Are you seriously denying that you and she got together that night, and that it only ended when you cheated on her with someone else?’ I say hotly. ‘Maybe you thought she’d be too embarrassed to tell me about that, but she wasn’t. Why should she be? She hadn’t done anything wrong.’
He takes a step towards me then stops. ‘That’s exactly what I’m saying! I don’t how you got your wires crossed, but crossed they most certainly were. It would never have entered my mind to ask Suzy out. In fact, the boot was entirely on the other foot –’
He stops abruptly. ‘But that’s neither here nor there. As for us dancing last night, I can assure you that she and I were never an item and never could be. As soon as I heard what was playing, I made an excuse and left. You probably don’t remember, but –’
‘But you did!’ I insist. ‘You started seeing Suzy that night. You were all over her on Facebook.’
‘She was all over me,’ he says. ‘But you didn’t see me reciprocating.’
I try to remember. ‘Maybe not, but she texted me to say you’d been making out, and she told me she’d seen your tattoo.’
‘My tattoo?’ he says, thunderstruck. ‘Do you mean that stupid dolphin sticker Caitlin gave me for Christmas? I only stuck it on to horrify Mum.’
‘So, how did Suzy see it?’ I say.
‘She didn’t! It isn’t anywhere I’d have shown anyone –’
He stops abruptly and rolls his eyes. ‘Caitlin! It must have been. She and Suzy were talking together at the party and giggling about something. But I had no idea what they were saying.’
I stare at my feet. ‘So, you and she weren’t together until the Easter holidays when you told her you were seeing someone else and dumped her?’
‘I think I’d remember something like that,’ he says.
‘It was a long time ago,’ I mumble.
‘Not that long! But even if it were twice as long, I would still remember.’
He turns to face me, and the look in his eyes makes my heart thump even harder. ‘Not only was I not dating Suzy, but I was also head over heels in love with someone else.’
The silence stretches between us, no longer separating but connecting us. I become aware that the street is absolutely silent, all sounds muffled by the thick covering of snow. It’s so silent that I’m sure he must be able to hear the beating of my heart.
I raise my eyes to meet his. ‘I didn’t know that.’
‘Don’t you want to know who it was?’ he says, a sudden glint of his old, teasing smile in his eyes.
I nod, unable to tear my gaze from his.
He takes another step towards me and stops, as though unsure whether I’m going to turn and run. When I don’t move, he puts his hands on my shoulders.
‘Annie, there was no one for me but you back then, and there’s no one else for me now. Whatever happens, that isn’t going to change. So, what I need to know is whether there’s any chance you could ever feel the same way about me?’
Without stopping to think, I fling my arms around his neck and kiss him. For one stunned second, he seems to freeze, then his arms go around me too. We stand locked together for what seems like hours.
When at last I pull away to breathe, he still doesn’t release me. He looks down at me with a smile in his eyes. ‘So, is that a yes?’
‘I think it must be,’ I say breathlessly.
