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I stand, determined to end the night in a good mood.
But Jayce walks towards us.
And my heart immediately thuds in my chest at the sight of him.
“Hi, Tegan. Mrs Williams.” He acknowledges, but his eyes seek mine. “Can I buy you a drink?”
CHAPTER27
JAYCE
Now
Zennor looks startled, but for the first time in the last couple of weeks, she doesn’t look like she’s about to bite my head off or spit fire and fury at me.
Her sister and Mum edge away from the table, and I see them waving their goodbyes as I wait for Zennor’s answer.
This is a test of sorts—a proper drink out in public for the first time since the apology.
And the kiss.
The kiss I couldn’t stop if my next breath depended on it. With all of our emotions so ragged and exposed, it was as if it was needed to cut through the words to find the soul of our feelings.
It’s all still there. The connection we had, under years of distance and the last few weeks of drama, gives me hope.
After all, I came here wanting to live for today. Tomorrow was never guaranteed, and I knew that with a certainty I wish I didn’t. All I had to do was hope Zennor could see that, too.
“Umm, sure. One drink.”
“Red, again?”
“Please.”
“Shall we grab a table outside?” The restaurant was still busy, and it looked like a great evening, with the sun still warming the air. I lead her through the bar and order the drinks.
“Sure.”
The Zennor standing next to me reminds me of the woman I met here in the bar a few weeks ago. She’s quiet—taken aback or nervous, maybe? She’s not the over-confident woman who led me to bed in an attempt to hurt me. More hope.
We collect our drinks and head outside to one of the tables overlooking the sea.
“When the weather is like this, it’s my favourite time of day,” I muse, looking out towards the sun hanging low in the sky.
“You must have seen some fantastic sunsets in your time around the world.”
“Yep. I won’t deny that. I’ve been fortunate to see some pretty amazing places. What about you? Have you travelled much?” I focus my attention back on Zee.
“Some. The British Virgin Isles were a highlight. Also, Mauritius. A lot of city breaks in Europe.”
“Sounds nice.” Although her expression didn’t tell me they were all happy memories.
“It had its moments.” She smiles and fiddles with the stem of her wine glass.
Okay. Time to change the subject. “It looked like you were having a nice time with your family.” I hoped it wasn’t a going away dinner. After finally getting through to Zennor and finding out her side of our story, I didn’t want her to vanish and move somewhere else. I wanted her to stay.
“It was a celebration of sorts.” This time she looks genuinely happier, and I see a glimmer of the girl I knew.
“Oh?” I press for more information and lean in a little.
