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‘Let me help you look for those, buddy.’ Eddie hastened after him. Even Naomi and Zahida slipped away, their need for gossip satiated.
‘What do you mean, he’s gone?’ Holly said finally, directing her question at the remaining people in the room, her core group of friends. ‘Where has he gone? This is his house. Besides, I thought he was getting a flight back with us?’ She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead and temples with a pinched finger and thumb. ‘Where is he?’
‘Apparently, it was work,’ Fin said, although the lie was so poorly veiled that Holly didn’t even bother acknowledging it.
‘Where is he?’ she said again.
Finally, it was Caroline who stepped forward and spoke.
‘We got up this morning, and he said he had to go. He needed to get an early flight out.’
‘What?’ Holly was having trouble putting all the information together. ‘I didn’t think there were any other flights. There’s only one a day.’
‘Out of Nice.’ Fin answered. ‘He can charter a helicopter whenever he likes out of Monaco.’
‘Of course he can.’ A heavy weight pressed down on Holly’s chest as she waited for someone to say more. To say something that would make this situation even slightly bearable, but none of them had anything.
‘He waited up all night, Holly,’ Jamie said eventually. ‘I think… we all thought…’
‘That I’d chosen Giles.’
Her friends nodded. A lump had lodged itself in Holly’s throat, forcing out tears she didn’t want to shed. Especially not in front of people. After all, it wasn’t like she’d even known Evan for long. Could she really cry for a man she had only known for three days? Already knowing the answer, she sniffed back her tears, trying to think of something jovial to say, when a car beeped in the driveway,
‘That’ll be the taxi,’ Fin said. ‘We need to get going. We don’t want to miss this flight.’
It felt as though everyone was moving around her. As if she had someone slipped into another dimension. One that was full of numbness and self-doubt. Caroline fetched her suitcase, Sandra did a double check in all the rooms, and then that was it. They were driving away.
‘Don’t worry.’ Jamie huddled herself up in the seat next to Holly. ‘Fin will message Evan and make sure he knows you came back for him. We’ll sort out something when he’s back in the UK.’
And when would that be?Holly wanted to say. After Hope had been born, Giles had moved to a different country to get away from her. Evan might well do the same. It could be months until she got to see him. Besides, why would he believe her? She had already sent him six messages, all of which had been left unread, and his phone went straight to voicemail. She had ruined things the moment she had been too blind to see what was standing there in front of her and gone off chasing a ghost. A ghost, it turned out, she was no longer in love with anyway.
With her head pressed against the window of the minibus, it was hard not to think of the journey over. How Evan had been so patient with her on the plane. And how he’d done everything to ensure he was the perfect host. Maybe if she’d let her guard down and been open to the possibility of a little fun earlier, they would never have got into this position.
‘Did you hear that, Holly?’ Jamie tapped her on her shoulder.
‘Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts.’
‘Fin said that they’re having a function in London later in the year. At the Shard. Maybe we could all go to that. Evan will definitely be there.’
‘Maybe,’ Holly replied.
By the time they reached the airport, Holly was numb. She couldn’t even say she was looking forward to going home. Of course she wanted to see Hope, desperately, but even without being able to speak, her daughter could read Holly’s mood better than anyone. She would know that something was off. And then, she was going to have to face the reality of Georgia and Ben. He had probably moved her in by now. And got her a jumper withBEST STEP-MUM IN THE WORLDsewn on it.
They stood outside departures, unloading the minibus one by one, before collecting all their luggage. All around her, people were getting in and out of cars and taxis. The midday sun was burning now, though it didn’t bother her. It would be the last time she felt this type of sun for a very long time, and she wanted to remember it all.
Before she could get her phone out for one last photograph, the minibus was driving away and they were heading inside, lining up in the baggage drop queue.
‘You know, I get it’s tough.’ Fin sidled beside Holly in the queue. ‘But you two had something special together. Right off the bat I could see it, just like Jamie and me. At some point, this will be a silly story you tell the children.’
‘I’d like to think so,’ Holly replied.
‘It will be. Trust me. You know I’ve got your back. Just let me know if there’s anything I can do and I’ll be there for you.’
She nodded and cast her gaze around the large hall. There were so many people, just like her, lining up, ready to head back to their real lives, but there were so many others too. People hugging and laughing as they greeted one another. People squeezing their loved ones goodbye as they prepared to leave them. And outside, through the big windows of the departures lounge, she could see the row of white taxis waiting to take people off on holiday, or back to their loved ones. And all of a sudden, a thought struck her.
‘Actually Fin, there is something you can do for me. You can lend me your credit card.’
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