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‘Look, I’d rather not talk about this here. It’s not the time or place.’
Amelia laughed bitterly. ‘When is the time and place, Declan? You had plenty of opportunity to tell me this before. Like yesterday when you came begging, or this morning when I wasn’t sure about leaving. Or the day you walked out . . . or the weeks after when you ignored all my calls. You had ample time to tell me.’
An older lady tutted and shook her head at Declan as she made her way towards the flight attendant.
‘I thought we’d rushed into things with trying for a family . . . It all came so soon after the wedding. I panicked. You were so focused on the wedding and the bloody flowers and then having a baby . . .’
‘But we talked about wanting a family. It was what we both wanted.’
‘Well, maybe I just went along with it,’ said Declan quietly.
‘So this is all my fault? Is that what you’re saying?’
‘Eejit,’ said another passenger, giving him a withering look.
‘No, that’s not what I’m saying. The thing with Cara was a mistake. But it was hardly my fault.’
Did he actually just say that?Amelia shook herself.He slept with Cara, and now he’s trying to say none of it was his fault.
‘Okay. . .are you telling me I am to blame?’
‘No, not at all . . .’
‘But you are completely contradicting yourself with every word that comes out of your mouth.’
‘I made a mistake,’ he yelled.
‘How many mistakes did you make, Declan? Just the one or were there several mistakes?’
He looked towards the dwindling queue of passengers, clearly in a panic. The departure lounge had almost emptied.
‘And to walk out with no explanation. How do you think that made me feel?’
He hung his head in shame.
‘This was a mistake,’ Amelia said. ‘I should never have come back with you. When will I learn to follow my instincts?’
‘I’m sorry . . .’
‘So you keep saying, Declan, but are you?’ Amelia paused before speaking again, this time in a hushed voice. ‘Did you sleep with her in our bed?’
He didn’t reply.
‘And you think you can snap your fingers and expect me to come running back? You walked out on me three months after our marriage with no explanation. You didn’t return any of my calls or messages. You left me wondering what I had done wrong. And you betrayed me with one of our friends. A guest at our bloody wedding, Declan. You made those vows in front of her knowing you’d cheated. Did you have a right good laugh about it all?’ Her eyes blazed in anger. ‘Did you know I was going to lose my job before I did? Did you include that as part of the pillow talk?’ He wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘Wow. Then you walked out as soon as your guilt got the better of you and knowing I had lost my job. You are weak and pathetic.’
‘This is a final announcement for any passengers joining the flight to Heathrow. This is your final call.’ The airline steward was looking pointedly in their direction.
‘Please go, Declan. It’s over.’
Declan looked utterly dejected. He gazed pleadingly at her one last time. ‘I am sorry, Amelia. I really am.’
‘Goodbye, Declan.’ This time she turned and walked away and didn’t look back.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Amelia made her way back out of Departures. She went straight to the ladies and, once inside a cubicle, burst into tears. She wiped her face, laughing when she realised they were tears of relief rather than sadness.I knew I didn’t want to go with him.When will I learn to trust my intuition?Thank goodness she had taken her rucksack on as hand luggage, otherwise she would have nothing. But Amelia realised she didn’t need anything. Who cared about stuff? What did it matter?
Sitting there in the cramped toilet at Glasgow Airport, she began to laugh.
