Riley had assumed that his life would go back to normal: simple, uncomplicated, and easy. But it hadn’t been like that. He’d been unable to forget about Monica. He felt like a tornado had whisked him off for a few months to a Technicolor land, where everything was a little strange and intense, where he had no idea what lay around the next bend in the yellow brick road, and now he was back in Kansas feeling strangely . . . deflated.
Why had he given up so easily? Why hadn’t he tried harder to convince Monica to come with him? Why had he not offered to stay here? He could travel around Europe, as planned, but then come back to London and pick up where he’d left off. Suddenly, it all seemed so obvious.
Riley shook off the lethargy that had plagued him for the last few days, and with a surge of energy, purpose, and passion, left his apartment and walked toward the Fulham Road. It was late, so the cemetery was locked up, but he barely noticed the extra distance he had to travel, he was so fired up with determination. Riley felt like he had joined the ranks of romantic heroes who would do anything to win their fair princess. He was Mr. Darcy, he was Rhett Butler, he was Shrek. Maybe not Shrek.
As Riley neared Monica’s apartment, he could tell she was still awake. Her curtains were open, and the light from her sitting room shone out like a homing beacon. Riley crossed the road and craned his neck to see if he could see her.
He couldn’t. But he could see Hazard. What was Hazard doing in Monica’s apartment so late at night?
Suddenly he felt very stupid. All those excuses about her responsibilities and her business, when the truth was that Monica was seeing someone else. All the times he and Hazard, his friend, had been gardening and Hazard kept bringing the conversation round to Monica. Now it made sense.
Was that why Hazard had invited Monica to the wedding? He’d thought it was a bit strange, but Riley had trusted him. Trusted them both. He shouldn’t be surprised. Hazard with his rugged, dangerous good looks, his quick wit, and his brilliant business acumen was the obvious choice.
How could he have been so naive? No wonder Monica couldn’t love him.
Riley felt a wave of exhaustion engulf him. Since he’d first turned up here, at this café, he’d found a perfect Riley-sized space, in this wonderful city, among these extraordinary people. But now that space had closed up and he’d been spat out. An unwanted intruder, a foreign body. It was time to move on.
Riley turned back toward Earl’s Court, a different man entirely from the one who’d left there barely half an hour ago. People thought that because Riley was so cheerful and sunny he didn’t feel. But they were wrong. They were very wrong.