Chapter Thirty-One

 

The sound of Will’s voice made my insides light up. I straightened my pyjamas and opened the door. Fern ran in past me. I looked at Will.

“Sorry, I just felt … weird about the way things were left between us. And … I didn’t want you to be on your own tonight,” he said.

“Thank you,” I told him and let him in. “I was just going to bed.”

“That’s okay. I’ll just be in the other room.”

“You sure?”

“It’s more comfortable than that single cold lumpy one at Guy’s.”

I laughed, relieved he was here and yet sorry I’d have to bid him good bye a second time in the morning. We lingered in the hallway a moment.

“You want a drink before bed?” I asked him.

“Maybe another hot chocolate?” He smiled and went into the kitchen. I followed him and watched as he prepared them. We sat on the sofas and I told him about Hayley.

“Wow, seems a bit cruel,” he said, sipping his drink.

“I know. Poor Kieran.”

“Will you be alright driving back on your own?”

“Yeah, I think so. I’ll take regular breaks. Drink coffee.”

“What are you going to say to Ross?”

“I haven’t even thought about it,” I admitted. “He’s expecting us to be together when I get back. There’s so much to do, so much to sort out.”

He nodded. “You’ll get through it.”

I didn’t want to ask about what he was going to do when he got home.

“And his brother?”

“I don’t know,” I told him honestly. I hadn’t even given Aiden much thought. “It feels like such a long time since I saw them. This week has flown by, yet it feels like I’ve been here a lot longer.”

“I know what you mean.”

“I better get to bed, long journey tomorrow.” I got up and washed up our cups.

“Well, thanks for coming back tonight,” I said. “Goodnight Will.” I turned towards my bedroom.

“You remember how we used to snuggle in bed?”

I spun back around to face him.

“Yes?” I asked, my heart pounding.

“We’d lie there all morning, cuddling up, clothes on so our parents didn’t think we were doing anything, but just holding each other?”

I nodded and smiled at the memory.

“Want to do that tonight?”

I looked up at him.

“How would your wife feel about that, Will?”

He swallowed. “Look, Jenny, I can’t say for sure how I feel about her, and I know it was wrong to kiss you, and perhaps to even be here. But I do know that I’ve had a great time with you and you’re the best friend I’ve got right now. And it’s cold and I wouldn’t mind a cuddle with my friend. So what do you say? No funny business. Just snuggling up.”

I hesitated for a second.

“Okay. Clothes on.”

“Of course.”

So there I lay, my last night on Skye, wrapped up in the arms of the man I was pretty sure I’d fallen in love with, wondering what my husband would say when I told him it was over; wondering if Will loved Mandy, or me, or neither. Wondering if I’d ever have a man to hold me like this ever again. I fell asleep feeling contented yet sad.