Prologue #2
Her explanation hadn’t stopped Briony from continuing to make those kinds of comments though and regularly checking in with Bex about whether this was what she actually wanted.
Briony had asked Bex how she could be so certain Liam was ‘the one’, and she’d often point out things about him she thought were less than ideal, like how much he enjoyed ‘nights out with the boys’.
‘I thought you were the one who said we’re too young not to be going out and enjoying ourselves?
’ Bex had raised her eyebrows, calling her sister out on her double standards.
It was just because Briony missed Bex being as available as she had been before; always ready to go out or away on a trip.
Briony had doubled down on raising her concerns after the rumours about Liam’s cheating had started circulating.
‘I just…’ Briony shook her head. ‘Don’t you ever question it when he says he’s staying round a mate’s house?
I don’t know, sometimes he just reminds me of Jeffrey.
’ And that had been the crux of the issue, right there – the realisation lifting the last trace of any doubt Bex might have had about Liam’s faithfulness off her shoulders.
Any behaviour that reminded either of them of their father was immediately heightened and seen as an indicator of impending doom, and it meant Briony saw red flags everywhere.
It was normal for someone of Liam’s age to want to go out with his mates a lot, and to sometimes prioritise that over Bex, and even saving up for the wedding.
She knew she was probably a bit obsessive in that respect – once she had a plan she was going to stick to it – but she didn’t expect Liam to be as disciplined as her.
The relationship wouldn’t work if there wasn’t a bit of yin and yang, so she was happy to make a few more of the sacrifices than he did.
That didn’t make her like their mother, because she was choosing to do it, rather than being forced to do so, and there was no way Liam’s behaviour even came close to their father’s.
No way. She knew Briony was just scared for her, and that her little sister’s apprehension was driven by fear of history repeating itself, so she let the comments go without turning them into an argument.
Even three years into Bex’s relationship with Liam, Briony remained guarded around him, but eventually she’d realise that Liam was nothing like their dad and would accept that he made Bex happy. She knew that was all that would matter to Briony in the end.
Their plans for after the wedding were now more exciting than she’d ever dreamt possible.
The day after her dress fitting, Ken had insisted on giving her the money to pay for the wedding in its entirety and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
He’d cashed in an endowment savings plan he had towards his retirement, having worked as a carpenter for years, taking contracts on building projects and running a small business of his own on the side.
Ken had no children of his own and when Bex had tried to turn down his very generous offer, he wouldn’t hear of it.
He’d insisted he was nowhere near ready to retire and that he had no intention of ever fully doing so, another year or two of working life meant nothing to him as a result, but paying for Bex’s wedding did.
She’d cried then and it had touched her heart in a way she’d never quite been able to find the words to express.
Now here they were, just three weeks and a day away from the wedding, and she couldn’t have been more delighted that Ken would be the one walking her down the aisle.
He’d been more of a dad to her than Jeffrey had ever been, and she didn’t feel like she was missing out on anything by not having her biological father there.
The day was going to be perfect. It also meant that she and Liam could start looking for a house straight away, because the money she’d saved would now form the bulk of their deposit. There was so much to look forward to.
‘Twenty-two days; it really is crazy how quickly it’s come round,’ Liam said now and she nodded, excitement making her voice come out in a much more high-pitched tone than normal when she answered him.
‘I know. Just think, this time next month, we’ll be Mr and Mrs Corrigan!’
‘Yeah. Listen, I’ve to get to work, angel, but I’ll see you tonight.
’ Liam planted a kiss on her forehead, almost absentmindedly, already turning towards the door, like someone dropping their child off at school before rushing to work.
But his use of the pet name he’d given her, made a warm glow settle in her chest. She was his angel and soon he’d be her husband, and they could start a whole lifetime of adventure together.
Whatever little wobbles she might have about the dress, becoming his wife was something she couldn’t wait for.
Bex had never been so glad to see the end of the working day.
It had been one that had tested her patience to the limit.
Working as a duty manager for a holiday park in Port Tremellien sometimes required her to smile when she felt like screaming.
The kind of complaints customers could come up with never ceased to amaze her.
Then there were guests like the ones who’d just left, who behaved appallingly – leaving the mobile homes where they’d been staying looking like a post-apocalyptic nightmare and expecting the staff at Seaspray Holiday Park to clean up the mess they’d left behind.
The Easter break had started, and the incoming guests would be wanting to check in soon.
With the general manager off on a holiday of his own, it had been Bex’s job to sort it all out and it had been a very long day.
She couldn’t even enjoy one of those lovely Thank God it’s Friday moments that people in normal jobs got to experience, because she’d be working the weekend too.
Liam understood that she often had to work late, and she’d texted him earlier in the day to say she might not make it home in time for dinner.
He’d told her not to worry and that they’d get a takeaway when she got in.
As it was, she’d worked a small miracle and managed to get away just half an hour after her scheduled finishing time.
It meant she had a lovely evening to look forward to with Liam: dinner and a bottle of wine, followed by a film and a snuggle on the sofa.
She didn’t need any more than that to be happy and she was already smiling at the thought by the time she pulled out of the car park.
She was still smiling when she pulled up outside the flat.
Maybe tonight she and Liam could log on to her laptop and look at the Rightmove website to see what else had come on to the market.
They’d already had a meeting with the mortgage adviser to find out how much they could borrow, and they knew their exact budget now, so they could really narrow down the search.
It would be something to focus on once the wedding was out of the way, which would be great because she didn’t want to be one of those brides who felt sad and deflated once the honeymoon was over, with nothing to look forward to any more.
The wedding was just the start for her and Liam.
There was music playing when she let herself into the flat and she’d been about to call out his name, but something stopped her.
The idea of catching him dancing around the living room as he sometimes did when he played his favourite music made her smile again.
Although this music was slower and softer than his usual choice.
Maybe he was cooking up a storm instead, awaiting her return.
Either way she couldn’t wait to see him, her heart still quickening at the thought of kissing him, just as it had the very first time.
Pushing open the door to the living area of the flat, her heart broke into a gallop so rapid she was scared it might burst out of her chest, but it wasn’t because she was imagining kissing Liam any more.
It was because she was watching him kiss her sister.