Chapter 72
72
‘Excuse me?’ Holly didn’t know how she was meant to react. Giles was there. He was there, looking at her for the first time since she’d properly confessed her love. And he looked mad. But before she could speak, he snatched up her passport from the counter. ‘What are you doing?’
‘You’re going to take a job in America?’
‘It’s not?—’
‘Of all the irresponsible things you could do. I mean, it’s one thing only thinking about yourself now, but what about Hope?’
‘Excuse me?’
Giles shook his head, as if he couldn’t believe Holly was actually going away for three days. Like people didn’t do that? Like Hope didn’t have Ben there to look after her.
‘Caroline told me; she told me everything. She told me that you’re going to take this job, and you’re going to move to the other side of the world, to be closer to Evan’s family.’
‘She did?’
‘And that once you’ve got everything sorted, Ben’s going to send Hope over for six months a year. Six months! Why would you do that, Holly? How? How could you do that?’
‘Caroline told you this?’ Holly pinched the bridge of her nose. Caroline knew exactly what the situation was with Holly’s job. She was the one covering the extra shifts at the shop. So why would she tell Giles such a ridiculous lie? And how the hell could he believe she would do that to Hope? She opened her mouth to say as much, but Giles was still going.
‘You’re doing this to punish me, right? That’s what this is about. So not only do I have to lose you, but Hope too. You know how much I love her. And she adores me too. You know that. Of all the things?—’
‘Giles, Caroline has?—’
‘Excuse me, ma’am, could you please move to the side or give your passport back? We have quite a queue behind you.’
Holly tried to pull her passport out of Giles’s hand.
‘Sorry,’ she said, ‘yes. Just give me a moment.’ But he was holding on too tightly. If she pulled any harder, she was going to rip it in two, and then she definitely wouldn’t be getting on the flight.
‘No, you don’t get to do this,’ Giles said. ‘You don’t just get to pack up and leave because things have got difficult and not gone the way you want. It’s cowardly, Holly.’
That was it. Holly had heard enough.
‘For God’s sake, will you listen to me? Caroline engineered this. I am not moving to America.’
Giles’s eyes widened. ‘But you’re here? And you’ve got a massive suitcase.’
‘Which is filled with sweets. Yes, I am going for a job, but I’m not moving. It’s just a couple of days every few months, that’s all.’
‘It is? Then why did Caroline think—?’ It finally sank in. ‘She knew. She knew what I was going to do. She knew that I couldn’t…’
‘Ma’am, I really need you to move to the side. Otherwise, I will have to get you removed. Both of you.’
‘Fine. But I am getting on this flight. You’re not bumping me because of this.’
Grabbing her bag, Holly shifted to the side. She knew people were staring at her. Watching them, but she couldn’t move any further. Her legs wouldn’t let her. It had been less than two weeks since she had seen Giles. Half a month. Having him there, within touching distance, caused an ache to spread through her chest. It didn’t help how much he had changed, either. His face was dark with stubble – which was a long way from his normal, clean-shaven look. No doubt it was a request, or rather a demand, from Sienna.
‘You can go back home now, Giles,’ Holly said, her teeth gritted in anger. ‘I’m not abandoning my daughter, and as for the cowardly comment, I think you need to take a good hard look in the mirror there.’
His hand hung by his side. Holly used the moment to grab the passport. This time, it slipped out of his grip with ease. ‘Go back to Sienna, Giles. You have a wedding to plan. And I have a future to build.’
She was partway through turning around when he spoke again.
‘The wedding’s off.’
‘What?’ There it was again. The jolt in her heart. Like it had suddenly forgotten how to beat properly.
‘We got into a big argument, and she ended things.’
‘An argument?’ Holly said. ‘About what?’ She had a horrible feeling she already knew the answer.
‘About children in the wedding. She wanted to have all the little kids as flower girls and page boys, then not invite them to the reception, or something. It all escalated, and she walked out.’
Holly nodded. That sounded like an incredibly Sienna thing to want.
‘I’m sure you can fix things if you want to.’
He nodded. ‘I’m sure you’re right. But it was a while ago now. When we got back from Anglesey.’
‘What?’ That was almost two weeks ago. Why hadn’t he said something?
‘I think I was spoiling for a fight, if I’m honest,’ Giles continued. ‘You know, giving her a reason to break up with me.’
Silence followed.
‘So it’s over?’ Holly said, not sure why she couldn’t stop swallowing.
‘It is,’ Giles said.
A flicker of hope formed in Holly’s heart, but she quashed it before it could catch light.
‘But it doesn’t change anything, does it? You told me yourself, love isn’t always enough.’ A new throbbing began behind her ribs, while the heat of tears burned behind her eyes. ‘When I wrote you that letter, you weren’t even with her, but you still didn’t want me.’
‘Of course I want you! I want to be with you more than anything.’
‘But you?—’
He stepped towards her.
‘I messed up, Holly. I wanted to put things right between us, but I needed to do right by Sienna too. After everything I did to her, she was owed a bit of respect. Believe me, the minute it was over, I wanted to drive straight over to you, but that wouldn’t have been right. Not after calling off the engagement. That’s why I stayed away. Because I knew I’d have no restraint if I saw you. Besides, I’d been horrible to you in Anglesey. I was trying to work out how to apologise. But then I got your letter and it was perfect. So perfect. I just felt… inadequate. Like I’d never be deserving of your love. So I thought it would be better if I pushed you away. That maybe, if I believed you hated me, I could stop loving you quite so much. But it didn’t work. Not at all.’
‘Giles, I?—’
‘Oh screw this,’ he said.
Without another word, he swept her into his arms. It was a kiss that belonged in the movies. In a happily ever after. A kiss that told Holly everything had suddenly fallen into place and nothing would ever be in doubt again. As he pulled her closer, she felt the fear fly out of him too. This was how it was meant to be. This was always how it was meant to be.
A chorus of cheers went up behind them, and when they broke apart, a hearty blush coloured Holly’s cheeks. Giles, on the other hand, wore a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Still holding her hand, he lifted it up to his lips as if she was going to place a kiss there, only to hesitate.
‘You took your ring off,’ he said.
‘I did. Before Anglesey.’
‘Why? That ring’s a part of you, Holly. Evan’s part of you. And I wouldn’t change anything about that.’
‘I love you so much,’ she said.
‘The feeling’s mutual.’
She moved towards him. Her pulse drumming as she knew another kiss was only a heartbeat away, but before their lips touched, a loud throat-clearing stopped them.
Holly turned to find the air stewardess, and everyone else, looking at them.
‘Excuse me, ma’am, do I take this to mean you aren’t getting the flight?’
Holly looked up to Giles, where a glint in his eyes said it all.
‘You know what?’ she said to the air hostess. ‘I think I’ll take that flight bump after all.’