Chapter 12 #2
Alba looked back at her, clearly trying to determine whether Ellie was joking or not. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You should.”
The wind changed direction, catching a strand of Alba’s hair and drawing it across her cheek.
She brushed it back, her fingers grazing the curve of her ear.
Ellie’s gaze followed the motion, drawn to it like gravity.
These days, her attention kept snagging on such fleeting things…
mostly Alba’s unconscious movements that once would have passed unnoticed.
“So…” Alba swirled the wine in her glass, her shoulders a little more relaxed. “Does this mean you’re ready to throw yourself back into the terrifying world of dating?”
Ellie considered the question carefully.
Dating. It felt like a concept that belonged to someone else’s life.
She hadn’t thought about it once since separating from Colin.
Back then, her world had been Eloise, work, and the routine they’d built together.
And then…everything had changed. “It’s not something I’ve thought about. ”
“Well, you’ve just rated me as an acceptable dinner companion, so maybe it’s something you should be thinking about. We only get one life, Ellie…and if I’ve learned anything since we met, it’s that you deserve something more than going home to an empty house.”
And if you’re the one I want to come home to…
That thought slipped into Ellie’s mind so suddenly that she had to close her eyes and draw in a slow breath, forcing herself to steady. Thinking things like that would only make the rest of this weekend infinitely more complicated.
She wanted to be honest about the way Alba made her feel, but she had absolutely no idea how to start that conversation. And the mere thought that it could destroy the friendship they’d built so easily between them…that risk felt far too big.
“Maybe, I don’t know. I think I’m reaching that point, but it’s been so long since I thought about dating. I’ve been unavailable for most of my adult life…”
Alba turned to face her. “I think anyone would be lucky to have you, Ellie. Don’t let the fact you haven’t dated in a long time put you off. It’s not as scary as you think out there.”
Ellie nodded slowly, her gaze drifting back out across the lake.
“It’s strange. For a long time, the idea of meeting someone new felt impossible.
Not even because I didn’t want to…it just felt like something that belonged to a different version of my life.
” As Alba listened quietly beside her, Ellie realised that listening was one of Alba’s most reassuring qualities.
She never interrupted, and she never rushed her.
She simply stayed present. “But lately, it doesn’t feel quite so impossible anymore. ”
“Well, I-I…I think it’s a brilliant idea.”
Ellie noticed it immediately—the slight tension in Alba’s shoulders. It was subtle, barely visible unless you were paying attention, but Ellie was paying attention. “You do?”
“Of course.” Alba took another sip of her wine before continuing. “You deserve to be happy. If you think you could be ready for a relationship, that’s…that’s really good.”
Her voice was sincere, and yet, something in her expression felt a little more complicated. Ellie searched her eyes. “Why do you sound like you’re trying to convince yourself of that rather than me?”
“I’m not.”
Ellie narrowed her eyes. “You’re terrible at lying, you know.”
“I’m not lying.” Alba lifted a shoulder as she stepped away from the railing and lowered herself onto the outdoor furniture. “It’s just…a big step, that’s all.”
“It is.” Ellie followed her and settled onto the seat beside her. “And maybe it’ll all go wrong, but you’re right. We do only have one life.”
Alba nudged her shoulder and smiled. “God help whoever you meet. They’ll have to be very impressive.”
“Oh?” Ellie lifted a brow. “Why so?”
“I’ve seen the standards you hold people to at work. I can only imagine what the interview process looks like in your personal life.”
Ellie grimaced, but she knew Alba was only playing with her. “That’s a terrifying thought.”
“Oh, I know.” Alba winked. “Don’t forget that I’ve been on the receiving end of one of your interviews.”
“You were the best decision I’ve made in a long time, Alba.” Ellie lifted her glass and clinked it lightly against Alba’s. “And if this friendship is anything to go by, the bar for my dating life has risen a lot.”
Alba gazed back at her, her lips parted, and then she drew away ever so slightly and crossed her legs.
Whatever it was that continued to spark between them, Ellie wanted more of it.
She wanted all of it. As she sat there, filled with contentment, she had to wonder if her future was sitting right beside her.
Don’t ruin this weekend by doing something stupid.
By the time they’d stepped back inside the suite, Alba was shattered.
She closed the door, careful not to let it slam, and carried the empty wine glasses over to the small table near the couch.
She placed them down slowly, deliberately giving herself something practical to focus on, because thinking about the conversation they’d just had outside wasn’t going to help her get through the rest of the evening with any dignity.
She thinks she’s ready to start dating again.
The thought sat heavily in Alba’s mind, refusing to move no matter how much she tried to push it aside.
It shouldn’t have bothered her. If anything, she should have been pleased, because Ellie deserved whatever happiness she could find.
After everything she’d been through, the idea that she was beginning to feel ready to open up that part of her life again was a genuinely good sign.
Alba had meant what she’d said out there.
Whoever Ellie eventually ended up with would have to be pretty impressive.
The problem was…Alba had very quietly hoped that maybe Ellie would never reach that point.
Because as long as Ellie wasn’t looking for anyone, Alba could continue pretending that the ridiculous crush she’d developed wasn’t entirely hopeless.
Now, that illusion felt considerably harder to maintain.
She cleared her throat and forced herself back into the present. “Well, I’m going to get changed before I fall asleep in this dress.”
Ellie yawned. “Probably a good idea.”
Alba slipped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, leaning against it as she let out a slow breath. The mirror reflected her tired expression back at her immediately.
Brilliant.
It wasn’t exactly the face of someone enjoying a relaxing spa weekend.