Chapter Seventy-One
The yowling died on my lips. My eyes snapped open.
‘Milo,’ I said hoarsely. My ears rang in the ensuing silence. I shook my head. Were there bells on my earlobes? Still sprawled on the sofa, I squinted up at him.
‘Forgive me for barging in,’ he apologised. ‘I did knock, but there was no response. Given that the three of you sounded like you were being murdered, I took it upon myself to use my key.’
‘Oh,’ I stared at him. God, he was handsome.
He sniffed the air.
‘Something smells good.’
‘It’s shilli.’
‘Silly, eh?’ He eyed me beadily. ‘Are you a bit tipsy?’
I waved a hand expansively.
‘Poss’bly.’
He took in the glass, the wine bottle and our dogs looking put out at their jamming session being short-lived.
‘Are you celebrating something?’
I frowned. What could I be celebrating? Well, being me, I suppose. Being amazing. Being stoical. Being grownup over Milo falling for Swipe Right Sarah. Even though I’d fallen for Milo. I gulped as the realisation fully hit me. Yes, I’d fallen for him, all right. I’d fallen head over heels in love with him.
‘Want a drink?’ I invited, waving the bottle.
Milo paused for a moment, then went to the sideboard. He helped himself to a glass.
‘I came to collect Rambo,’ he said, taking the bottle from me and pouring himself a drink. ‘Also, I, er, wanted to talk to you.’
I caught the hesitation in his voice.
‘Really?’ I frowned.
He sat down alongside me. Looked at me gravely. And in that moment, I knew what he wanted to talk about. Sarah. How it was love at first sight. That he couldn’t wait to see her again. And, actually, it was all rather embarrassing, but could I possibly move out? You see, Sarah would be moving into the cottage, and he didn’t want to conduct his affair in front of his son. So, if I could be on my merry way, then JJ would be able to live at the studio.
‘Go on,’ I prompted. ‘You want to tell me about Swipe Right Sarah, yes?’
‘Swipe Right…?’ Milo’s lips twitched. ‘Um, no. I don’t want to talk about Sarah.’ He took a sip of wine, and then his eyes locked on mine. ‘I spent the whole of yesterday evening thinking about someone else.’
‘Ahh,’ I nodded sagely. ‘The lady that you recently met, and thought was available. But it transpired she wasn’t.’
‘That lady’ – Milo’s eyes were now pinning me to the wall – ‘is you.’
I stared at him. Suddenly I felt sober. Very, very sober.
‘Did I hear you correctly?’ I whispered.
‘You heard me correctly,’ he nodded.
‘B-But’ – I stuttered – ‘I’m available.’ Careful, Tilly. Don’t make it sound like you’re the local bike that’s always up for a ride. ‘I-I mean… I’m not seeing anyone.’
‘What about Robin?’
‘What about him?’
‘Your reunion. Isn’t that what this is all about?’ He indicated the wine bottle. ‘Celebrating your reconciliation. Your remarriage.’
I nearly dropped my wine glass.
‘You must be joking,’ I spluttered. ‘There was never going to be any reunion. Whatever made you think that?’
‘Because the guy turned up here,’ Milo explained. ‘And you looked absolutely dazed. Indeed, you said you felt discombobulated. I took that to mean you were confused about what to do for the best. You also said his appearance had rocked your world which I construed as being serious about giving it another shot.’
‘Never in a million years,’ I gasped, shaking my head. ‘If you must know, I was drinking to drown my sorrows.’
Suddenly there was a highly charged silence. Milo was the first to break it.
‘And why should you feel the need to drown your sorrows?’ he asked quietly.
‘Because of you going off with Swipe Right Sarah.’ There. I’d said it. ‘And having rampant sex.’ Might as well say that too.
His lips twitched again, and suddenly there was a light in his eyes. He grabbed my hand, and I nearly shot off the sofa as a zinger tasered my arm.
‘I spent the whole of my date with Sarah unable to think about anyone other than you,’ he confessed.
‘Really?’ I said uncertainly.
‘Really,’ he nodded. ‘Yesterday was magical. I was aghast when your ex turned up and ruined it all. Thought I’d lost my chance. So, I met up with Sarah.’
‘And had a night of rampant sex,’ I pointed out wryly. ‘After all, you didn’t come home.’
‘No, I didn’t come home,’ he agreed. ‘But there was no rampant sex. I can swear to that on my son’s life,’ he said earnestly. ‘It was a disastrous night. At the restaurant, Sarah burbled on and on about her ex. Got totally pissed. I waited with her for her taxi. But when the driver saw she was paralytic, he declined the fare. Wise man. Because when I said I’d take her home, she instead threw up in my car.’
‘Oh no!’ I clamped a hand over my mouth.
‘Oh yes. Anyway, we finally got to her place. I helped her inside, whereupon she threw up in the hallway. I managed to get her upstairs, into the bathroom, and left her to sort herself out while I cleaned up downstairs as best I could. Afterwards, when Sarah was in her pyjamas, she wouldn’t stop crying. She kept bleating on and on about the mess she’d made of her life, and what was the point of being here. That last sentence made me twitchy. I didn’t want her doing something stupid in a drunken moment.’ Milo sighed. ‘I felt unable to leave her. Eventually, she fell asleep in the armchair, and I nodded off on the sofa. This morning, she awoke with a stonking hangover and a hazy memory of what had happened. She was appalled. Majorly embarrassed. She then assured me she was fine and gave me my marching orders. I think I can safely say that the woman was mortified and never wants our paths to cross again. I then drove home, knocked on the studio door, but there was no sign of you, so I drove off again. Went to Meopham. Costa to be precise. I holed up with several black coffees and the newspaper. So where did you go?’
‘For a walk.’
‘More like a trek,’ he said. ‘You were gone for hours.’
‘Yes,’ I agreed. ‘The dogs are exhausted.’
Milo glanced at Cindy and Rambo.
‘So it would seem. I’ve never seen dogs with bags under their eyes.’ His face grew serious again.
‘I thought you’d gone to Robin’s to talk about your reunion and taken Rambo and Cindy with you.’
‘I told you,’ I said, rolling my eyes. ‘Never in a month of Sundays. So, what did you do next?’
He sighed and squeezed my hand.
‘I had a quick shower followed by a belated breakfast, then went and had the car professionally valeted to remove, er, all reminders of Sarah.’
‘And did they do a good job?’ I asked, shifting in my seat.
‘They were very thorough. The car now smells like a dentist’s surgery. A blend of antiseptic and clove oil.’
‘Good,’ I nodded. ‘So…’
‘So’ – his eyes locked on mine again – ‘I’m not seeing anyone. And neither are you.’
‘Correct,’ I said, smiling shyly.
‘In which case’ – he moved closer to me – ‘can I see you?’
‘You can,’ I whispered, as Milo leant in. I turned my body to face him. ‘But there’s one condition.’
‘Oh?’
‘You have to see all of me,’ I said softly. ‘And I have to see all of you.’
‘I think we can both manage that,’ he whispered, as his lips finally met mine.
Rambo , I heard Cindy say. Look away now.