Page 131 of One for the Road
I swallowed down the words I knew wouldn’t be helpful. That it was impossible to take her out of the equation because shewasKinleith. Transplant or not, her face was painted on every surface of this village.
“You need to stay for you,” she implored. “And I really think youshouldstay. You have so much here. Your family. Your patients.” Her lips trembled. “But it should be for you—”
Do you want me to stay?I wanted to ask. She’d said so much, but she hadn’t actually given me that.
Instead, I said, “You make me fucking crazy.” Then swept forward to kiss her.
My arms curled around her waist and she responded so quickly, like it didn’t even cross her mind to pull away.
I don’t need time. I branded the words against her lips.See how perfect we are together.
Her lips parted eagerly, and my tongue swept inside, furious – frenzied – in its claiming. She moaned, pushing up onto her toes, and I dug my hands into her hair, keeping her with me just a little longer.
For the first time this morning, we were in complete synchronisation.
But she pulled back all too soon. Set her forehead against mine. Said, “Take me out of the equation, okay?”
There is no equation, I thought again, determination beating in my chest.
I got why she was scared. I’d gone too fast. Offered too much too soon. For the first time in her life, someone was putting her first. It probably felt like stepping into a scalding-hot bath. I needed to warm her up slowly.
“Okay,” I finally agreed. My gaze dragged over her face. Memorising every curve. Every smile line. Every freckle.
I wanted to see them every day for the rest of my life.
“I should get going.” I straightened, unpeeling my hands from her body. “Teddy will be back soon, and you have to work this afternoon, right?”
“Right.” She drew the word out, watching me warily. “Thank you for breakfast.”
“No problem.” Our elbows brushed as I collected the plates from the counter. Stacking them in one hand, I paused. “And Isla?” She looked at me. “I don’t care what I said when this started, not a single minute of this was fake to me.” She didn’t respond. I wasn’t even sure I expected her to.
I pressed a final kiss to her forehead. Then walked through the connecting door and closed it behind me. I stood in my living room for a long time, waiting for the sound of her locking it.
She didn’t.
36
Isla
Heather: Do I want to know why I have a text from Alistair threatening to barricade me in my house if I take his spot in the Cairn & Crust?
Isla: No.
My request for Alistair to take me out of the equation went in one ear and out the other.
That became apparent on Sunday evening. Shortly after Teddy and I got home from my shift at Brown’s. I was in the kitchen, pulling the leftover pasta from the night before out of the fridge, trying to force my brain to stop replaying every moment of our Alistair’s argument, when music started playing.
From the other side of the wall.
Teddy turned to me, wide-eyed, hands pressed to her ears. “Why is he playing that awful music?”
I could only stare, utterly stunned, as Bonnie Tyler’s mournful voice reverberated through the wall, singing about an all-consuming love.
“Is Ali having a breakdown?”
That snapped me out of it. “Where did you learn that word?”
“At camp.” She turned her attention to Bluebell bunny, bouncing him across the floor in the classic toy imitation of walking. “My friend Sammy said his daddy says it to his mummy when she cries at TV shows.”
