Page 133 of The Wedding Forecast

‘Yes,’ I say. ‘I have.’

‘Have you?’ Mac says, stepping closer.

‘Yes. He’s sweet and he’s funny and he’s caring, and he wants the same things as I do and he buys me beautiful yellow flowers,’ I say, stepping back as far as I can. ‘And he’s here.’

‘I’m here.’

‘For a week,’ I say.

He says nothing and just looks at me. I can’t bear the silence. I can’t bear his eyes on me.

‘And even if I wasn’t with Patrick, even if I was still single, what good is it coming here? It doesn’t solve any of our problems,’ I say.

‘I miss you. I miss you so much,’ he says in a near whisper.

‘And?’ I say.

‘And I want to kiss you right now.’

I shake my head.

‘I’m with Patrick.’

‘I don’t care about Patrick,’ he says, moving very close to me.

‘Well, I do. He’s a good guy. And you’ve come here—to what? Ruin things for me? Are you that selfish?’

‘No.’

‘Then why are you here?’ My voice wobbles slightly. I swallow hard, pushing down every emotion. The urge to reach out and touch him is suddenly overwhelming.

He doesn’t say anything.

‘I’m going back to the table,’ I say.

‘Wait,’ he says.

‘What?’ I say flatly. I am determined to stay strong. I can’t fall apart now.

‘I haven’t been sleeping. I can’t sleep knowing I’m not going to talk to you in the morning.’

‘So you’re here to get a good night’s sleep? See a doctor. Get a sleeping pill.’

‘No. I’m here to tell you that I’m in love with you, Anna.’

‘You’re…what?’

‘I love you. I fell in love with you in New York. No, before that. At the wedding. In the hammock. Or on the dancefloor. Maybe Patrick captured the exact moment in that photo. I should have said it months ago. I felt it, when we were standing in the hotel foyer in New York, and you asked for my hoodie. I felt it so badly then but I didn’t want to admit it. I love you and I have loved you for a long time,’ he says, the words rushing out, like it’s a gift, like it’s something he can hand off, get rid of, like it’s a goddamn photo.

‘What the hell?’ I say, giving him a little shove.

‘What?’

‘Why would you do that? Why would you say that to me now?’

‘I don’t know. Closure?’

‘That’s how you do closure?’