His palm resting against her palm.
Something inside her that had been tightly wound for a decade began to unravel, and she leant her head on the back of the sofa as it gave way. The weight that had sat like lead in her chest softened, and she allowed herself to accept that even if Wyatt wouldn’t tell her exactly why he hadn’t been honest, he had loved her. He hadn’t lied. And now he’d told her what she needed to hear, even if it was too late to make a difference to their relationship.
Sometimes, sorry came too late, but she knew it had to be enough. Wyatt wasn’t prepared to tell her everything, and she had to accept that, even if it hurt that he couldn’t trust her with the full truth. She wanted more — answers, honesty, the full transparency that Wyatt couldn’t give her.
Each unspoken word pressed against her, a quiet throb of loss and longing she couldn’t soothe. She ached to know him fully again, to bridge the years that had grown between them. But she understood, with a sharp twist of pain, that pressing him now could undo the fragile connection they had just begun to rebuild.
15
EDITH
The next day, Edith woke from a long and deep sleep. After Wyatt had gone, she’d filled a glass with water and gone straight to bed. Snuggling down in her bed underneath the pretty patchwork quilt she’d bought at a local craft fair, she’d thought she wouldn’t be able to drop off. But the emotional turmoil combined with the vodka had knocked her out. She’d woken with swollen eyes and a scratchy throat but felt like a weight had been lifted.
However, as memories of the previous day flooded her brain, she realised that the heaviness still lingered and that she needed to apologise to Finn and Titus as soon as possible. Her behaviour, while not without a reason, had been awful, and she felt dreadful. She always behaved professionally, but grief and pain had rocked her yesterday, leading her to lose her composure in front of clients, which was unacceptable.
She showered and washed her hair, dressed in simple black linen trousers and matching blouse with flat black pumps, then drank a mug of Earl Grey tea and ate a banana. Feeling more human, she donned a large pair of sunglasses and headed out into the sunny morning. It was still early, not yet nine, and she wanted toget this done before the day got going. Otherwise, it would haunt her all day and become something she was afraid of rather than something shehadto do.
At the grocery shop, she bought a bottle of white wine and a box of luxury truffles, then she walked through the village to Titus and Finn’s home. She knocked on the door and waited, her heart racing and her palms clammy. She was glad the bottle of wine was wrapped in paper, or she’d have been worried about dropping it.
The door swung open, and Finn stood there, his sandy hair sticking up and his green eyes widening when he saw Edith. ‘Hello lovely, how are you today?’ he asked gently.
‘I am terribly sorry,’ she said. ‘So terribly sorry. Can you and Titus ever forgive me?’
‘Oh darling, come on inside.’ He took her hand and led her into the hallway.
She handed him the wine and chocolates, and he looked at them with a frown. ‘What are these for?’
‘My apology. Yesterday, I behaved appallingly, and I can’t possibly apologise enough. Please. If you need to change wedding planners, know that I’ll repay the deposit and I won’t mind at all. I’ll understand completely.’ Realising she was wringing her hands in front of her, she tucked them into her pockets.
Finn was shaking his head. ‘Don’t be so soft. Come on inside and I’ll make a cuppa.’
She followed him through the house to a large kitchen-diner. Sunlight streamed through the bifold doors into a room that smelt of coffee and freshly baked bread.
‘Have a seat.’ He gestured at the table, so Edith pulled out a chair and sat down, relieved that he hadn’t greeted her with any insults. Insults that she deserved, she thought.
While Finn made tea, she looked around. She’d been in here before, of course, and she liked the cosy space. The table was made of reclaimed wood, and the chairs were covered with velvet in shades of green and blue that matched the tiles on the splashback behind the range cooker. On the wall behind the table were photographs taken over the years of Finn and Titus, and Thora and Finn’s children Rosie and Reggie. It was lovely that they were such a tight-knit group and that the children had got to grow up with both parents around, even though Finn was now with Titus.
‘Here you go.’ Finn set two mugs of tea on the table along with a plate of sliced bread covered with thick golden butter. ‘Freshly baked and delicious, even if I say so myself.’
‘Thanks.’ Edith reached for a mug and wrapped her hands around it.
‘So… yesterday was an eventful one, but neither of us blames you for anything.’
‘But why not?’ she asked.
‘We know, Edith,’ he said, his expression grave.
‘You know what?’
‘That you and Wyatt were together when you were at university. It’s why I didn’t try to message you yesterday after you left the café. I thought you needed some space.’
‘How?’ Her voice squeaked out, so she coughed to clear her throat. ‘How do you know?’
‘Titus and Wyatt are friends. Titus never knew the full story, but he knew there’d been someone in Wyatt’s past… someone who mattered to him. He also said Wyatt’s been through some difficult times.’ He held up a hand. ‘Not that Titus knows everything — Wyatt’s a pretty private person — but Wyatt recently admitted he’d been in a relationship that didn’t work out. When we were in London, Titus had a feeling there was something going on between you and Wyatt. He asked him about it and Wyatt didn’t deny it. Well, he tried, but Titus said it was too obvious.’
Finn picked up a piece of bread, took a bite, and chewed. ‘Mmm. Have a piece.’
‘Thanks.’ Edith took a piece even though she wasn’t hungry and bit into it. Her mouth watered as the butter melted on her tongue and the taste of bread teased her senses. ‘Mmm… mmm.’
