“I feel as though I will.” Opening her takeaway box, she stabbed a piece of crab cake and shovelled it into her mouth. It tasted better when she was in a good mood, but it made great comfort food too. “How can it not be awkward between us?”
“It might take a little while, but this will all blow over and everything will be fine. I don’t think he expected you to tell him you feel the same. I reckon part of him just wanted to check he had no chance so he can move on.”
The thought made her stomach lurch and she set the food aside. She wasn’t sure what was worse: the idea of Kit being heartbroken because of her or the thought of him casually getting over her and moving on to someone else. With her head nestled against Noah’s chest, she let herself imagine how different her day would have been if she’d been brave enough to tell Kit how she really felt.
Quickly, she put the brakes on that train of thought. A relationship with Kit would mean risking her relationships with every member of his family. There was too much to lose, and she couldn’t stand the thought of any more loss in her life.
“Can you go and see if Kit’s okay?” she asked, wiping tears from her cheeks as she sat up.
“Can I drink my tea first?”
She sighed heavily. “I’d rather you didn’t. I want to be alone. And I’ll be happier knowing Kit’s not on his own.”
“Are you sure you’re not annoyed with me?” Noah asked as he stood.
“I’m not.”
He looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around much.”
“I see you at work often enough.”
“That doesn’t really count.”
She gave him a hug. “Honestly, it’s fine. You want to spend time with Keira and that’s completely normal. I’m happy for you. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It’s just been a long day.”
“Call me if you need anything?”
“I will. Let me know Kit’s okay.”
He kissed her forehead and she flopped back onto the couch when he headed for the door.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to Seren that she didn’t see Kit the following day on her way into work. Every time the door to the pub opened, she held her breath, hoping it might be him. She’d messaged him the previous evening while she lay awake in bed, telling him she was sorry and hoped he was okay. He’d replied with two words:I’ll survive.It did nothing to make her feel better. Desperately, she wanted some reassurance that he was okay and that they could still be friends. That was probably optimistic, but she couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing him regularly – or of not having him in her life.
When Felix wandered into the pub in the middle of the afternoon, her jaw clenched.
“What do you want?” she asked.
He leaned on the bar. “Depends what’s on offer?”
Unceremoniously, she handed him a menu.
“How about a date?” he asked, setting the menu aside.
She walked away, going over to chat to a couple of regulars at the table by the window. To her surprise, Felix left a few minutes later. With the coast clear she went back around the bar and spotted a napkin where he’d been sitting, the word sorry written on it in a large scrawl. The guy really was pathetic. Seren balled up the napkin and tossed it in the bin. If nothing else, Felix was a good reminder of how terrible Seren was at relationships. Every relationship she’d ever been in had ended in disaster.
By the time her shift came to an end she was itching to get away from the pub. Noah was on the late shift and was chatting inanely while she inched towards the door.
“Did you hear from Keira?” he asked. “She was going to see if you wanted to hang out with her tonight.”
“She messaged me earlier but I didn’t have a chance to reply. I’ll call her when I get home.” She flicked her hand in a wave and hurried to the door. Kit would have finished for the day and be cleaning up the train before heading home. A smile and a wave was all she needed. Just some indication that their friendship wasn’t completely dead.
After powerwalking through the town, her stomach dropped when she glanced along the promenade. There was no sign of Kit or the train.
At the sound of her name, she pushed down her emotions and turned around, forcing herself to return Keira’s smile.
“I was just on my way to your place. Did you get my message earlier?”