Page 152 of The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love

‘Alternatively, Oz and I will get on a plane, hunt him down and make him pay for doing this to you. Or at least Oz will. I’ll be right behind him because I haven’t finished paying for these veneers yet.’

‘I really want to be that girl,’ I tell them. ‘The one who demands to know what’s going on because none of this feels right at all. I mean, we talked all night.’ I start pacing again. As if to out-stride the memories and cement myself in this new world where he isn’t here. ‘You know, I think I will leave a message. Tell him a few things. About how if he didn’t want this, he could have just told me. He didn’t need to avoid the whole of New York City. It’s a big place, right? I’m sure we can exist in it without bothering each other. I know I can. I’m an adult. I have coping mechanisms. I—’ Suddenly I’m feeling this horrid un-tethering sensation because what if it’s worse than him not getting on the plane because he didn’t want to come back?

What if it’s that he didn’t get on the plane because something happened to him?

My stomach flips and my world tilts and I’m wondering if Oz can move fast enough to catch me because it feels like I’m going to fall … have, in fact, fallen.

Fallen for George.

‘Ashleigh, honey, you’re shaking,’ Hildy steps towards me. ‘You shouldn’t leave a message this angry.’

It’s not anger coursing through me but I can’t lend voice to the worry something happened to him. Instead, I think I might be crying. Know it for certain when I raise my head to find Oz, Carlos and Hildy leaning forward as if to catch me.

But I don’t need catching.

Because this isn’t happening.

Isn’t, isn’t, isn’t.

Pointing to my phone, I look at them all and stutter, ‘I-I’ll just um… I need some space … privacy … to…’ Waving my phone in the air at them, I do what anyone in a state of denial does.

I turn and run.

Chapter Forty-Six

KINTSUGI FOR THE HEART

George

Usually, after a long flight, my first thought would be about doing the Die Hard ‘fists with your toes’ thing but instead of exhausted I’m invigorated.

How quickly life can turn around.

A few months ago, I didn’t even realise I was only going through the motions. I mean, I’d started noticing I was lonely in my relationship but refused to look too closely at that. Now, I’m about to embark on an exciting opportunity and I’m in the first clutches of a new relationship that has me falling deeper, quicker, than I thought possible.

None of this was planned.

I can’t feel the ground beneath my feet.

Haven’t felt this alive in a long time.

And I love it.

Exiting into the airport lounge, I’m thinking about buying flowers for Ashleigh to go with my news, so when I see the huge man standing in front of me, I assume I’m imagining it’s Oz.

But as I walk forward, I see I’m not mistaken. Oz is with Carlos and Mrs. Lundy. I grin because if they’re here then Ashleigh is too. I can’t believe she came to the airport to meet me. Except, wait. Yes, I can. It’s just the sort of sweet surprise she’d organise.

‘Hello,’ I greet. ‘Are you all here for me?’

‘We’re your welcoming committee,’ Carlos says, his voice tense.

‘Community – welcoming community,’ Oz corrects him, sounding the same.

‘Right. What I said,’ Carlos insists, his gaze zeroing in on me in a way which is making me think I’ve got this all wrong.

Is Ashleigh not here, then? My little welcoming committee is about something else? They don’t like me for her and are here to head me off at the pass?

Maybe Mrs. Lundy came along as a sort of balancing force because one of them has to be on my side, right – I’m not that bad, surely?

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