Page 112 of The One That Got Away

‘It’s the truth. Don’t give up. You already have enough regrets. Don’t add something that’s easy to solve to that list.’

Maybe there was something in what he said, but I didn’t agree that it’d be easy to solve.

‘Let’s just say I wanted to try, I still don’t see how to make it work right now. Not until I’ve got these meetings overseas out of the way. I’m gonna be away for two months. It wouldn’t be fair to ask her to wait for me.’

‘So ask her to come with you.’

‘I thought about it,’ I rubbed the back of my neck, ‘but she has to work. I couldn’t expect her to drop everything for me.’

‘I’d put money on the fact that Stella is just as miserable as you. And as for her job, didn’t you say she wanted to do freelance design work? Those sketches you sent over were good. Much better than the other design agency.’

‘We should hire her.’ I paused. I didn’t want Stella to think I was only asking her because I felt bad though.

‘I agree. And if we did, she could work on the designs from anywhere in the world, right?’

‘Right.’

I nodded, the jumble of thoughts I’d had in my head finally starting to unravel and slide together like a completed jigsaw puzzle.

‘I’m gonna ask her. To do our rebranding. And to come with me. I’ll work out the details this week whilst I’m in Dubai, then speak to her when I get back.’

‘You sure you wanna wait ’til then?’

‘Have you seen the time?’ I pointed at my watch. ‘I have to be at the airport in an hour and a half.’

‘True,’ Colton nodded. ‘She’s in South London, right?’

‘Yep. So getting there now from here would probably take that long.’ Like me, Colton lived in North London. ‘And after all my screw-ups, I need to do things properly. I have to make sure it’s an offer she can’t refuse.’

‘Finally the man starts talking sense!’ Colton grinned.

Asking Stella to come with me was a big deal and there was chance that she’d slam the door in my face.

But if I did it right, she might just hear me out.

I needed to pull out all the stops. Show Stella how much she meant to me. I needed a grand gesture. Something that’d get her attention.

A light bulb went off in my head. And just like that, I knew what I planned to do.

It wouldn’t be easy though.

Here’s hoping I could make it work…

46

STELLA

It’d been a productive week. Hard, but I’d got through it.

Just.

Once Sammie left last Sunday, I’d spent most of the day holed up in my room, looking through the memory book like a saddo.

At first I’d told myself I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I knew staring at the photos of me and Max together made things a million times worse, but I couldn’t tear myself away from poring over the pages.

Then I’d start thinking about our last night and the things he’d arranged to make it special, like asking the chef to make my favourite food. Even after all of these years apart, Max still knew me better than any man ever had.

But by the time it got to Tuesday and I was still pining for him, I finally had to admit the truth: at least to myself.

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