Page 26 of Forever Love at Fleur's Flower Shop

She frowned. He couldn’t be telling the truth. ‘You don’t mean that.’

‘Don’t I?’

‘How could you, though? I mean, you’ve been away ten years. I drove you away.’ She began crying again, the tears once again streaming down her face.

‘You didn’t drive me away. I left because I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought you needed time. I thought you didn’t want me here.’

‘I always wanted you.’ Fleur looked back down at the floor. Had he really moved away because he had wanted to give her space? He hadn’t moved away because he was angry or embarrassed or anything in between?

Taking both her hands again, Matty shifted a centimetre across the pew towards her. ‘I just thought I was doing the right thing.’

‘I don’t know if you did.’ She spoke quietly, immediately regretting the words which had tumbled out of her mouth. Hehaddone the right thing. She’d have left herself, too ashamed to admit her mistake, too upset to be able to see a future in the town living alongside him if he hadn’t and if she’d had somewhere to go. Six months she’d staying in America but she’d always known she’d had to return.

Matty nodded. ‘I’m back now.’

‘You are.’ She lifted her head again and gave him a short, sad smile. ‘You’re back now.’

‘And I still have feelings for you, Fleur. I still think we’d be good together.’

She nodded. ‘We wouldn’t be.’

‘Can we try?’ His voice shook as he spoke.

‘I... don’t know.’ Fleur looked him in the eyes. ‘What if I hurt you again?’

‘You won’t.’

‘I might. I haven’t changed that much.’

‘Then I’ll just have to spend each and every day of the rest of our lives together proving to you that you’re worthy of love, that you’re worthy of anything you want, and I’ll just have to show you I’m not going anywhere. I won’t leave you behind.’

Tearing her eyes away, she focused on the garland gently strewn over the lectern. ‘You can’t promise that.’

Cupping her cheek, he waited until she was looking at him again before answering. ‘I can and I am.’

Looking into his eyes, she could see he was being sincere. She could see the love he had for her, just as she’d always been able to see it. ‘No one knows what’s going to happen. I bet even my parents didn’t think they’d end up abandoning me when my mum gave birth to me.’

‘I’m not your parents. I won’t leave you.’ Matty’s voice was gentle but firm. ‘Jump with me. Give us a chance. A proper chance.’

What was the worst that could happen? She ended up broken-hearted all over again? Alone? She guessed it wasn’t much different to how she felt after she’d left him in this very church. And besides, she was stronger now. She’d healed. Mostly. She closed her eyes. If she jumped with him, then at least she’d be with him. If she brushed him off, dismissed him, then she’d definitely end up alone. She’d go back on the dating apps eventually, yes, but as before, she’d gravitate towards the men she knew she wouldn’t come close to giving her heart away to. This was her only chance to be truly happy. She knew that because she knew Matty was the only person who could make her feel whole again, who she wanted to be with. Taking a deep breath, she nodded.

‘Is that a yes?’ Matty’s voice was barely above a whisper in the cavernous church.

Looking up at him, she met his eyes, her gaze firm, steady. ‘It’s a yes. Let’s do this.’

A slow smile crept across his face, from his lips to the light in his eyes. ‘I love you, Fleur. I’ve never stopped loving you.’

‘I’ve never stopped loving you either, Matty.’

Taking his hands from hers, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting one hand at the nape of her neck as he pulled her towards him.

Gripping his waist, Fleur closed her eyes as their lips touched and sparked a thousand memories. This was where she was meant to be - in Matty’s arms - she felt that now. However scared she was that she’d mess things up with him, she knew now that those feelings paled into existence at the very thought of losing him again. Closing her eyes, she inched closer to him as they kissed.

Chapter Eighteen

‘This is gorgeous, isn’t it?’ Standing on the stone bridge over the river running through the beautiful village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Fleur grinned as she took Matty’s hand in hers.

‘It really is. I haven’t been back here since we came before I left.’ Matty grinned at her.

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