Page 20 of Forever Love at Fleur's Flower Shop

Nodding slowly, Matty frowned. ‘What did you do to your hand?’

She glanced down at the bandage. ‘Nothing. Just burnt it on some milk.’

‘Ouch. Have you got it checked out?’

Shaking her head, she shoved her hands in her coat pockets. ‘It’s fine. It will heal soon enough.’

‘Right. Glad to hear it.’ Matty pointed back towards Ruby’s restaurant. ‘Shall I grab us a couple of coffees instead then? At least they might go some way to helping us keep warm out here?’

Fleur shrugged. ‘Okay.’

‘Right. I’ll be two minutes. Don’t go anywhere, will you?’ He began backing towards the restaurant door, his eyes fixed on hers as though he was afraid she might bolt.

‘I won’t.’ He knew her too well. She would if she could, but now she was here, she might as well get this conversation over and done with, she supposed. As she watched him turn and enter the restaurant, something pulled on her heart. Feelings of regret, of longing. Nostalgia, that’s all it was. She was just being reminded of a previous time. Of her past back when they were still in love, dating and living on the euphoria that they had their whole lives ahead of them. Nothing more.

Glancing over towards the green, her eyes settled on Bea’s bookshop. What she wouldn’t do to run across the grass and slip into the haven of her friend’s shop right now? Maybe she could. If she was quick, it’d only take her a minute to race across the grass. She might even be able to make it into the bookshop before Matty came back out.

She nibbled on her cuticle. Did she? Did she give into the urge she had of running away? But that’s what she’d always done. Ran from her feelings, ran from her past. And right now, Matty deserved more. She’d hurt him and the least she could do was to have this conversation with him, let him rant at her, and then they could all move on. He could settle here in Nettleford and she could start looking at houses in Australia.

Fleur shook her head as a hollow laugh escaped her throat.

‘What’s so funny?’

Turning, she came face to face with Matty, a grin spreading across his face as he held two cardboard coffee takeout cups in his hands. ‘Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about moving to Australia.’

‘Oh.’

Fleur swallowed as she watched his smile fade, his expression replaced by one she couldn’t quite read. Hurt? Indifference? She wasn’t sure. ‘Sorry, I was just joking.’

‘I hope that’s not on my behalf?’ He passed her a cup.

‘Thanks.’ Taking the cup, she lifted it to her lips and took a sip, the sweetness of the caramel syrup mixed with latte filling her mouth. He’d remembered her favourite drink. ‘Caramel latte? You remembered?’

‘Do you still like it? I can swap it if not.’ He glanced back towards the restaurant.

‘No, no. It’s perfect, thanks.’ Of course he remembered. They’d dated for five years before the fateful wedding-not-wedding day.

‘So? Was that comment because of my return? You’re not really going to Australia, are you?’ He turned and began walking.

Falling into step with him, Fleur shook her head. ‘I’ve got my shop here.’

Matty nodded before taking a gulp of his drink.

Gripping her cup, Fleur was grateful for both the warmth and the distraction. They walked in silence for the next few minutes. Stealing a glance at him, she could see his eyes were hooded, his brow furrowed. He was thinking.

Clearing his throat, he looked across at her as he walked. ‘I guess we should address the elephant in the room, so to speak.’

Scrunching up her nose, she shook her head. ‘We can just walk.’

Sighing, he kept his eyes fixed on her.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before opening them again and stopping and turning to face him. ‘Look, I don’t know what you expect me to say, what you want from me. Is it an apology? Because if it is then, here you go, I’m sorry.’

‘No, I...’ Halting, Matty turned back to look at her.

‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.’ She held her arms out, warm latte spilling across her bandaged hand. Now she’d begun, the urge to rant at him was all too much, even though she was the one who he should be shouting at. ‘What I did was beyond crappy. It was downright horrible, evil even. I’m a horrible person and I shouldn’t have walked out on you. I shouldn’t have left you at the altar. I don’t know what to say. I didn’t plan it. I wanted to marry you. I just... I just couldn’t.’

‘Fleur...’ Matty took a step towards her.

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