Page 135 of You Float My Boat

‘I do. If this is going to work between us, I want to have a clean slate and start over. We need a total break from each other, no contact so we can reset. Then we can see where we’re up to. We can see how we feel in a few weeks.’

‘I don’t need a few weeks to see how I feel. I love you. I’m not losing you when I’ve only just found you,’ I was almost shouting. ‘This is nothing more than our first stupid fight. It’s a rite of passage. That’s all. You can’t just leave.’

Her soft hand cupped my cheek, and as she gazed at me I decided I’d never seen her look more beautiful. It was the one thought that really tipped me over the edge for the tears to start falling.

‘I love you. But if I stay I’m nothing more than the girl who helped you out of a bind with your ex. We’d be a relationship of circumstance. An accident. I don’t want that.’

‘All relationships start because of circumstance,’ I snapped. ‘Our circumstance is that I love you.’

‘Charlie …’ she sighed.

‘You are so much more than that, and you know it,’ I sniffed.

‘Then prove it.’ She dropped her hand and leaned in to kiss my cheek. Like I always did I breathed her in, only this time it came with the terrifying thought I might never have the opportunity to do it again. ‘I’ll see you in a few weeks.’

‘At Chiswick Bridge?’ I asked, my question holding as much hope as I could muster, considering I felt absolutely hopeless.‘I’ll win for you.’

She walked away without an answer, only stopping to peer inside the boathouse to collect Stella. I wasn’t sure if it was a good sign or not that she gave me a little wave before the two of them disappeared again back up the path.

I slumped down on the dock, dangling my feet over the edge.

What a thoroughlythoroughlyshit day. The high I’d finished the race with had well and truly popped and as much as I wanted to blame Evie for it, I knew it wasn’t entirely her fault.

Mostly, but not all.

Ninety-nine point nine per cent.

‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,’ I mumbled, sensing a movement behind me. It was all I could summon. I was utterly depleted. ‘I know I’ve fucked up but please lecture me tomorrow, I’m not in the mood.’

Brooks and Oz dropped down either side of me.

‘I’m so pissed off you didn’t tell me, it’s not even funny. We’ve been best friends since we were thirteen.What the fuck, Charlie?’ Brooks started, totally ignoring my ‘no lecture’ request.

That was fine.

‘You said no one was allowed to date her. Even me. That day in the gym when Bitters was being fucking annoying. You said it, “even Charlie”.’ I air quoted, though it didn’t lessen the snarl on my lips.

‘Dateher, and fuck her over, exactly like he would have done. Not fall in love.’

‘How was I supposed to know?’ I grumbled.

‘I see you did it anyway.’

‘I did it before then actually,’ I shot back.

He didn’t reply. The three of us stared down at the water as a family of ducks swam past – the dad in front followed by five fluffy ducklings, and mum bringing up the rear. When they reached the bank on the other side of the river, they all jumped out and waddled along the grassy edge to their nest.

‘You’re really in love with my sister?’

‘Yeah. I really am.’

‘Well, you can’t say I didn’t warn you,’ he tutted. ‘I told you she’s a drama queen.’

I wanted to disagree. It was right there on the tip of my tongue, but I was still annoyed enough that she’d left, so I didn’t.

‘Well, what are you going to do?’

‘Fix it, I guess. I’m going to get her back.’

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