Page 3 of My Spanish Love Affair

I chew on some more of my food as I nod my head. “Sure,” I say. “I’ll try anything once.”

Laura snickers as she flicks through Netflix, humming under her breath before landing onEmily in Paris.

“Have you ever watched this?” she asks.

“Never.”

“What?! You can’t be serious!”

I laugh. “Honestly, no.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s ridiculous and full of clichés, but you know what - I think you’ll love it. Plus, Emily makes everything worse for herself, so it’s a nice reminder that at least you’re not her.”

The opening scene rolls, and I sink further into Laura’s couch. About ten minutes in, my best friend glances over at me with a mischievous smile.

“You know,” she says, popping a piece of pork into her mouth, “you could do something like that.”

“Like what?”

“Move away. Start over somewhere new.”

Her words hit me like a slap and a hug all at once.

I mean… She’s not wrong.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I say, laughing nervously. “I can’t just pack up my life and leave.”

“Why not?” she counters, her tone matter-of-fact. “You’re miserable at work. You only have a few weeks to findsomewhere new to live before your lease ends, and you’re freshly single. There’s literally nothing tying you to Manchester anymore. So, what’s stopping you?”

I open my mouth to argue a point, but nothing comes out.

Whatisstopping me?

Laura grins triumphantly. “Exactly. Think about it, Liv. France, Spain, Italy… the possibilities are endless. Ideally somewhere sunny, though. Somewhere with great wine and no cheating ex-boyfriends.”

“Don’t be daft. That sounds like something from a movie,” I say, shaking my head.

But the idea plants itself in my mind, stubborn and unshakable.

“It doesn’t have to be,” Laura says, nudging me with her elbow. “It could be your life.”

We fall silent, the episode playing in the background as Emily fumbles her way through some disastrous situation. I can’t concentrate, though; not as Laura’s words loop in my head so much louder than the dialogue on the screen.

Nothing’s tying you to Manchester anymore.

∞∞∞

That night, I lie in bed staring at the cracks in the ceiling of my bedroom.

It’s late, and my apartment is incredibly quiet. The muffled hum of the fridge in the kitchen is the only sound, and though I’ve tried to distract myself with other things, Laura’s words still echo in my mind.

Nothing’s tying you to Manchester anymore.

I shift under the covers, turning the thought over and over.

She’s right, isn’t she?

There’s nothing here for me. My job as a legal assistant just about covers the bills, and I hate it anyway, especially since my old boss left a few months ago. Liam’s betrayal has obliterated any semblance of stability I thought I had, and since everything had been organised and agreed for a while now, my landlord has already found a new tenant to move into this apartment. That means I’ve got to find somewhere new to live - and pronto.

---