Page 143 of Someone Like You

I get up. ‘Come on, dork. There are people at home who will bedyingto hear our news. And Freya.AndPoppy.’

He stands, placing a guiding hand on my lower back, but stops.

‘Wait – Poppy?’ It’s laughable watching him make the connection, the one I was worried about only a couple of days ago. ‘Ahh, so Poppy was my matchmaker.’

‘Yep.’

‘Well, she wasn’t very good at it,’ he quips.

‘Please never tell her that – I like Poppy. Besides, she’s better than you think.’

‘How so?’

‘Because she had me pegged from the get-go. And I’m only just realising this now,’ I say as more pieces of the puzzle slot into place, ‘but I’m pretty sure she had a hand in us getting together.’

‘I’m not following.’

‘It’s a story for another time, Rafferty. Let’s go home. I’m also freezing my butt off.’

‘Come here first.’

He gathers me into an embrace and I wrap my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek to his chest, eyes closed and listening to his muffled heartbeat through his coat. Dreamily, I inhale deeply and open my eyes.

‘Raff! Oh my god, look!’ I say, springing apart from him.

He follows my gaze and there it is, Mount Rainier, snow-covered and majestic against a wintry, pale-blue sky.

‘Fuck me, thatisbig.’

I laugh, and so does the guy with the dog.

‘Come on.’ I tug at his hand, and we begin the walk back to my parents’ house.

EPILOGUE

SEPTEMBER THE FOLLOWING YEAR

‘Do you see them?’ I ask Raff. I’m standing on my tiptoes, peering around other people, but the crowd is too dense. I can’t see who’s coming through the doors at Arrivals.

‘Not yet.’ He tightens his grip on my shoulder.

‘They landed an hour ago,’ I say, impatient.

‘I know. It’s so bloody annoying how long it takes, especially for Americans.’

I look up at him and he’s smirking at me. ‘Are you teasing me?’

‘I wouldn’t dare.’ He smacks a kiss on my head.

‘And now you’re patronising me,’ I say, pretending to be annoyed.

‘I would sayplacating, rather than— That’s them! They’re here.’

‘Where? Where?’

‘Come on.’

He takes my hand, leading me through the crowd, offering polite apologies as we go – typical Raff. When we reach the end of the walkway, there they are – Mom, Dad, and a newly divorced Issy.

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