Page 51 of The Paris Chapter

I’m sorry for what I said. I’m just trying to look out for you. I don’t want you to get hurt again. I’m glad you’re writing. I can’t wait to read it. Call me soon!

I smiled with relief.

I hope you’re looking after you and baby!

She messaged in return:

Don’t worry about us.

I did miss my friend and it was strange to not be with her when she had just found out she was pregnant. But I knew it wouldn’t be for long, and this felt like where I should be for now.

Ethan came back and said there was a way to ship the desk over, so I bought it along with a small ornate mirror and a gold clock for my mantelpiece.

At the next shop, I found a chess set that I knew would look great on one of the few pieces of furniture I had in my flat – a distressed oak coffee table. ‘I don’t have my own. I didn’t have anyone to play with when I moved to London,’ I said.

‘Are you telling me you’re actually rusty at playing chess?’ Ethan asked, tutting. ‘That makes me feel even worse at how easily you’ve beaten me so far.’

I grinned. ‘Maybe I should get this set then so we can keep practising in London?’ I avoided looking at him, suddenly worried that had been too presumptuous a question. I had no idea if he was thinking about us spending time together once we left Paris or not.

‘I think you should,’ Ethan said close to my ear.

I was able to look at him then; he was smiling. I felt my heart lift a little bit. He really was cute when he smiled at me like that. ‘It would look good with everything we’ve bought so far,’ I said, picking it up. I could picture us playing it together in Putney, andalthough I knew I was in danger of getting carried away again, the image was just too enticing for me not to buy the set.

We went to a few more shops and I got a couple more prints of Paris to match the one Ethan had bought me, thinking I’d get gold frames for them all once I was back in London. Ethan picked up a couple of vinyl records. It was a fun afternoon.

When we left the last shop in the row, the sun was setting. I turned to Ethan and spontaneously gave him a kiss on the lips.

‘What was that for?’ he asked, looking surprised.

‘Today. But also the last few days,’ I said, holding on to him as we stood on the quiet Paris street together. ‘I might not have been able to write anything of my next book if we hadn’t been here at the same time.’

‘I think Paris deserves more credit than me,’ Ethan replied. ‘I’m glad we are here together though.’ He leaned in and gave me a longer kiss, lingering on my lips, holding me close.

I had never been into PDA but if you couldn’t kiss a man you liked in public in Paris, then where could you?

We leaned back from one another, smiling happily.

‘I’m so glad you’re staying longer,’ Ethan said.

‘Me too. Honestly, I feel so different already to how I felt when I first got here. I feel like maybe I will be okay, you know?’

‘Of course you will,’ he replied. ‘I knew that as soon as we met. You’re stronger than you think you are. And that heart of yours won’t let you give up on love.’ His voice dropped on the word ‘love’.

‘I hope not,’ I said. ‘So, what now?’

‘Shall we wander over to Cinq? It’s not far from here. We can have a drink before we eat.’

‘Good idea.’ I was looking forward to going to Juliette’s restaurant again. I had had such a good time there before Ethanwas not much more than my accidental roommate. Now, he was so much more.

‘This was really fun,’ I said as we approached Cinq. Ethan opened up the door to the restaurant for me and we walked through. I turned to him in the lobby area. ‘Thank you. My flat is going to look so much better with these new things in it; maybe it will start to finally feel like home.’

‘I hope it will,’ Ethan said, taking hold of my hand and entwining our fingers together. ‘You need a place to call home.’ He leaned in and brushed my lips with his. Smiling, we drew apart and turned to find Juliette only a few feet away with a man, both of them staring at us.

‘Bonjour…’ The greeting died on Ethan’s lips as we both noticed that Juliette was standing with someone we both knew. ‘What…?’

My eyes widened as Ethan spluttered in confusion. Juliette raised her eyebrows and looked furious but the man next to her was smiling like he was enjoying shocking the three of us.

And I thought he probably was.

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