Page 45 of Long Story Short

I leaned in to kiss him. ‘That’s so beautiful,’ I said, feeling even more attracted to him if that was possible. ‘I used to read your books and wonder if I’d ever find a love like the kind you wrote about. I guess that’s why I stopped dating these past few years.’

Jake shook his head. ‘I’ve spent a lot of the last six months wondering if love like that does exist too so I get it. I wondered whether I wanted to read or write romance again.’

‘Yeah, I felt like I would never find it…’ I trailed off, not wanting him to misinterpret my words. I knew this wasn’t love but when we looked at one another in this hotel-room bubble, it felt like there was a possibility that one day, this could be more than a fling. I longed to know if he could feel it too or not. ‘I had a series of relationships that went nowhere. And then bad dates that made me not want to bother even trying.’ Then I frowned, thinking about what Jake had told me. ‘But why did you change what you thought about love? I mean, your parents still inspire you with their love story, don’t they?’ I asked him curiously.

‘I wish they did.’ He shifted uncomfortably on the bed. ‘I want to tell you…’ he trailed off.

I let go of his hand and took his face in my hands. ‘It’s okay. You can tell me anything. If you want to. I won’t tell anyone, Jake. It can just be between us. Like what we’ve been doing in here.’ I gave him a small smile and leaned in to brush my lips against his.

Jake pulled me closer and gave me a soft, deep kiss. ‘Thank you, Freya. That means a lot.’ He took a deep breath. ‘What I found out six months ago made me wonder if I ever wanted to write or read a love story ever again. I wasn’t sure I believed in love any more because the happy ever after that inspired me to write books with similar happy endings, and made me want to find my own one day, turned out to have been far from happy.’

‘Your parents aren’t as happy as you thought?’

‘It was all a lie,’ he said bitterly. ‘My parents, who inspired my love stories, who have been married for forty years and who I thought were the ultimate happy ever after… are actually not.’ Jake’s eyes locked with mine. ‘I found out that my father has got a second family that my mum and I knew nothing about.’

30

There was a short silence as I absorbed his words. ‘What do you mean your dad has a second family?’ I asked, my heart going out to him as I saw the pain in his eyes.

‘My dad has been having an affair for decades. But it’s worse than an affair. They have a home and children together. He basically lived for years juggling two families,’ Jake said, holding on to me tightly. I held him close, feeling his need for comfort.

‘Oh my God, Jake. I’m so sorry,’ I said. ‘How did you find out?’

‘He sat us down and told us because he’s decided now he’s due for retirement that he wants to retire withthem, not us,’ Jake said, shaking his head. ‘It all felt like my whole life has been a lie. That their love story and marriage was just all bullshit, you know?’

I couldn’t even imagine how it would feel to have everything come crashing down around me like that. His parents’ love story hadn’t been the one he had thought it was. Now I understood why he had fought against romance after that. ‘No wonder you haven’t been yourself the past six months. What about your mum?’

‘Devastated. After forty years of marriage, she’s now living alone. He’s broken her heart. He’s living with his other family. She is so strong but it’s changed everything. I still can’t get my head around it all, to be honest. I admired him so much. Now I realise I never really knew my father at all.’

‘I can’t believe that he did what he did to the two of you. It’s just… shit.’

He smiled faintly. ‘Shit is right.’

We lapsed into silence for a moment, wrapped around each other still, the only sound the beating of our hearts and the noise of New York floors below us.

‘Have I completely ruined the mood?’ Jake said then.

I smiled. ‘No. I’m glad you trusted me with your secret.’

Jake leaned in to kiss me. ‘I’m glad I did too.’

‘Why did you feel that telling Davis Mulberry you didn’t like romance books was preferable to him finding out about your father?’ I asked him then.

‘God, you love to ask me difficult questions, don’t you?’

I shrugged. ‘I want to get to know the real you.’

‘I want that too,’ he replied softly. ‘You’ve made me want to be honest.’

My heart soared at his words.

Jake thought for a moment about my question. ‘Well, I suppose it felt like my romance writing careerhadall been a lie because it had been inspired by my own parents’ love story. And that had been as fictional as romance novels. I wasn’t sure if I believed in love any more, let alone want to write about it. But also because Mulberry is the biggest gossip and I didn’t want to admit what my father had done; I was ashamed and angry and hurt. And I kind of felt stupid.’

‘Stupid?’ I asked, confused as to why he would think that.

‘I had no idea he had another family. And I’m scared too…’

‘Of what?’

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