Page 94 of The Wedding Pact
‘Honestly? Probably not. But I feel homesick, Aug, which kinda tells me England isn’t really my home anymore.’
August was losing him, this guy she’d become so fond of, had relied on so much, and had fallen in love with, in a way, even if the love she feltwasjust … friendship.
‘August?’ he said, interrupting her thoughts.
‘Mmm-hmm?’
‘I need to tell you something.
August was silent, staring at the ceiling and the fireworks, waiting for him to tell her what she’d already been suspecting.
‘I’m going to go back to Japan—’
‘What?’ she gasped. ‘I thought you were going to say you’d move out, not go home!’
‘Do you want me to move out?’ he asked.
‘No! Do you?’
‘I don’t know.’ He squeezed her hand tightly. ‘But I meant what I said after we had our argument: we need some time apart, out of our bubble. I have to do some thinking about what I want and I need it to be away from our flat, and work, and everything. And I think you should do the same.’
‘But would you be moving back to Japan?’
‘No, not initially, but I can’t promise you I won’t. I’m going to start with going back for a couple of weeks, to visit my family, maybe talk to Yui. I need a break from all of this.’
‘Find yourself,’ August said, quietly. This felt like it could be the end, but she could see he needed this.
After a while, Flynn voiced a concern. ‘What if I decide I want to stay out there?’
‘I think you’re already trying to decide that, aren’t you?’
Flynn agreed. ‘I guess I am.’
‘Just go for it, let yourself really think about it without any pressure.’
‘Will you be okay if I go?’
She smiled, as genuinely as she could muster. ‘I survived a long time without you, Flynn Miyoshi, I can survive again with you gone.’
He sat up and moved over to her, pulling her up to seating too, the fireworks still popping overhead, and wrapped his arms around her. ‘You’re a good friend, August Anderson.’
‘I know,’ she said into his chest, breathing him in. ‘Just bring me back some of those matcha KitKats, okay?’
‘Deal.’
They embraced and it was for more than friendship, it was for reassurance, for a goodbye. It was to share the curiosity about what could have been. It was for a fresh start and for happiness.
When Flynn broke free and helped her off the table, he asked, ‘What will we tell the neighbours, if they ask?’
August hopped onto the floor and gathered up the mugs and bottles, and followed Flynn back through the office, where he packed away his things, yawning, both of them ready to call it a night. ‘I’ll just say you’ve gone for business – and that’s why I haven’t gone with you – but you thought you’d stay on a bit to visit family while you were there.’
He looked at her face as they stepped into the cold night air, she watched as his eyes trailed over the shape of her eyelashes, her nose, her lips and she wondered if he’d ever tell her truly what he was thinking. The street was now quieter than when August had run up it an hour and a half ago, though some people were still partying strong. ‘And what if I go for good?’
‘Then I guess we get a divorce,’ August replied, and it took everything she had but she kept that smile in place.
‘I don’t want to divorce you,’ Flynn said.
‘You don’t know what you want,’ she teased in return, and extracted herself from the moment before either of them allowed whatever always drew them together to become a cloud across his thoughts right when he needed a clear head. ‘Now let’s go home, get some sleep, and tomorrow you need to book that much-needed time off work.’
