Page 106 of The Bad Wedding Date

It no longer looked grey and full of deceit. My eyes were open, as much as my heart seemed to be. I spotted different shops I’d never paid attention to. The green of the trees made me look up and take them all in. The blue of the sky. The white of the few clouds. The Georgian townhouses I strode past held interest to me now, and I imagined the stories their walls could tell the world. Had any dukes lived among these streets, idly waiting for their lady to stroll by, not realising the romance the dukes had in mind.

Romance.

I was thinking about romance.

What a fucking joke.

The song changed toYouby The Pretty Reckless, the simple lyrics making my cheeks heat. I wanted Fraser in my life, too—I needed him—and those realisations should have made me more uncomfortable than they did.

The hours flew by with my mind drifting from him to my heart to the music to the sights around me. I took London in through brand-new eyes, and when the air became a little cooler, I decided to make my way home. He’d told me to stay safe, and I wasn’t entirely convinced that meant giving my London-born heart a new tour of the city.

At a zebra crossing, I waited to make sure the roads were clear before stepping off the pavement. The moment my foot hit the road, a black BMW came flying towards me out of nowhere, and I barely had time to step back onto the kerb before it was upon me, tearing past at such speed, it made my ponytail whip through the air and smack me in the face.

“Jesus Christ!” I yelled at the car as it flew down the street, leaving me there with my heart in my throat after my life flashed before my eyes. “Fucking moron!” I yelled, giving him the middle finger while my heart raced wildly, threatening to burst out of my chest. “Jesus.”

I looked around to see if anyone else had witnessed my near hit and run, but there was nobody in sight. I had only myself to talk to about it.

With my hand on my heart, I chanced crossing the road again, moving as quickly as I could while Joy Williams sang in my ears aboutThe Trouble with Wanting.

Shaking it off, I carried on walking, now ready for home, but when I looked up, I saw the same black BMW driving back towards me on the opposite side of the road. A feeling of dread trickled down my spine, and goosebumps rose on the back of my neck when the car slowed down right by me. The windows were blacked out, so I couldn’t see inside, but I felt the eyes of the person or people inside that were on me before they drove past completely, only to speed up and tear off down the road like they had somewhere else to be.

Their presence lingered like a bad smell, making my gut churn.

Always listen to your gut, Charlotte,I heard in Fraser’s voice.

I glanced all around, seeing if anyone else was nearby again, but it looked like I was alone on a street filled with nothing but townhouses and parked cars.

Something, and I wasn’t sure what, told me to get home quickly.

Moving at a faster pace, I kept my head down for half an hour until I came to my street and saw the florist and my apartment up ahead. I took another look around, my senses now on high alert, only to see the lady who owned the florist leaving her shop and locking the door behind her when I came to the small pathway that led to my apartment door at the side.

“Hi, Charlotte.” She smiled. “Long time no see.”

“Hey, Jessie. How are things?”

“Good enough. You?”

“Good,” I said without my usual sincerity.

Tucking her keys into her jacket pocket, she smiled and scowled at the same time. “Are you sure? Your face is awfully pale.”

I wiped a hand across my brow, trying to shake it off. “I’ve been walking for hours. Not something I usually do around here. Feeling a bit woozy.” I faked a smile. “How are things with the shop going?”

“Busy. There are not enough hours in the day.”

“Too many weddings and declarations of love in the world?”

“Too many funerals.” She raised her brows. “The side of floristry people like to forget, unfortunately, but the side that keeps a roof over my head.”

“That’s… grim.”

“I live with that fact every day.”

After more small talk, I turned to my apartment and wished her well, only for Jessie to turn back to me just when I pushed the key in the door. “Oh, Charlotte? I’m not sure if you’ve got a new cat or dog up there or something, but you might need to grab your dustpan and brush when you get upstairs. I’m sure I heard either a glass or a vase smash earlier.”

That prickly feeling rolled up my spine again. “When?”

“About an hour or so ago.”

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