Instead, she contained herself, and retrieved a tissue from her jeans pocket to wipe her face. Always be prepared for any eventuality. Her mentor’s words echoed in her mind as she mopped up her tears. After a slow, steeling breath, Chloe asked the one question she knew she had to ask, hoping she’d been right about Archer’s feelings for her. “So, how did it go?” her voice cracked on the last word and she clenched her jaw in annoyance at herself.
Archer reached for her free hand. “As well as can be expected. There were tears—hers—and some shouting—also hers, but I was crystal clear with her. I told her it was definitely over.” Chloe let out the breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. “She protested even that, however …”
“Oh.” Chloe’s jaw clenched. This conversation was wreaking more havoc on her insides than the merry-go-round.
“But I assured her there was no chance of her and I reconciling, ever, because I have fallen in love with someone else.”
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. It was not often that Chloe Sims was rendered speechless.
“I told her that I love you, which as I’m saying it now, means that I told someone else—an ex, of all people—before I even told you and, bollocks, I’ve cocked this up, haven’t I? I’m so sorry.”
A giggle erupted from Chloe. “You know, if we’re going to be together, you’re gonna have to stop all your over-the-top British apologising.”
“I’m sor— Uh …”
“Now,” she snaked her arms up around his neck, “can you please go back to the part—”
“Where I say, ‘I love you’?” She nodded. “I do. I love you, Chloe.” Chloe blinked back tears. “It’s mad and it’s quick …”
“It is,” she interjected breathlessly. The change in his expression told her that he was unsure how she felt, and her heart cracked a little at his vulnerability. “But I love you too,” she rushed to say. He broke into a grin and planted a hearty smack of a kiss onto her lips. “It was the floral rubber gloves, wasn’t it?”
“I think it was you nearly dropping that plate of biscuits at the door and not letting me into my childhood home that did it for me,” he teased. Her mouth dropped open to form an O in mock-indignation and she swatted him playfully. “You thought I hadn’t noticed.” Chloe pinned him with a hard stare and quietly growled.
Amusement danced across Archer’s face, then his expression softened, and Chloe’s breath caught. “I definitely noticed, Chloe. I’ve noticed everything about you since we met. You’re a wonder to me.” His eyes glossed with a sheen of tears.
“I love you,” he said simply.
“I love you too,” she replied.
They skipped dinner out, instead nibbling from the cold plates of room-service food. Chloe couldn’t remember enjoying a meal more.
Chapter 28
Lucy
The next morning’s eruption of activity reminded Lucy of the opening scene in Home Alone—the one where they’ve overslept and have to get two sets of parents and all those children to the airport in less than forty-five minutes. She tried to stay out of the way as seven family members packed up and got ready to depart the cabin, retreating to her room after breakfast to start working on her email to Angela.
There was so much commotion, especially from the cousins as they gathered their belongings and Christmas presents from various corners of the cabin, that Lucy barely registered that Will was gone for most of the morning. He’d returned by the time Steph called her downstairs to say goodbye to Jackie and her brood.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Bridget said to her quietly, “but I sent you a friend request on Facebook.” The hopeful look on her face sent a wave of affection through Lucy, but before she could reply, Bridget added, “But you don’t have to accept it or anything.”
“Oh, I absolutely will.” They shared a smile and Lucy saw the colour creep up Bridget’s cheeks before she reached down to give her a hug. She wished that she’d had an older friend when she was Bridget’s age, someone who saw the world through a similar lens, someone who understood what it was like to be introverted and awkward.
When the door closed behind Jackie, Bob and their three children, there was almost a collective sigh. “We’ll be out of your hair soon, too,” said Steph. Lucy wanted to protest that she was in no hurry for Steph and Joe to leave but worried it would come across as trite. Besides, it was only partially true.
She returned to her room and opened up her laptop to read over her draft email to Angela. There was a gentle knock on the doorframe and when Lucy looked up, Will was filling most of it. His hair was messy as though he’d just pulled his beanie off. It made him look especially handsome, she thought.
“Hey,” he said, “can I come in?”
“Of course.” She closed the laptop and made room for him on the bed, clearing away a notepad and pen and smoothing the duvet.
“What ya working on?” he asked, indicating her laptop.
“I’m taking an excruciatingly long time to write a very brief email to my manager, Angela.”
“Ah, yes, the whole ‘Mark Twain’ thing.”
“I’m not sure I follow.”
“There’s this famous quote from Mark Twain about that. I think it’s, ‘I apologise for the length of this letter; I didn’t have time to write a short one’. Something like that anyway.”
“That sounds spot on.”
“I could take a look, if you like?”
“Oh, absolutely.” Lucy opened up her laptop and spun it around so Will could read her draft. It wouldn’t take him long as she hadn’t got very far. Still, she wasn’t sure if it was a good sign when he bit his bottom lip.
“It’s not bad. I think this part may be laying it on a bit thick, though.” He pointed to a line about how much
