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‘You’re right,’ he sighed. ‘It’s just… you know. It is what it is, right?’

Holly wasn’t sure if she knew what he meant after all. Sure, the car journey had been pretty horrific, but was he talking about spending time with herfull stop? Is that where the problem had been?

‘At least this wine is good.’ He took another drink, and Holly’s eyes widened as she realised he had already polished off his entire glass in a matter of minutes. Giles was always a very sensible drinker. Often he was the designated driver in the group. This wasn’t like him at all. Yet he immediately poured himself another glass.

‘I know you don’t want to do this—’ Holly started.

‘You’re right, I don’t. Idon’twant to do this.’ He turned and looked her in the eye. There was so much pain there. So much guilt. She could see it now – however hard this had been for her, it had to be ten times harder for him. After all,hewas the one who was engaged. Only he was engaged to a woman who wasn’t right for him on any level. She was a liar. She was manipulative, and she was going to force him into a future he didn’t want to live. This wasn’t about her. It was about them.

‘Giles, there are things Ineedto talk to you about,’ she said.

‘No. No, you don’t, Holly.’ He turned back away from her. ‘We don’t need to talk. We don’t have to, and I don’t want to.’

‘Please, if you could just listen?—’

His head snapped back around, and this time, when he looked her in the eye, she could see nothing but anger.

‘Okay, let me put it out there as clear as I can. If I could go back and change the past, I would do so in a heartbeat. But I can’t, and now I have to live with that. That’s all there is to it.’

‘Wow.’ With the single word, Holly was left breathless. He was right. He had made it perfectly clear. If he could go back and change what had happened between them, he would. At least she knew where she stood now. ‘Okay, I guess you’re right. I guess there’s nothing to talk about.’

It was her turn to down her glass of wine. As she did, she turned her head away from him so he couldn’t see the tears in her eyes. She had made a couple of bad decisions in the past. Things that people would definitely call mistakes. But did she ever wish she could go back and undo them? Other than that winter’s walk by the lake, she couldn’t think of one thing she would simply erase from her life.

She emptied her glass and reached for the bottle – at the exact same time as Giles. When their hands touched, she hastily pulled hers away, and in one sweeping move, wiped the tears from her cheeks.

‘Holly, you have to understand what I meant is?—’

‘I get it. It’s fine.’

‘No, no?—’

‘Okay, the room is all sorted if you’d like me to show you up to it,’ Evelyn interrupted. ‘I have to say, you’ve lucked out a little bit. We’re almost fully booked, and the only room available is our honeymoon suite. So I guess that’s a bit of a silver lining, isn’t it?’

Giles and Holly exchanged identical stunned looks.

‘I’m sorry,’ Holly said, still sniffing back any remaining tears. ‘Did you just say the honeymoon suite?’

‘Yes,’ Evelyn said brightly. ‘We do lots of weddings here. It’s where the bride and groom stay.’

‘We understand what a honeymoon is,’ Giles said, ‘but it was the singular “suite” that we didn’t understand. You’re saying there’s only one room?’

‘Yes, it’s the only one left in the hotel. Like I said, we’re almost fully booked. That won’t be a problem, will it?’

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On the top floor of the hotel, Evelyn was still hoping to win them over with her broad smile, which was flickering more and more with every passing second. ‘It’s a super king bed,’ she said. ‘I actually have one of these at home and there’s room for me, my wife, the two kids and the dog. Actually, if it’s just my wife and me in there, it sometimes feels like we’re sleeping in a different bed. She’s that far away from me.’ She let out a strained laugh before she continued. ‘The fridge is fully stocked, and obviously everything is complimentary. And it’s up to you if you want to eat in the restaurant or get room service. You won’t be charged a penny, I promise. Now, I shall leave you to it. Of course, the option for a taxi to the train station is still there if you want it. Just let me know. Preferably before seven thirty. That’s when I clock off.’

‘Thank you,’ Holly said.

A moment later, the door closed, and she and Giles were alone together in the room.

‘I’m going to check out the bathroom,’ Holly said. Despite the size of the suite, it suddenly felt incredibly cramped. ‘You know. After the drive and everything.’

They still hadn’t brought up the issue of the one bed, but she was planning on putting that off for as long as possible.

‘I guess it’s through there,’ Giles said, pointing to a wooden door.

Without another word, Holly stepped into the adjoining room, only to let out a small gasp.