onds, nobody
he clinking of glasses from nearby tables and Isabella h
s on was the man sit
niel
e in the world,
e y
d out of my life without giving me a proper explanation. And now he was si
y fingers aro
" Isabel
and look
you o
I'm
barely said anything
'm just tired. Work
apparently satisf
end your whole life working. That's wh
ost l
t morning because she couldn't decide what colour sho
ury of taking breaks when
eyes playfully. "Mum, please tell your d
as she picked
when she was younger, she would rather fini
to be responsible in
ponsible?" Isabella asked,
n't sa
ou mea
e first time that evening,
ed quiet, watchi
on me, but I refused t
towards him, "I don't think I'v
ach tig
his hand, her
is Nathaniel R
e it
adn't alr
l finall
to meet y
ked a
lm, deep and controlled. It was
out hi
, I simply s
yself to reach
et you too,
losed around
of us
ression. It was almost impossible to catch
emem
e he rem
ng the tension. "Now that you've finally met, I
d back and reac
ing to worry
eaned back
ope
at him
ss as if he hadn't s
asked, glancing at the m
imed. "I've been waiting
g their meals. Isabella couldn't decide between
o you think
ced at
u said you wan
s face br
remem
cour
m, and he return
down at
him do the little thin
embered small details. The way he rarely smiled but so
still took his co
e still stayed
hy I was eve
are you havi
menu without re
grilled
aven't eaten properl
sure,
actually very thoughtful. He even remembered my favo
nice," I
eased. "You should
py for yo
mean
t, I wa
my hand acr
hat's why I wanted
ter has always been y
ble to find t
looked a
portant," he
way he said it mad
mi
blamed for everything th
ip of wate
Nathaniel had met at a charity event, how he had helped her when she accidentally
without i
looking at her. "You spil
covered
I wanted the gro
gave a qui
ised about
ur shirt wa
just a
ve shirt,"
d I managed ano
ost felt like an ord
mo
to her handbag and broug
thing to sho
it?" Mu
d and handed he
en
Her eyes moved across the wor
Isabe
?" I
at t
ed the c
oked
wedding i
e names printed in el
rter and Na
ir names
d it
n a
e we
ng was in t
sabella asked, practica
ed up
ee w
ded exc
ou know how these things are. There
uch time," Mum said,
eady discussed most of
the invita
e we
my sister had ended up with the man I onc
sabella cal
ted m
but there was somethi
to be my mai
reathing fo
M
o else would I want
ded app
a love
genuinely happy. She had no
o tell her
why he had returned, and why he was looking
dn't do an
he
of my mother
allo
hink ab
smile fad
t? Amelia, you
. I just need
my face be
I'm count
l finall
uld make a wonderf
d towar
king direc
u agree?"
d his
thing Amelia should
didn't change,
ella's phone rang. She glanc
e this. I'll b
tle distance awa
his work. He answered politely, explaining that
y heard
n the invitation l
w fell acros
oked
standing bes
lk?" he as
o was busy looking throug
ing for us to
red his
ere, A
trying to keep m
ve nothing
m the table befor
quiet hallway when I hear
eli
ut didn't t
ou want, N
nt, he sai
he
w Isabella wa
d to fa
t change
w tigh
N
I hope you both have
st him, but his ne
now about what happened betwee
egan to be
you talk
his expression
erson who lost something when
red a
ask another que
hidden from mine, you wouldn't be stan
ldn't
ieved Nathaniel left beca
't sure I had ever k
o marry seemed to know something
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