Page 24 of Five Things I Love About You

‘What do you reckon then? Great idea, eh?’

‘Um, maybe,’ I say.

Sophie frowns. ‘Only maybe? Did you hear what I just said?’

‘I did. I just… I don’t know, Soph. It feels a bit stalker-y.’

‘As opposed to moving across the country to chase after someone you almost ran over?’ Kirstie’s face pops up again on the screen beside Sophie.

‘Kirstie!’ Sophie admonishes.

‘She’s got a point,’ I say, smiling to show I’m not offended. ‘Although, in my defence, I haven’t moved herejustfor that.’

‘Well, anyway,’ Sophie says, choosing to ignore us both. ‘I still think you need to be fully committed to this, otherwise you don’t stand a chance of finding him.’

Sophie looks so cross it makes me laugh.

‘You’re right,’ I say. ‘I’m here now, I might as well give it a proper go. Let’s just hope if I do miraculously find him that’s he’s actually single.’

‘He will be. The dreams were guiding you there, remember? They’re not going to guide you towards a married man.’

I smile, worried, but say nothing. We chat for a while longer, and I try to ignore the fact that they’re hundreds of miles away and I’m all alone, but after an hour or so it becomes too much and I make my excuses. I’m also starving, I realise, so I order a takeaway – there’s plenty of time for exploring the city in the days and weeks to come but tonight I’m too pooped to cook.

Then, while I eat my noodles and drink a beer, I log on to Walkies.com and browse the site. Dozens of cute little faces peer at me and my heart melts. I register as a walker, adding detail about my experience with dogs as well as the hours I’m free, close the laptop, then get ready for bed.

Tomorrow is the first full day of my new life, and I need to get some sleep.

9

I’m peering up into a sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. They’re not moving because there’s not a breath of wind. A knot of nerves gripes in my belly and I can’t work out why.

Suddenly, a tiny speck appears in the sky above me. As it gets nearer, I realise where I am. I’m watching someone skydiving.

I stand still as the figure floats down, getting closer and closer. I feel nervous, and don’t relax until their feet are on the ground, the parachute billowing out around them like a giant cape.

A face looks up at me and I smile. Because although the features aren’t clear, I know who it is.

It’s Jay.

I walk towards him as he disentangles himself and stands. When I reach him he holds his arms out and I fall into them, feeling his heart thump, thump, thumping against my cheek. I want to stay here forever.

Eventually, I pull away.

‘Where are you going?’ he says in the low voice that makes my skin tingle with desire.

‘I just thought you might need a minute,’ I say, gesturing at his helmet and safety gear, but he pulls me back towards him, pressing his lips to mine. I melt into him, desire flickering through my belly as the world around me falls away… and then I’m falling, falling, the blue sky receding and darkening and…

And then I’m back in bed, alone, my heart pounding.

10

In my befuddled morning state, it takes me longer than it should to fully exit the dream, and for a few confused moments I think I’m still with Jay. I even turn my head to see if, by some miracle, he’s lying beside me, sprawled across the bed like a starfish, snoring gently.

But the other side of the bed is empty, clearly unslept in. Of course it is.

I turn back to look at the room: tiny wardrobe tucked into the corner, plain white walls and generic, meaningless artwork. Then, like a bursting dam, it all comes rushing back to me and I feel crushed by the realisation that I am here, hundreds of miles from home, alone.

I hope I haven’t made a terrible mistake.

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