Page 55 of The Wisteria Tree Cottage

‘I always imagined you’d be the first person I’d make love to. I wanted it to be you, so badly. And the worst thing was I was going to find you to tell you I loved you and this guy I was seeing and Sally and Fliss told me they’d just seen you having sex with Milly Atherton on the beach, how you’d been clearly having the best sex of your entire life and had been telling her you loved her and I believed it. And then when I did have sex, I cried after because it wasn’t you. Because you loved someone else who wasn’t me. And everything was a lie. Everything. You never slept with her and you did love me.’

Bear felt the anger boil up in him, she had been betrayed by people she trusted. The whole of her life changed in an instant because of one silly lie. And he knew why too, Fliss had asked him out and he’d turned her down. This was Fliss getting her own back on him and being spiteful to Meadow at the same time, it had clearly been a win-win.

They reached his car but Bear turned her to face him. ‘Meadow, I wanted you to be my first too. First and last actually. I was head over heels in love with you and I have no doubt at all, if we had made love back then, it would have been incredible.’

‘Oh,’ she said softly, tears filling her eyes again.

He cupped her face and wiped the tears away. ‘I would have kissed you everywhere and I meaneverywhereuntil you were screaming out my name. Then I would have made love to you very slowly and very carefully, taking my time, holding you close, telling you how much I loved you and only you.’

‘I would have liked that very much,’ Meadow said, her voice barely a whisper.

He was starting to believe that Imogen was right and Meadow did have feelings for him, but she was drunk, he couldn’t really trust her overemotional state right now. ‘I would have, too, and when you’re sober we’re going to have a proper conversation about whether that’s something you would still like to do now.’

Her eyes widened. ‘Make love to you?’

‘Give ourselves a second chance at having a proper relationship, and yes making love to you would absolutely be part of that.’

She swallowed. ‘I… yes… I’d want that more than anything.’

He nodded, his heart filling with hope. ‘Let’s talk about this tomorrow.’

He helped her get in his car and then moved round to sit in the driver’s side. He started the car and focussed on driving, taking the corners carefully until he stopped at some traffic lights. He turned to face her and smiled when he saw she was leaning against the window, fast asleep.

She probably wouldn’t remember any of their conversation in the morning.

He pulled into the driveway of Wishing Wood and parked as close as he could to Wisteria Cottage, Meadow’s house.

He got out and walked round to Meadow’s side and carefully opened the door and she lurched awake as she nearly fell out.

‘God sorry, didn’t mean to fall asleep. Wine always makes me sleepy,’ she muttered.

She climbed out the car and wobbled a bit. Bear bent down and scooped her up into his arms. She wound her arms round his shoulders, nuzzling into his neck which was the most incredible feeling in the world.

‘Bear, what are you doing?’

‘Taking you to bed.’

She giggled against his throat. ‘My lucky night after all.’

He smiled as he went up the steps to Wisteria Cottage and let himself into Meadow’s treehouse and then climbed the stairs up to her bedroom. He laid her down carefully on the bed and he could see she was already dozing off again.

He took off her shoes and then covered her with her duvet. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. ‘Goodnight Meadow.’

He moved to go out the room.

‘I love you, you know,’ Meadow said, quietly.

He smiled at the drunken declaration of love. ‘I love you too.’

She smiled, rolled over, snuggled into her pillow and fell asleep.

Bear went downstairs and walked across the rope bridge to Heath’s treehouse.

Heath looked up from where he was lying on the sofa, watching TV. ‘Hey, you’re back early.’

‘Meadow’s a little drunk, I’ve just put her to bed.’

Heath laughed. ‘Oh, she doesn’t do well on alcohol, she rarely drinks it. I’ve just this second put Star to bed, we stayed up to watch a movie together. I’ll grab her and take her over to Meadow’s so I can keep an eye on her.’

---