Page 44 of The Library of Second Chances
‘Well, I might be the type to work in the library, but I just came back to look after my parents’ house. And now Gwen is here . . .’ She didn’t want to say it aloud, but she didn’t want to be Gwen’s housemate for ever. Especially if the elephant in the room reared its ginormous head every time they were in the same space. She sighed. ‘I’m not entirely sure why she came to the library the other day. Google will have more information on jobs than we do. It was funny, though.’ She told Harry about Eric’s eagerness to help Gwen out and how he’d missed his chair, falling on his bottom. Harry’s big shoulders shook as he laughed, and Chloe found herself grinning back. She found she liked making him laugh. The corners of his eyes crinkled in this charming way, delight shining from his eyes as well as his smile.
They ended up choosing the tiramisu. ‘Can you double-check there are no nuts in it? She’s allergic,’ Harry asked the waiting staff.
‘Thanks,’ said Chloe.
She felt full and happy after the delicious, nut-free dessert. Harry asked a staff member to bring the bill.
‘We can go halves,’ she offered. They had drunk an entire bottle of wine between them, and she had seen the prices on the menu; it was a fancy place.
Harry shifted in his seat, pulling a leather wallet from his pocket. ‘You get the next one, all right? Think of it as a welcome home present.’
Home . . .was Wellbridge her home? Chloe wasn’t sure, but she pulled her coat on and they left the restaurant together. She gasped as a strong wind rippled over them. Winter was definitely on its way.
Harry walked her home. She flexed her cold fingers, wishing she had thought to bring a pair of gloves. She glanced at Harry, who walked confidently beside her, his strides long but walking slowly enough for her to keep up. If she moved just a little bit closer, their fingers would brush together. Something had shifted in her tonight. He didn’t seem quite so frightful. She wondered if he wanted to hold her hand.
She opened her mouth to ask if he did when Harry said, ‘Actually, Chloe, I have a favour I want to ask you.’
‘Sure.’
They had entered her neighbourhood now, the quiet town already empty and the streetlights casting golden light on the pavements. A few stars winked above their heads. Harry stopped before her. ‘I’d prefer it if you didn’t tell anyone that we . . . well, that we’ve been out together,’ said Harry, looking at her. ‘I mean, you can tell your sister. But I don’t really want anyone to know, yet.’
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Yeah, sure.’
There was nothing to tell anyway, she reminded herself. Just two friends out for a meal.
‘It’s just that I haven’t been out with anyone since Julie . . . you know. I’m still not sure what I want. Or what this was,’ he added. ‘I just don’t want people getting the wrong idea.’
She found herself almost withdrawing into her coat, like a turtle. She wanted to say she hadn’t been on a decent date in a while, either, but it would sound silly after him mentioning his late wife. ‘All right, no problem.’ After all, this hadn’t really been a date. He’d given her a comforting pat on her hand when she’dmentioned Mum and Dad, but she didn’t even know if she liked him.
Well, maybe she did a bit. The thought surprised her.
They walked in companiable silence until they reached Chloe’s house. ‘This is me,’ she said, noticing the living room light was on. The faint sound of theTVcame from inside. Canned laughter reached them, sounding artificial and strange in the cold evening.
‘Thanks for coming out with me, Chloe.’ Harry stepped forward and tucked a strand of hair around Chloe’s ear. Her breath caught, but Harry simply pecked her on the cheek and drew back. ‘Let’s do it again sometime.’
‘Yeah,’ she said, her breath escaping all at once as Harry walked down the path. ‘Goodnight.’
‘Night!’ He waved to her and was soon swallowed by the darkness.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHLOE HOPED GWENhad somehow gone to bed and forgotten to switch off theTV, but as luck would have it, her sister was lying sprawled on the couch. Her sitcom had ended, and she had changed to a film.
‘Hi,’ she called after Chloe. Chloe didn’t respond, but quickly slipped up the stairs to scrub off her make-up and change into her pyjamas and dressing gown. She was still reliving the evening in her mind, and she had a smile on her face when she sat in the armchair, the new book from Gwen tucked under her arm.
‘Hmm?’ Gwen gave her a knowing smile as Chloe flicked on the lamp by her chair.
‘Hmm?’ Chloe echoed. It was something they’d done as children, mockingly repeating what the other had said.
Instead of becoming annoyed, though, Gwen leaned forward. ‘I saw aboyoutside. Have you been seeing aboy?’
Chloe’s good mood couldn’t even be dampened, not even by Gwen’s nosiness, and she burst into laughter. ‘Boy? We’re thirty soon, Gwen.’
Gwen looked offended. ‘You’re nearly thirty. I’m sitting pretty at twenty-five, thanks. Don’t change the subject. Was that the guy from the library? He was, wasn’t he?’
‘You’re such a busybody. What, were you peeking through the curtains?’
‘Of course.’
