Page 70 of Only ever you-Ana & Byron
Then, more gently, he added,
"Your mum and I are going for a walk around the lake. We'll eat out, give you time to do all this... talking business."
She nodded.
He kissed her forehead softly, then left without another word. She heard the door close behind him.
Ana closed her bedroom door and pressed her back against it. Her heart was thudding like it was preparing for battle.
The coffee.
She turned, slowly walked back to the side table and picked it up. It was lukewarm now.
He'd brought it up quietly and left it without waking her.
She stared down at it, then set it back on the table and padded to the sink.
Brushed her teeth. Splashed water on her face.
Here we go, she thought.
Round one.
***
Ana padded down the stairs, the familiar softness of her slippers muffled against the polished wood.
The living room was bathed in a gentle amber glow. Towering windows stretched from floor to ceiling, framing the lake outside like a painting. Wisps of cloud floated low over the horizon, the sun dipping gently behind the trees, casting golden light across the water. A pair of swans glided in the distance, their grey-feathered cygnets trailing behind. The room smelled faintly of cedar and coffee.
The stone fireplace, unlit now, gave the space a homely feel. Cushions and throws in soft neutrals made the place feel more like a cocoon than a living room.
And in the middle of it all was Byron.
His rangy body was slouched on the sofa across from her, elbows on knees, that week-old shirt rumpled at the collar. His dark hair was mussed. His face was shadowed with stubble and exhaustion.
He was still the most heartbreakingly handsome man she'd ever seen.
He looked up the moment he heard her.
And stood as his eyes followed her descent.
They didn't speak, just moved as if choreographed. Byron to the sofa by the stone wall, she to the one opposite. The space between them stretched tight with tension.
Byron's knee bounced. He couldn't sit still when he was nervous.
Then, his voice cut through abruptly.
"You ran away. Again."
"You didn't even let me, fucking hell, Ana. That picture? That wasn't what it seemed like. That was Liv. The physio, I told you about her. She's more likely to be interested in you than me."
"I believe you," Ana interrupted quietly. "That's not why I left."
But Byron was already mid-storm, barely listening.
"We had a fight, fine. All couples fight. But you should've let me explain. You should've bloody screamed at me or slammed the door, anything but disappear again. How could you just leave, Ana? How could you let me lose my mind thinking you'd, God, I thought something had happened to you."
She let him rant. His words came fast, furious, and wounded.
