Page 53 of A Snowy Seaside Christmas
‘I’ll leave that entirely up to you.’ Snowflakes started swirling around them. Lark raised her eyes to the sky to see the clouds had darkened. ‘Looks like we’re in for another covering. Might be a good idea to make a move before it gets too bad.’
‘You’re right. But before I go, I’d just like to say that whatever it is that’s going on with you and Nate, you will try to sort it out, won’t you? Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve been out of sorts today as well as him.’ He pinned her with a knowing look. ‘He’s a decent lad with a good heart, and he cares for you. And what’s more, I think you care for him.’
Lark didn’t know how to answer that.
‘Bye, sweetheart.’ Her dad kissed her brow and went to climb into his car.
‘Bye, Dad.’
As she watched him drive away, his words hit their target. Her throat tightened and her eyes blurred with tears.
What had she done?
She turned to walk back home, tears streaming down her cheeks.
It was too late. Too much had been said. And it was all her fault.
THIRTY-THREE
‘Lark, flower, what’s up?’
Lark picked her gaze up from where it was fixed to the cobbles to see Maggie’s kind, brown eyes looking back at her, full of sympathy.
‘Oh, Mags, I’ve been such an idiot.’ Tears were tumbling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin.
‘Why? What’s happened?’ Maggie reached out and rested her hand on Lark’s arm.
Lark shook her head. How could she even tell her friend what she’d done? She felt too ashamed.
‘Come on, lovey, you’re shivering. Let’s get you back home and out of the cold.’ Maggie took charge, wrapping her arm around Lark and steering her back to Seashell Cottage.
Inside, she’d sat Lark down in the kitchen and made a pot of tea, Luna observing them curiously from the doorway.
‘Right then, come on, tell all. You’ll feel a hundred times better when you’ve got it off your chest, you know I’m right.’ After placing a box of tissues in front of Lark, she poured tea into two mugs, sliding one across the table to her friend. ‘There you go, flower.’
‘Thanks, Mags.’
Maggie sat herself down in the seat opposite, waiting for Lark to begin.
But wheredidshe begin? How could she tell her friend what she’d said? What she’ddone? It was so unlike her, even she found it hard to believe it now she was thinking about it. It was all so awful. What she’d give to be able to turn the clock back. Poor Nate.
Mustering every ounce of courage and with a rapidly thudding heart, Lark said, ‘Nate and I kissed.’ Now it was out there she couldn’t backtrack. Her mind bounced between relief and regret and back again.
A beat passed, Maggie clearly processing this unexpected piece of information. And now Lark’s overriding feeling was regret. Regret for so many things.
‘And you’re crying because…?’ Maggie looked at her in disbelief.
‘Because it was a mistake.’
‘A mistake? Are you sure about that? I mean, are you sure that’s what you really think?’
‘Of course. You know my stance on having a relationship with Nate.’
‘So you’re having a relationship with him?’
‘No, nothing like that.’
‘Okay, so, it was a one-off?’
