Page 151 of One Night Only
I kneel beside her as her breath hitches, passing her a lip balm and a packet of mints.
“I’m such a klutz,” she mutters, sounding like she’s about to burst into tears. “Could I have some water?”
I know it’s just an excuse to get me away from her, but I take it gratefully, rising as she scoops up a paperback novel and digs out her phone from where it skidded under the sofa.
She avoids my eye as she accepts the bottle, draining almost half of it as the blush spreads in patches to her face.
“I’m just tired,” she says and whatever friction there was between us vanishes.
“You should sit.”
“No. I—”
“Just for a minute,” I say, guiding her to the armchair. “It’s hot this morning.”
“This is so stupid.” Her accent swings between American and Irish. “You’re probably thinking who the hell is this girl?”
“I’m not.”
In fact, despite everything, I find myself oddly charmed by her. And somehow, that makes it all worse. So much worse that Declan’s ex-wife isn’t some glamorous bitch who broke his heart and I can childishly hate. She’s real. She’s real and she’s human and she’s sitting right in front of me.
“I should have planned this better,” she continues. “I got an early flight to get here, which is not a good idea, let me tell you. I think I got an hour of sleep.” She takes another gulp of water. “I’m babbling.”
She is. She’s almost hysterical. “I should really let Declan know you’re here.”
“No,” she says, one hand shooting out as if to physically stop me. “No, please don’t. This is better actually. I was enough of aneejitthe last time I saw him. I don’t need to do it again.” She attempts another smile. It’s a bad one. “I can’t imagine what he must have said about me.”
I say nothing. I say nothing because he’s told me nothing. Not really. Not yet.
After staring at me for so long, she can’t seem to meet my eye now. Her gaze bounces off the sofa, the coffee table, the wall.
“Can I be honest with you?” she asks. “And I’m only going to say this because I’m semi-delirious right now, but I don’t want you to think I came here in some grand gesture to try and get him back. I wouldn’t do that. Not after he told me about you. It’s just that for the past while now I’ve been thinking about us and about what happened and when he called, I thought he was thinking about me too. It never even occurred to me that he’d met someone.” The flush deepens. “When I realized why he was really there I got so embarrassed and I was justhorribleto him. As soon as he left, I felt terrible and I didn’t know what to do, so I had thisgeniusidea of coming here and explaining myself and now I’m…” She gestures down at herself. “A mess. I’m a mess. And you’re looking at me like I’m crazy.”
“I don’t think you’re crazy.”
“I would. I’m usually very normal. Ask anyone.” She presses her lips together, as though trying to regain control of her words. “Can I use your bathroom?” she asks after a moment.
I gesture wordlessly to the door and she shoots me a grateful look before practically jumping inside it.
Barely five minutes have passed since I heard the first knock.
I can’t believe this is happening.
I can’t believe Fiona is here and that she is beautiful and obviously still in love with Declan and acting like I’m…
Not after he told me about you.
Told her what exactly? That’s he’s sleeping with someone? That he’s spending time with someone?
She knows my name.
Does she know the names of the other women he’s slept with? Sienna and whatever her name was? Did he go to Fiona then too?
Before I get a chance to organize my thoughts the lock scrapes against the door and she emerges, her blush gone, her smile back.
“Great news,” she says when she sees me. “I’ve officially calmed down. I mean, I’ll probably wake at 3 a.m. for the rest of my life thinking about this moment butque sera, sera.” She hesitates. “Okay, the calm thing was a lie.”
Oh my God, she’s goddamn delightful.
