Page 125 of Love like the (Real) Reel Thing
Jess spun so quickly she nearly went over on her ankle. “Adam!”
He was here! In a tuxedo! No, that made sense – they’d been invited to the wedding as a couple. But that was before …
“I didn’t expect to see you.”
“Kate asked me.” He pushed a hand through his hair.
She stared at him. She wouldn’t allow herself to get upset – not on Kate’s wedding day. Her job was to smile and celebrate and be happy for her. Not to mention that she’d no intention of ruining her makeup.
“And I wanted to see you.” Adam frowned. “I wanted us to talk. Actually, that was why I went down to Linford. Frank didn’t ask me. To be honest, he advised me not to go down. And then when I got there, I realised you’d moved on, met someone else.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “When you texted me I thought you wanted to try again.”
“You didn’t reply to my message.” Jess’s heart seemed to be trying to escape her chest.
“I know, I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I thought it’d be better if we talked in person.”
“We can talk now.”
“No. You have someone waiting for you in there.”
“Mam and Dad won’t worry.” Jess pulled nervously at her dress.
He glanced past her towards the church. “You’re with your parents?”
“Who did you think –?” She stopped. “Oh! Did you see me talking to Kate’s brother just now?”
Adam looked a bit sheepish. “Kate’s brother? I didn’t get a proper look. I thought it might be –”
“Robert? No, that’s over.” She noticed the relief on Adam’s face. “I was talking to Neil and Ciara last week, they told me about your dad’s relapse.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you at the time.” Adam sighed. “I wanted to give you some space, and when Dad got sick again I put everything on hold to help out. By the time I came up for air, I saw that you’d blocked me.” He scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “I thought it was too late, I thought I’d lost you.”
Jess nodded, trying to remember all the things she’d imagined herself saying to him this last week. “I thought I was moving on, Adam, that we’d made this huge mistake, rushing into things because of the pregnancy.” Her eyes stung and she blinked hard, determined not to cry. “A part of me thought the miscarriage was my fault because I’d cheated on Simon. And that it’d be better if we weren’t together.”
“I’m so sorry.” Adam closed the gap between them. “Christ, Jess, I should have been there. I should have fought harder for you.”
“Your family needed you.”
“So did you.”
“I didn’t think so.” She gave a shaky laugh.
Adam looked like he was trying to choose his words. “I was upset about the baby too, Jess. But I was worried that maybe you felt trapped.”
“I thoughtyoufelt trapped!” She took a deep breath. “Everything just happened too fast between us, didn’t it?”
They fell silent for a few moments.
“I have a confession to make,” he said, finally.
Jess’s heart stuttered. “Don’t feel you have to make it just because we’re outside a church.”
Adam gave a small smile. “I knew you thought Ciara was my girlfriend. But I was so jealous of that fucking gobshite you were seeing that I couldn’t bring myself to tell you the truth.”
She started to laugh. “That’s actually …Shit!The wedding car is here.”
“Come on.” Adam took her hand and pulled her around to the side of the church.
Jess checked that they were out of sight before pulling her thoughts together.
