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Back All You Need Is Love Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. OCTOBER
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. Acknowledgments
  53. More from Jessica Redland
  54. About the Author
  55. Also by Jessica Redland
  56. About Boldwood Books

I took a step closer to her, fighting hard against the temptation to throw my arms round her and protect her from whatever new pain she was facing. ‘What is it?’

Jemma opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head. ‘Nothing. Just some unexpected news but it’s not important at the moment. This is Karen, by the way.’

We exchanged polite hellos. Then silence. Jemma kept her eyes down, kicking at a piece of seaweed with the toe of her boot.

‘Well, this has been lovely, but Jem’s keen to get home to her mum,’ Karen said. ‘Maybe you could give her a call tomorrow, Sam?’

‘Yeah. Of course.’ My arms twitched but I held them by my side. It wasn’t the right moment. ‘I’d better let you go. Sorry again. About everything.’

Jemma nodded before walking away with Karen.

I sat down heavily on the top steps. What an evening. While the memorial ‘party’ had been grim, the episode with Kirsty and the situation with Jemma had just eclipsed it. Why was everything always so complicated? And what ‘unexpected news’ could Jemma have received to make her so low?

On my way home in a taxi a little later, I dug my phone out of my pocket to send Jemma a text but she’d beaten me to it:

✉︎ From Jemma

I know today will have been tough for you and I don’t want you to end it thinking I’m angry with you. Although I wish I hadn’t seen what I saw on the beach, I know it was all Kirsty and you were trying to get away from her. I’d like to see you before you go back to London. I’m working at Bear With Me tomorrow but I can nip out after lunch. Can you meet me in Castle Park at 2pm?

We’d talked about meeting tomorrow night to talk. Clearly she didn’t want to do that anymore and I couldn’t blame her. I wanted to call her back or ask more questions but I could feel the exhaustion from the tone of her text. All she needed from me right now was a yes or no.

✉︎ To Jemma

I’ll be there xx

With a heavy heart, I made my way slowly back to Mum and Dad’s, unable to shake the feeling that I’d lost Jemma. Not because of what had happened with Kirsty but because of all the false starts. I should never have told her how I felt. I should have let the friendship build, I should have been there for her, I should have let the anniversary pass, and I should have taken those baby steps I’d been taking since the wedding that wasn’t, instead of that stupid great bloody leap of faith.

As I lay down to sleep, all I could picture was Jemma’s sad, weary face.

45

Jemma