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Back Just Say Yes Save as PDF
Chapters (47)
  1. Dedication
  2. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
  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. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. EPILOGUE
  44. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  45. MORE FROM MAXINE MORREY
  46. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  47. About Boldwood Books

‘What do you want me to say? What did you think? That I was going to propose to you?’

‘Of course not, but you told me you wanted more. That I meant more to you! That things had changed for you since we met and you trusted me. The stupid thing is, I never once questioned whether I could trust you! But clearly the answer to that is no!’

‘You can trust me,’ he said, close now. ‘Of course you can, but that doesn’t mean I’m about to dive into marriage with you or anyone.’

‘If your ego can stand it, I hate to break it to you that I don’t want to either. That’s not the point. The point is that you know that’s what I’m looking for. What I’ve always been looking for and you made me believe that you were thinking the same way.’

‘I never meant to mislead you.’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ I said, shoving at his broad chest. ‘I can’t even look at you right now.’

‘You’re overreacting, Maddie.’

Amazingly the thump I landed actually caused him to make a sound of not only surprise but, if not pain, then certainly discomfort.

‘Overreacting! You have a child you never told me about and you think I’m overreacting?’ I screamed at him, completely losing the poise and restraint I prided myself on. ‘I stood on that cliff edge and poured my entire soul out to you. Things I’ve never told anyone! I shared my baby brother’s last moments with you – moments I keep locked in my heart because they’re too precious to share with just anyone, but I thought you were different. I thought you were the one, Lorcan. And you let me believe it. But you’re not, are you? You’re just another chancer. You didn’t deserve to hear those memories and you sure as hell don’t deserve me!’ With that, I shoved him out of the way of the car door, got in and floored the pedal, joining the road towards the airport without looking back.

40

Spring had finally arrived. You could feel and smell it in the air, even here in the city. I was on my way to another potential booking, meeting at a coffee shop near the Shard. I’d put Lorcan O’Malley out of my mind, as much as I could. Occasionally his face would drift into my dreams but I’d learned to ignore it as best I could. I knew it would be a while before I’d be able to fix my heart entirely and I had a feeling the traces of the damage would remain, like when you glued a pot back together – the crack could still be seen, even if it was faint. But I’d faced worse than Lorcan O’Malley in my life and survived and I would do so again.