“Now we’ve finished wrapping, are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?” He walked to the kitchen and poured two mugs of coffee. “And don’t tell me it’s nothing. I’ve had to say everything twice, and you look as if your best friend died.”

It actually felt that way. She’d lain awake all night thinking about it. She’d picked up her phone multiple times. She’d even typed a message, but she’d never sent it. And Alix had sent nothing, either. There had been a time when they’d messaged each other several times a day. Sometimes just a line, or a joke, or a link with Take a look at these great shoes, but it made both of them feel connected. That contact had lessened over the years, and she missed it. At first she’d assumed Alix was busy, but now she could see that she herself had reached for her phone less often, even though the contact was as important to her as ever.

Eventually she’d drifted off, but she’d woken feeling exhausted and sick. Still, it was impossible to be drowsy when the outside temperature was down to minus double digits, and she’d managed to enjoy her morning.

Seb handed her a mug of coffee. “Christy?”

How much should she tell him?

Usually she avoided discussing her friendship with Alix with him, but they’d agreed to be honest, hadn’t they?

“I messed things up with Alix.”

“How? When? During your spa visit?”

“There was no spa visit. There was a...conversation.” Was conversation the right word? No. The words they’d exchanged had been much too heated for that. “You know how I find it hard to say what I’m really feeling? Well, not yesterday. Yesterday I told her the truth. And—” it almost killed her to remember it “—I said too much. It didn’t come out well. I was upset, and she was upset. I told her she’d ruined my wedding day.” And she knew she’d never forget the raw pain and guilt in Alix’s eyes. Thinking about it crushed her all over again. “I actually said that. I told her how much what she said at the wedding upset me. And how it had carried on upsetting me.”

“Is that how you feel?” He put his coffee down, a strange expression on his face, and she realized that now she’d upset him, too.

“I’m sorry!” She put her mug down, too, and reached out a hand. “I need to stop talking and never say another word as long as I live.”

“No. Although, I’ll admit you threw me for a few seconds there.” He took her hand and pulled her toward him. “Christy, we both know Alix didn’t ruin the wedding. Yes, she caused an upset the day before, and of course that was unsettling and hurtful, and her words have obviously stayed in your head, but we had fun at our wedding. It felt as if we were laughing the whole day. Do you really need me to remind you of that? Don’t you remember what happened with the cake?”