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Back The Falling in Love Montage Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  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. 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. Acknowledgments
  42. About the Author
  43. Books by Ciara Smyth
  44. Back Ad
  45. About the Publisher

Then I heard the scraping of a key in the door and I scrambled up. I fanned my face frantically. I don’t know why I thought that would do anything.

“Hello?” Beth called out. I heard her drop her keys onto the side table. “I forgot my bloody phone,” she said, coming into the living room. “It’s boiling out there today. Put some sunscreen on— Oh, honey, what’s wrong?”

I was standing in the middle of the room, feeling like I’d been caught doing something bad and unsure how to hide it. When Beth looked at me I couldn’t help it. My face crumbled and fat wet tears fell down my face. I buried my face in my hands as though that could hide me. A second later, her arms wrapped around me. My face mushed against her shoulder. I cried a wet snotty patch on her clothes. I made that pathetic sobbing noise people make when they can’t catch their breath. She didn’t let go. She stroked the back of my head over and over until the tears slowed down and my shallow breathing turned to hiccups.

34.

SAOIRSE

I think I made a mistake.

OLIVER

I can’t believe you got the highest possible points in the leaving cert and it took you two weeks to figure that out. It’s sad really.

SAOIRSE

Are you going to be a dick or are you going to help me?

OLIVER

Yes.

35.

The Grand Gesture

I gave the nod and Oliver pressed play on the background music, then the video call button on his phone. I started running before she answered. Oliver followed beside me on a skateboard. He looked too posh to be on a skateboard, but it was necessary for smooth filming.

“What is going on?” I heard Ruby’s voice, but I couldn’t see her face, as Oliver had the camera side pointed at me. All she would be able to see was me running.

“Just watch,” he said.

I really hoped I wouldn’t throw up. Either from my body rejecting exercise as something foreign or from the sick nerves that had started yesterday when I texted Oliver.

I ran from two streets over, the heat making my hair stick to the back of my neck. This is why running across town or running through the airport is such a big part of rom-coms: running is terrible and you must be really committed to your grand gesture to do it.

Finally, I turned into Oliver’s drive, my cheeks pink and shiny, and I used all the energy I had left to clamber up on top of the hood of his Jeep, strategically parked below Ruby’s bedroom window.

“Gentle,” he screeched, and covered his heart with his hand. I ignored him and took a deep breath, not easy after the aforementioned marathon.