‘This is Darcy … and you’ve met Ed before …’ Sienna throws James a pointed look, avoiding any eye contact with Ed or Darcy.

Blood rushes from the boyfriend’s face, his smile melting away like ice-cream on a sweltering day. ‘Right …’ Darcy can see plain as day that James wants the ground to swallow him whole. ‘Hi.’ He gives a small nod, guilt quickly replacing the friendliness he was wearing only moments ago.

Darcy looks at Ed again. His face is unreadable, but his gaze is fixed on Sienna and James. She’s sure this has just chiselled away another piece of his broken heart.

‘We better go find Drew,’ Darcy says, touching Ed on the arm. ‘Good to see you,’ she says to Sienna, even though they both know it isn’t true. Maybe if the two girls had bumped into each other one-on-one, it would have been completely different. Maybe they would have gotten coffee, maybe Sienna would have broken down in tears and explained how hard it was for her to break things off with Ed. Maybe Darcy would have assured Sienna that Ed would be okay …

‘Good luck with the wedding,’ Sienna says, a harmless comment, but one that reminds Darcy that a month ago Sienna would have been on their guest list and now simply isn’t.

There are murmurs of goodbye as the two pairs walk off in opposite directions, Ed and Darcy without any lemonade.

She glances at her friend. It’s like seeing a loveable teddy bear with stuffing spilling out of it. ‘You okay?’

Ed just shakes his head. ‘I should have known not to come here.’

‘You can’t avoid every place you and Sienna ever went together.’

‘I can for a couple of months. Just until it doesn’t hurt so bad.’

Darcy wraps her arm around him as they walk silently through the markets to the chilli jam stand.

Chapter 27

27

Six months earlier

Penelope looks at the man who is staring at her. Skinny, pale, thick beard. He waves but it isn’t until he offers a smile that she recognises him.

‘Jon, hi.’ She reaches out to hug him before stepping to the side to let other people on the street pass them. It’s been a while since she last saw him, which feels odd. He was someone she used to see at least every week.

His whole face is saturated with loss. He stares at her, his mouth frozen for a moment. He finally shakes himself. ‘Sorry, Penny, you just look so much like her.’

Penelope feels guilty and wishes she could hide her looks. She pushes her hair off her shoulders but knows it’ll make no difference; she’ll always be a photocopy of Miranda.

‘I’ll let you go,’ Penelope offers, assuming her presence must be painful, but Jon’s face falls.

‘I was hoping we could get a coffee?’