Penelope glances at her watch, but figures she has time before her appointment.

Ten minutes later, they are seated at a cafe Penelope has never been to but has walked past a thousand times. It’s small from the front, but there’s a gorgeous courtyard out the back, with greenery and flowers on every table. She thinks to herself that she should bring him here. He’d like it.

Penelope orders a green tea and expects polite chit-chat while they wait for the drinks to arrive, but Jon launches into his grief straight away.

‘Some days I just think, fuck it, why bother, and I don’t even get out of bed.’

It had been over four years since Miranda died. Penelope still thinks of her sister every day, but Jon is still going through horrific pain and loss.

‘What about work? How’s that going?’ Penelope hopes to steer the conversation in another direction.

‘I’ve dropped my hours. I do what I can to get by most weeks.’

Jon, a university lecturer, was always enthusiastic and inspiring, but now his face is dull, the spark hidden, maybe even extinguished. ‘But you loved your work, Jon.’

‘I used to love a lot of things.’

Penelope feels let down; she’d expected more from him. She senses he knows that.

‘Everyone copes with grief differently, Penny. I tried to throw myself into work, I tried obsessive exercise, I tried meditation.’ He shakes his head. ‘Last year I even tried dating. None of it has worked for me. All I can do to get through each day is let myself feel the pain.’

Penelope closes her eyes for a moment, knowing Miranda would hate him living like this. She’d hate to know he was consumed with nothing but grief.

It’s a life Penelope wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Chapter 28

28

Despite the layers of makeup applied to her face, Bonnie still feels like she’s flaming red with embarrassment. Today’s group date had been a photoshoot for Scoop magazine. Bonnie had been one of five girls on the date who had to pose with Ty in 1950s swimwear. Walking out in a polka-dot one-piece with frills around her waist had nearly brought on the same anxiety levels that she’d felt on the first night when she had to step out of the limousine. Wondering about how she’s being portrayed on TV makes her insides feel as though they’re being wrung out.

‘I couldn’t help but notice that things with you and Imogen were a bit tense today?’ Ty rests back on the two-seater lounge, his arm slung around the back of her. It’s finally Bonnie’s one-on-one time, which will last about fifteen minutes if she’s lucky, and he’s bringing up Imogen?