‘Darcy? What’s going on?’

What is she doing? Ed’s her best friend. ‘I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking.’

‘Shit, Darcy.’ He steps away from her.

Darcy knows she hasn’t thought this through. She’s not thinking at all. Is she? Does she like Ed?

Of course she likes Ed. He’s her best friend.

Exactly. He’s her best friend. Why is she trying to kiss him? Is she an idiot? Is she trying to ruin everything? ‘Shit, sorry!’

He shakes his head. He’s annoyed with her, really annoyed. They’ve always only ever been mates. There’s never been any almost-kisses or sexual tension, but she knows that those few moments they just shared have stuffed all that up. They can pretend it didn’t happen, but it did.

Ed turns away from her. Her head continues to spin as she watches him hail a taxi. He indicates it’s for her but won’t look at her. ‘I don’t know what’s going on with you and you might not want to talk about it, but you need to sort yourself out.’ Without another word, he puts her into the back seat of the car, tells the driver her address and hands over some money. Only then does he look at her. ‘I’ll see you when you get back from the hometown visits.’

Her eyes lock with his and she’s surprised that a sense of longing to have his lips on hers takes over her entire body. She gulps down, a tightness expanding across her chest. Can she really blame alcohol for that?

Chapter 35

35

Bonnie almost laughs when she pushes the door open to her photography studio. Candles have been placed on every available space. She looks to Ty. ‘Ta-da.’

He smiles back at her, knowing too well the production team’s love for candles.

‘Something I prepared earlier,’ she jokes.

‘Where are the rose petals?’

Bonnie chides herself. ‘I knew I forgot something.’

They both laugh but she’s still not completely comfortable in his company. The first part of their hometown date, a walk along the breakwall, had been even more nerve-racking than normal with a crowd of locals watching from a partitioned area. All the rocks along the wall were painted like an outdoor gallery. There were pictures, tributes to loved ones, commemorations of anniversaries or holidays. One rock had been painted white for Bonnie and Ty to repaint with something to symbolise them. They’d stared blankly at each other when they were supposed to come up with a concept. It had been Darcy who eventually suggested they write, May everyone find The One. Bonnie had tried to block everyone out, but found herself glancing up, searching for Ollie in the crowd. Even in Ty’s company she can’t seem to get him out of her head.

‘Show him around the place,’ Darcy prompts from the side, standing close to Ben and his camera.