by Lucy Clark
It was true there was no way she could change what had happened in either her past or the one she’d shared with Flynn. The past was the past. She knew deep down inside he was a good man and while they’d both made mistakes—him for leaving her and her for letting him—it didn’t change the fact that he’d hurt her.
Logically, she knew time and a bit of distance was necessary for her to sort her thoughts out but emotionally she wanted to be mad at him, she wanted to hold on to her anger. She wanted to continue being annoyed with him, especially as he really did seem to know her very well. He’d realised that her spending time with Melva, away from him, away from Mackenzie, Bergan and Sunainah—being with someone who was completely impartial to all that had gone before—was exactly what Reggie would need.
‘Hmm,’ she growled softly, the frown still marring her forehead.
‘Don’t overthink things, Reggie. Sometimes you just need to go with the flow.’ Melva waved her hands in the air.
Reggie sighed and turned her attention back to Melva, the frown immediately disappearing. ‘How did you get to be so wise?’ she asked.
Melva chuckled. ‘I’m eighty-two years old, darling, that’s how. I’ve picked up a thing or two about this whole game-of-life thing.’ She sighed. ‘Now, are you going to make us a cup of tea in my new fancy cups and start enjoying yourself or do I have to get cross with you?’
Reggie instantly smiled as she stood to her feet. ‘Tea it is.’
Even though she’d had a lovely time with Melva, Reggie didn’t sleep all that well. Her mind was constantly churning with everything she knew about Flynn, trying to piece together exactly what sort of man he was. Before yesterday she would have said he wasn’t the type of man to cheat on a woman but she’d seen the way money could corrupt even the most saintly of men.
If that little boy was his son, then it was something she would have to deal with if there was any hope of a future with Flynn. Did she want a future with Flynn? Her heart was saying yes, yes, yes, but her mind was saying no, no, no.
Then what of Bergan? Her strong, determined friend, who would stand like a guard with swords crossed to staunchly protect her from any enemy, had crumbled and gone along with the plan Flynn had put into place. She knew that happiness came from within and that she couldn’t rely on someone else, couldn’t hold them responsible for her own happiness, but she also accepted that to go through the rest of her life with Flynn by her side would, indeed, go a long way to making her happy.
She’d tried living without him before and it had been difficult. If things really weren’t as they seemed, if she’d somehow grabbed the wrong end of the stick then perhaps…maybe…would she really be foolish enough to employ some small level of hope?
‘Oh, Flynn,’ she whispered over her cup of early-morning coffee as she stood looking out of Melva’s kitchen window as the sun rose, shining its glorious light all around. The darkest little cracks and crevices changed from a dull grey to vibrant colour. The yellows, pinks, purples and blues. Slowly but surely it was as though the world was waking up, coming to life, wanting to celebrate the new day.
Wasn’t that how she’d been since Flynn had returned to her life? Filled with colour? Wanting to celebrate life? She’d forced herself to become a bright and bubbly person, always seeing the glass as half-full rather than half-empty, always wanting to look on the bright side of things, always wanting to surround herself with happiness, but now she knew as an absolute certainty that without Flynn in her life, that’s all her life would ever be—forced happiness.
‘Good morning, dear,’ Melva said as she shuffled into the kitchen, the walking frame supporting her. ‘Oh, good. You’ve already made the coffee.’
‘I was going to bring you a cup but I confess to being sidetracked by the glorious sunrise.’
Melva nodded as Reggie quickly fixed her a cup. ‘Let’s go out onto the balcony and watch it together.’ This they did and once they were seated, Melva asked her, ‘So what have you decided?’
Reggie’s quirky smile was instant. ‘You know me too well.’
Melva chuckled but waited patiently for Reggie’s answer.
‘I think that I at least…I need to hear what he has to say before I can make any other decision.’
Melva snorted at this. ‘Really? I think you’ve decided more than that.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘This isn’t just about listening to the man, Regina.’
‘It’s not?’
‘No.’ Melva shook her head. ‘What is wrong with you young people these days?’ She put her coffee cup down on the table. ‘I think it’s great you want to listen to him, darling, but this is also crunch time.’
‘Crunch time?’ It was Reggie’s turn to shake her head. ‘I don’t—’
‘Do you love him?’
‘Er…I…’
‘It’s a simple question, Reggie. Yes or no?’
Reggie swallowed. ‘Yes.’
‘So no matter what he might say to you, you’re willing to face the consequences? Fight for him? Move heaven and earth to ensure the two of you stay together this time?’
Reggie’s heart fluttered with excited fear. What if Flynn told her that the little boy was his son? Would she be able to accept that? Was she willing to be a part of his son’s life? What if Flynn still had a lot of wealthy friends? Would she be able to spend time with them? Melva was right. Was she willing to fight for Flynn? To make sure that his life and her life were intertwined together—forever?
‘Yes,’ she replied again. ‘I am.’
Melva’s grin was wide as she nodded her head, as though encouraging Reggie to continue.
‘I need Flynn in my life.’ Reggie said the words more to herself than to Melva. ‘I know I can survive without him, I’ve done it for the past six years, but I’m not sure if I want to just survive anymore. I’ve been doing that for most of my life—surviving. I want to be happy, Melva.’ Her chin wobbled as she spoke the words and tears immediately sprang to her eyes. ‘I want Flynn.’
Melva chuckled and leaned over to drape her frail arm around Reggie’s shoulders. ‘That’s my girl.’
Feeling happier now that the decision had been made, Reggie had a cleansing shower, realising she would need to head out to the shops at some point to find something to wear to tonight’s auction. She surveyed the bright scarlet underwear Flynn had sent as part of her overnight care package. No doubt he’d called one of the department stores where they’d gone shopping last week, asking one of the personal shoppers to gather a few things together and courier them to Melva’s apartment.
At least she hoped that’s what had happened because even thinking about Flynn, standing in the lingerie section, searching for the perfect matching set of underwear for her…and such a delightfully wicked colour as well…made her cheeks suffuse with colour.
Would He take the time to personally do such a thing for her? Had he left the hospital and gone straight to the department store? He had told Bergan he had things to organise. Had he gone to such great lengths just for her?
And that wasn’t all. During the course of the morning the doorbell rang twice and each time Reggie’s heart pounded with scared excitement at the thought that it might be Flynn. Instead, There were more parcels being delivered, the first a small but perfect Christmas tree, along with a box of decorations. There was a note with it that simply said, ‘Enjoy your day.’
A few hours later, once they’d erected the tree and dressed it with baubles and tinsel, the second package arrived.
‘This really is like Christmas.’ Melva giggled as Reggie signed for the parcel. This one, though, wasn’t like the others. It was a long dress bag, with a smaller box inside. When she opened it, both she and Melva gasped. There, inside, was the most beautiful scarlet-coloured dress, perfect to match the underwear she presently had on beneath her new pyjamas. The bodice was tastefully embroidered with beads and a few sequins, the skirt was full and came to just below her knee. The small box
at the bottom of the bag contained a perfect pair of matching shoes.
‘Good heavens. This must have cost hundreds.’
‘And then some,’ Reggie murmured, instantly falling in love with the dress. It would be wrong of her to accept it, wouldn’t it? Was Flynn trying to lavish gifts on her in order to buy her forgiveness?
‘I should send it all back. The dress, the underwear—’
‘But not the decorations. Look how homely they make this new apartment look,’ Melva said instantly.
Reggie surveyed the brightly coloured room and nodded in agreement.
‘And why should you send it all back?’ Melva continued. ‘The man isn’t trying to buy you off, Reggie. You’re far too strong for him to even attempt it. All he’s doing is showing you how much he appreciates you. He’s wooing you. For heaven’s sake, girl, let the man be romantic. Now, off you go to the spare room and try on that dress. I want my own personal fashion parade of dress and shoes so we can decide on your hair and make-up—which I’ll do for you. Now go. Shoo.’
She did as Melva had bidden her and they had a lovely time deciding on make-up and exactly how she should wear her hair. When the doorbell rang a third time, Reggie was all in a dither. Dressed in her pyjamas again, she almost raced to the door, filled with excitement to see what Flynn might be sending her this time.
When she opened the door, expecting to see a delivery man standing there, waiting for her to sign for the next parcel, she almost tripped over her own feet to see Flynn.
‘Flynn!’
She stared at him and he stared at her, both of them drinking in the sight of each other as though they’d been starved for years.
‘Hello, Reg.’
‘Uh…’ She was at a total loss for words, unsure whether to invite him in or just stand there, or whether she should change into her clothes or thank him for all the gifts or…‘What do you want?’ she blurted, instantly wishing her words hadn’t come out sounding so confronting.
‘I…um…’ Flynn looked down at his hands, as though completely forgetting why he was here. It was then he seemed to realise he was holding a thick white envelope. ‘I wanted to deliver this one. In person.’
‘Oh, yes. Sorry.’ Manners and a smidgen of coherent thought began to return. ‘Er…thank you for all the—’
‘It’s fine.’ He waved away her words with a hint of veiled embarrassment. ‘I actually wondered if I could…read this to you.’
‘Read it?’ He was clearly nervous and it only made him seem more endearing. It was difficult, seeing him standing there—looking incredibly sexy in his blue denim jeans and pale blue shirt, casual but, oh, so delicious—really difficult to remember that just yesterday afternoon she’d seen him kissing another woman.
‘Yes.’ He dragged in a breath, as though pulling himself together. ‘I have a lot of things I’d like to say to you, Reg, and all I ask is that you listen. I’m not looking for an answer or anything. No pressure. Just…please…will you listen?’
Reggie nodded and indicated for him to come inside but he shook his head. ‘Here is good.’ And without further ado he flicked open the envelope and pulled out a few sheets of paper. ‘I wrote everything down, not only so I didn’t forget the important things I need to say, because heaven knows that when I’m around you, Reg, my mind tends to turn to mush and all I can think about is holding you close and…’ He trailed off and found himself staring at her yet again.
Didn’t she have any idea just how adorably perfect she looked in those pyjamas? All soft and cuddly and so his Reggie?
‘Anyway,’ he went on, giving himself another mental shake. ‘Here goes.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Oh, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt. Just let me get it all out.’
‘OK.’
‘Good.’ He paused, then launched right in. ‘Dear Reg.’
‘Strong beginning,’ she murmured.
‘No interruptions.’ He glared at her and she nodded again. He tried again. ‘I want to apologise for not telling you more about my divorce. I guess as it’s a topic I’ve learned not to discuss in public, I keep forgetting you don’t know what really happened all those years ago. Rest assured that Violet and I are just friends.’ He stopped and looked directly into her eyes. ‘Friends,’ he reiterated, before going back to reading his letter.
‘We’ve always been better friends than anything else. She is also happily married to my cousin, Colin. The child you saw me holding, Ian, is their son.’
‘He’s not your son?’ Reggie whispered, hope filling her voice as he continued to read further.
‘Violet and I should never have allowed ourselves to be bullied into the marriage, especially as she’d been in love with my cousin all along. She had broken off her relationship with him, just as I had done with you. Duty and family and all that guff was rammed down our throats and so we did as we were told, desperately trying to make a go of a marriage but instead only succeeding in making each other—and you and Colin—miserable.
‘Violet and I secretly separated very soon after the marriage, more than happy to live our own lives, and it was then she began to see Colin again. When she fell pregnant, we all decided it was best to end the farce so that Violet and Colin could stand a chance of being a proper family unit.
‘We all knew none of our parents would be pleased with the outcome but we did what we had to and now not only have they had five wonderful years together but Violet just told me that she’s pregnant again with their second child. That was why she wanted to see me, to tell me the news in person. Unfortunately, Colin is overseas at the moment and wasn’t able to join us.
‘Reg, please believe me when I say that there is nothing romantic between Violet and myself. It is you I am most desperately in love with and it is you I wish to spend the rest of my life with.’
Reggie gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as he looked into her eyes.
‘My heart has always been yours and I was a fool to have let you go once. I won’t make that same mistake again.’ Flynn was no longer reading from the page but instead was staring intently into her eyes. ‘I love you, Reg. More so now than I did six years ago.’
She wasn’t sure what to do, what to say. What was she supposed to do? She did love him back with all her heart and she wanted desperately to tell him, to let him know that he wasn’t standing out on that big scary ledge of emotion all on his own, but somehow, for some strange reason, she couldn’t get any of the words past her lips and her feet seemed permanently glued to the spot.
‘I know this is a lot to take in,’ Flynn continued, clearly not expecting any sort of response from her. ‘Hence why I’ve written everything down. Take this letter, Reg. Read it over and over. Process it. Take your time. Don’t rush but, please, believe me when I say that at the moment there’s only confusion between us because that’s all it is—a silly misunderstanding, and I hope my words have helped clear all that up.
‘I’m really looking forward to seeing you tonight at the auction and one simple look from you, a gesture, a word even, will let me know whether or not you accept my apology and my love.’
Then, as she stood there, she watched him fold the papers, putting them back into the envelope with his clever, sure fingers. He held the envelope out to her and with numb fingers she took it…watching in surprise as he bowed his head to her then turned and walked away.
Reggie blinked, several times, wondering if she was still lying in bed, dreaming. Had she fallen and hit her head and was hallucinating? The envelope in her hands was evidence that it was neither and after she’d somehow managed to get her body to function yet again she closed the door, then slumped down into a chair, trying to take in everything that had just happened.
Flynn loved her. Flynn had just stood there, before her, declaring his love for her, letting her know that not only did he love her now but that he’d always loved her and always would. He was hers. His love was hers to have…if she wanted it.
‘I do. I do want i
t.’
And yet he hadn’t pressured her, hadn’t come inside, hadn’t talked at her, but instead had read the love letter out loud, sharing with her his thoughts and deepest emotions. He hadn’t wanted anything from her, hadn’t demanded any sort of response, hadn’t forced her into anything.
‘But I want him. I love him.’ As though it was just too much for her to contain, she raced back to the door and flung it open, staring out into the street to try and see if he’d really left, but there was no sign of him.
‘What’s going on?’ Melva called. ‘Is there another person at the door?’
Reggie headed back inside and sat down again, surprised to find tears of happiness streaming down her face, a wide grin on her lips. She brushed the tears aside, her heart lifting in complete and utter delight to know that Flynn loved her, that he still loved her, that he’d always loved her. She laughed out loud, unable to believe how light and glorious it was to be loved back by the person you loved.
She unfolded the letter and read it again, just to reassure herself that this was really happening, that this was really true. He really did know her so well, wanting to ensure she wasn’t pressured in any way, and that knowledge made her love him all the more.
‘But he doesn’t know I love him.’ The words tumbled out of her mouth in a rush and she looked around anxiously for her phone. With trembling fingers she dialled his number, heart pounding wildly against her chest as she waited for it to connect. She wasn’t quite sure what she was supposed to say; her mind had gone blank. The phone switched through to his voicemail, which meant he was probably driving. She waited for the message to end but when it was time to say something she opened her mouth to tell him that she loved him back, that she loved the dress and the other presents he’d bestowed on her, that she couldn’t wait to see him tonight, that she was sorry for being such an insecure ninny and having a big freak-out…but no words came out of her mouth.
She quickly disconnected the call and realised what she must do. She must look her absolute best for tonight. Let Flynn see for himself just how much she loved him. She stood and checked the clock.
