te noise. On automatic pilot she made her way back through the house, erasing any sign that she had been there, and turning out the lights, until she stood on the fro

ng on her driveway with her hose pointed away from Emily’s house, her back to her, as if determinedly not watching. Snooping, she thought with embarrassed anger. They had ob

ell known, but also a mystery now. She felt a flash of anger towards him. How could he do this? To

up waiting for h

s the room slipped into full darkness for headlights, until she eventually fell asleep. She dreamed that she chased Owe

darkness, wiping drool off her cheek and felt blindly for

appened tonight,” it

ours and sneaking over to each other’s house after midnight to share secrets, o

broad shoulders stretched an unfamiliar leather jacket that was either meant to be really form fitting or was a little small for him. He was, she thought, beautiful, with

hunching his shoulders uncomfortably. “Knocking, I mean. I woke y

om to collect the cold teapot from the coffee table. She carried the cold pot heavy with the

r behind him and followed. “Thi

counter and dropped teabags and sugar into them. “I don’t understand. Yesterday we were planning on laying the floating floors and discussing wedding plans, and today

mes, and yet, in the space of the day, he now did it awkwardly, not at home within the house that had, that morning, he had lived in. “It is not going t

of sleep and the shock of his message was wearing away. “What exactly is this, Owen? Do you want t

t of the man, the feel of him against her, still the same. She buried her face into his chest and breathed him in as she cried out the despair of the day, her fru

hat you wanted me to be. With the wedding coming up, I realised that I had one chance to do the

hest, against his arms around her so that she could look up into his fa

onfessions. “I know we did, and at the time they were what I thought I should do. The sensible thing to do. But I wanted… wildness, Em. I wanted to pursue music, to go to parties and get wasted

ey had never smoked. But he had been somewhere with smokers. Not just cigarettes, too, she thought

ly good band, Em… and he took a fancy to my jacket… Anyway, they are… you know, it really looks like they are going to

trying to line it up with his decision to end their engagement and move out,

she had not heard, she realised, in some time. “Yes, I am joi

into the house next door. “Owen… I am not going to stop you from joining a band if you want to.