Ivy blinked, then a slow grin spread across her face. ‘Is that so? Well, don’t leave me in suspense. Tell me everything.’
Relief and affection rushed through Lauren in a heady wave. ‘There’s not much to tell, really. We met in a coffee shop, and it was like . . . like lightning. We just connected.’
‘And then?’ Ivy prompted, nearly vibrating with excitement.
‘And then she had to rush off, but she gave me her number—’
‘Did you call her?’ Ivy interrupted.
Lauren nodded, smiling at the memory. ‘I invited her to my place.’
Ivy clutched at her chest dramatically. ‘Goodness, I may need the doctor to check my heart rate after all this excitement.’
Lauren giggled. ‘Nothing really happened . . . well, not much . . .’
Ivy waggled her eyebrows. ‘Don’t hold out on me now, dear. Give an old lady her thrills where she can get them.’
‘Okay . . . we talked for a bit,’ Lauren said, heat rising in her cheeks. ‘And then somehow . . . we ended up . . .’
‘Ended up what?’ Ivy nearly shouted.
‘Kissing,’ Lauren blurted out, hiding her face in her hands.
Ivy clapped with glee. ‘Oh, how marvellous! Is this the beginning of a grand romance?’
Lauren’s smile faded. ‘I’m afraid not. I told her I was married—’
‘In name only,’ Ivy scoffed. ‘That union ceased to be a true marriage the moment that cad stepped out on you with a hussy.’
‘It doesn’t matter. The fact is, I am married. And Jake will never agree to a divorce, especially now that Mum’s given him—’
Lauren cut herself off, a realisation crashing over her like a bucket of ice water.
‘Oh my god,’ she whispered.
Ivy frowned. ‘What is it?’
‘I’ve just realised . . . the reason Mum promoted Jake. It’s her way of making sure we stay together. Forever.’
The words hung heavily in the air between them, the implications for Lauren’s future hitting her with brutal clarity. Ivy reached out, taking Lauren’s hand in both of hers.
‘Lauren, listen to me,’ she said, her voice low and urgent. ‘You cannot let your mother’s machinations dictate your life. You deserve happiness, my darling girl. Real, true happiness. Don’t let anyone take that from you.’
Tears burned behind Lauren’s eyes. She clung to her grandmother’s hands like a lifeline.
‘I don’t know if I can …’ Lauren said, her voice breaking, ‘… stand up to her . . . to walk away from everything I’ve ever known . . .’
Ivy cupped Lauren’s face, forcing her to meet her gaze. ‘You are stronger than you know, Lauren Elizabeth Deville. You have a fire inside you. Don’t let anyone snuff it out. Promise me.’
Lauren swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. ‘I promise,’ she whispered.
And as Ivy pulled her into a hug, Lauren felt the first stirrings of something she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
Hope.
Chapter Thirteen
Rain’s eyes fixed on the amber liquid in her glass as if it held the answers to the tumultuous emotions swirling through her mind. How was it possible to fall so hard, so fast? The concept of love at first sight had always seemed like a fairy tale, a pretty fiction that existed only in the pages of romance novels and the lines of saccharine pop songs. Lust, sure. That primal, immediate attraction – that she understood. But love? Real, bone-deep, soul-consuming love? After a mere forty-eight hours? It defied logic.
And yet, here she was. Her heart, utterly, irrevocably lost to a woman she barely knew. A woman who, by all accounts, was the worst possible choice for . . . whatever this was. An affair? A fling? A prelude to inevitable heartbreak?
Rain sighed, rubbing at her temples. Maybe this sudden infatuation was just her mind’s way of coping with the stress of Fay’s disappearance. A distraction from the gnawing worry that grew with each passing day. Or maybe it was simply a result of the riot of hormones that Lauren’s mere presence seemed to ignite in her veins.
‘Hey, new girl, fancy seeing you here.’
The familiar voice cut through the fog of Rain’s musings. She turned to find Alex standing behind her, a half-smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
‘Hey, Alex,’ Rain said.
Alex cocked her head, indicating to the empty stool beside Rain. ‘This seat free, or are you waiting for someone?’
‘Nope, just me on my lonesome,’ Rain said.
Alex removed her jacket and settled next to her. ‘That doesn’t sound good.’
‘It is what it is,’ Rain shrugged, motioning to the bartender. ‘What you drinking?’
Alex clapped her hands decisively. ‘Beer.’
