Cosy Nights & Snowball Fights (Little Duck Pond Cafe #36)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The world seemed to spin around me. Was I going to faint?

I leaned against a shelf feeling quite breathless with shock.

Should I reveal myself, instead of hiding here among the bread and pastries and preserves? Maybe talking to Gavin now would help to finally lay all the ghosts to rest?

But as I crept a little closer and tuned in to their conversation, a funny thing happened. He was complimenting the girl who was serving him, using that boyish charm of his to win her round, and I could see that her cheeks were pink with pleasure at the attention he was giving her. And then I started remembering how it used to make me feel when he’d flirt with a woman like that, right in front of me. I used to pretend it was nothing... that I really didn’t care because it was me that he loved. But looking back, I had cared. And it had rankled that Gavin couldn’t see how inconsiderate he was being. He’d never really thought about my feelings.

Why had I put up with it for so long?

I was in love with him, that’s why.

But not any longer!

I slipped out of the shop without being seen, deciding to buy milk from the nearby supermarket instead.

I felt strangely light, as if a weight had fallen from my shoulders. There had been no need to speak to Gavin to ‘lay the ghosts’. It was as if observing him in the flesh, doing his usual flirting thing, had made me realise how lucky I was that I hadn’t married him.

I twisted my lips ruefully. Perhaps I should actually be thanking Jackie!

I didn’t even hate Gavin, I realised. My feelings towards him now were completely neutral. If he’d seen me and come over, I would probably have wished him well – and I would have meant it.

It was such a liberating feeling. Emotional as well... my eyes were leaking right there on the high street as I hurried to my car. I needed to tell Mum about it. She’d be delighted to hear that I was completely over Gavin and that the stranglehold he’d had over my emotional life was no more.

I’d always felt bad about keeping the truth from my parents, about what had happened that day. It was high time they knew.

As soon as I got back to the cottage, I pulled my phone out of my bag and dialled Mum.