Thirteen Weddings Read Online Free PDF Page B

mirror.
    I look like a panda with a backcombing fetish. I untie my plait and run my hairbrush through my tangled mess of hair before cleaning away the make-up underneath my eyes. I brush my teeth, go to
the loo and pull on the bathrobe hanging behind the door. Then I return to the bedroom.
    Alex is sitting up in bed, staring down at the phone in his hands. He glances up at me and his expression makes me halt in my steps.
    ‘What is it?’ I ask uneasily.
    He rakes his hand through his bed hair and looks down at the phone again. I see that the hand holding it is shaking slightly. He looks wrecked.
    ‘What’s wrong?’ I ask again.
    ‘Zara...’ His voice sounds croaky. ‘My... My girlfriend, ex-girlfriend...’
    So that’s her name. ‘Yes?’ I nod quickly, impatient for him to spit it out.
    ‘She wants to meet me for lunch.’
    ‘Oh.’ I sit down on the bed and bounce slightly.
    He rubs his hand across his mouth, but doesn’t look at me.
    ‘Do you still love her?’ I ask gently, swivelling to lie belly-down on the bed, facing him.
    ‘I think so, yeah,’ he says quietly. His eyes are shining when they meet mine. Nausea sweeps through me.
    ‘Are you going to go?’
    He shakes his head, then pauses before shaking his head again. ‘I don’t know.’
    ‘What else does her text say?’
    He hands me his phone and sighs deeply as I read it.
    I think I made a mistake. I miss you. Will you meet me for lunch?
    I take a shaky breath as I hand him his phone. ‘What do you think?’ he asks. ‘What do
I
think?’ I reply, taken aback.
    ‘Sorry, I don’t know why I just asked that.’ He rubs his face with his hands. ‘Fuck.’
    A wave of pity rushes through me. ‘Well...’ I start.
    He looks up hopefully, as though I might have some pearl of wisdom to dispense.
    ‘...I’m going home in less than two weeks. It’s not like we’re going to see each other again,’ I say nervously.
    He stares at me directly and I have no idea what’s going through his mind, but then his face softens and he shakes his head again, looking away.
    ‘You’re right. Of course you’re right.’
    He climbs out of bed and I avert my gaze as he pulls on his boxer shorts and jeans. I watch him sadly as he does up his shirt. He sits on the bed beside me to put on his shoes and socks. I feel
flat.
    He looks across at me and I’m pretty sure that the feeling is mutual.
    ‘It was nice meeting you,’ I say with a small smile.
    He pulls me towards him and touches his forehead to mine. It’s such a tender gesture, I have to fight the urge to kiss him as he slowly withdraws. He squeezes my fluffy-robe-clad arm and
stands up, pushing his fingers through his hair with frustration before clamping his hands behind his head. ‘This is so weird.’
    I force a light laugh. ‘Yeah, it is a bit.’
    He shakes his head and lets his arms drop to his sides. He takes a step forward and as I look up at him, he touches his thumb to my cheek and frowns.
    ‘I really like you,’ he says hopelessly. ‘I can’t believe that I’m never going to see you again.’
    I sigh and stand up, then I wrap my arms around his neck. His arms snake around me and he buries his face in my neck and holds me tightly.
    ‘You’d better go.’ My voice sounds muffled against his chest.
    I feel him nod and then he breaks away and strides over to the door.
    ‘See you,’ he says, casting me one last look with his very blue eyes before he goes out of the door.
    There’s a lump in my throat and I try to swallow it, but I can’t. I sit down on the bed and cover my face with my hands, fighting back tears. Turns out I’m not cut out for this
one-night-stand business, after all.

A YEAR AND A HALF LATER

Chapter 1
    ‘Argh! For flipping, frig’s sakes...’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Fucking fuck!’ I exclaim, succumbing to my urge to swear as I come to a sudden stop on the cold, grey pavement underneath the Centre Point building.
    ‘What
is
it?’
    I glare at Bridget who’s