She’s watching me.
And for a moment, disappointment flickers across her face before she replaces it with that same easy smile.
Like she expected this.
Like she’s already forgiven me for it.
That somehow makes it worse.
I step outside into the cold night air, lungs finally filling properly.
Behind me, the pub roars as England miss another chance to score.
But all I can hear is the echo of her voice in my head.
Bambi.
Chapter 2
Christina
Phil Webb is anenigma.
One minute he’s beneath me, frozen solid, breathing like I’ve personally robbed him of oxygen. The next, he’s halfway across the pub with some weak excuse about his grandfather, like he’s just remembered he left the oven on.
I watch him go.
I shouldn’t. It’s against my better judgement and several promises I’ve made to myself. But there’s something almost impressive about how fast he retreats, like his body takes over before his brain has time to negotiate.
Emma nudges my arm gently. Just enough to remind me I’ve gone somewhere else in my head.
“You okay?” she asks quietly.
I flash her a smile. “Of course. I thrive on rejection. Builds character.”
She doesn’t look convinced.
Across the table, Alex has Emma tucked against his side. He presses a tender kiss to her temple withouteven looking at her, attention split between her and the match. She leans into him automatically.
It’s unconscious. Easy.
I look away.
Not because I’m jealous.
Because I want that ease. That certainty. That absence of doubt. I’d like to have a special someone in my life, and ideally, I’d like that person to be Phil.
I pick up my drink and take a sip, letting the cool fizz steady me.
The annoying thing is, I don’t need Phil. Not really.
I’ve never struggled for attention. Even here, where I arrived a year ago with a London accent and Caribbean roots, the village adjusted. Slowly. Carefully. With just the right amount of village gossip.
Most people were kind. Curious. A few cautious.
Some surprised.
I learned early to meet their curiosity head-on. Smile first. Speak first. Make it easier for them. People are kinder when you remove their excuses to be nervous.