Incredible Beauty (So Many Reasons 2)

“Coffee?” Claire asked, the first to break the awkward silence. I shook my head.

“I better get home to Em and Mirabella,” I explained. “Tell me something,” I added suddenly, not sure I wanted to open this can of worms, but needing answers all the same, “why now? For so long I tried to win you back and now it’s like you see how happy I am you want to ruin that?” I asked in disbelief.

Claire sighed, her elbows dropping onto the kitchen counter. I waited impatiently for her to speak.

“It wasn’t about wanting you unhappy. All those times you wanted to try again, I still saw the old Simon. I couldn’t let myself be hurt like that again,” she paused briefly, wetting her lips. “Since you met Emma, you’ve changed. You’re a completely different man to the one I divorced. You’re the man I fell in love with ten years ago,” she whispered.

I stood there like an idiot, not able to say anything. Wow, this was unbelievable.

“Are you saying you’re still in love with me?” I asked evenly.

Claire shrugged. “I don’t think I ever stopped loving you, it’s just the person I loved changed into a selfish asshole who would drown his problems in a bottle,” she turned around, facing away from me. “That night…the kiss, you kissed me back. I felt it, I know I did. Why did you kiss me back?”

I opened my mouth, not sure of what to say.

She was right. I had kissed her back and it was something that ran through my mind since that night. Why had I kissed her back?

“I loved you, Claire. You don’t just turn that kind of love off. I guess I was so surprised and for the slightest second I wondered if what we had once was still there.”

“And was it?” Claire whispered hoarsely. I looked down. Regardless at how angry I was at Claire, telling her I felt nothing in our kiss was not something I was looking forward to doing.

“What I feel for Em is something I’ve never felt for anyone,” I responded tactfully. She turned around and glared at me.

“Answer the question, Simon. Did you feel anything? Anything at all?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head, “You say I’m a better man, like the man you fell in love wi

th? I’m not that man without Em. Without her, I’m nothing.”

Claire made a face. Nodding, she walked out of the kitchen.

“You better not keep your fiancé waiting,” she said once she reached the front door. Any anger I felt toward her had gone and replaced with sympathy.

“Okay.”

“Oh, Simon? Don’t forget Maddie’s birthday party is this weekend,” she said, her tone softer.

“We’ll be here.”

Chapter Thirty six

Emma

Glancing at Cass, I made a face.

“Simon is on his way back,” I said.

“Is that a subtle hint? Get out Cass?” she grinned.

“Would you mind?” I said smiling. She knew me so well. I wanted it to be just me and Simon when he got home. Cass here would make things awkward and the last thing we needed was awkward.

Cass nodded and collected her things.

“Will you call me if you need me? Even if it’s like two in the morning?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around me. I nodded, who else would I call but not for Cass?

“Course I will, now go. Tom will have forgotten what you look like,” I joked.

“Maybe he might actually show me that he missed me,” Cass replied, rolling her eyes, making me laugh. I led her to the door, no sooner than when we reached it, Mirabella began to scream.