Free All I Want Series Boxset, Books 1-3: All I Want for Christmas, All I Want for Valentine's, All I Want for Spring by Clare Lydon Page A

engaged, after all. Yet there had definitely been something the other day — something in her eyes. Something that told me she was curious, just like I’d been. Where might things have gone if circumstances had been different? If we’d kissed in my bedroom all those years ago, for instance, and not in the library? She might not have run so quickly, that’s for sure.
    I threw my phone down on the sofa and went to make a cup of tea, grabbing a couple of biscuits from the barrel on my way back. It was lovely to just sit and relax and not have to be on a first date. First dates were draining — especially when they involved sex.
    When I sat back down, I had a text — was it Holly making sure I was decent? No, it was from Nicola Sheen.
    ‘Hi, I’m in your area tomorrow pm. Fancy a coffee & a catch-up? Nicola.’
    A coffee and a catch-up. What did that mean? Was coffee code for something else? Was it wrong to hope that it was? I scanned my social calendar, but remembered I had a date with Spanish_Vixen89 tomorrow night. Damn. Should I cancel? No, I probably shouldn’t.
    Besides, Nicola Sheen was engaged.
    I texted back to tell her I had plans tomorrow night, but she told me this was an afternoon coffee date, so I agreed.
    Tomorrow, I was having coffee with the woman who altered the course of my life, followed by drinks with a Spanish Vixen.
    Tomorrow seemed monumental already.

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 11
     
     
    Thursday December 8th
     
    Nicola turned up puffed and dishevelled from bridal shopping and in need of a pick-me-up. We’d arranged to meet at a coffee shop round the corner from my work and Nicola’s face spelled tiredness: her eyes were shaded grey, her skin dry, her nose runny. She needed an energy boost, along with a plate of superfoods and some quality concealer. However, as I really didn’t know her that well, I decided to keep that to myself.
    We sat down with our lattes.
    “You okay?” I asked, even though it was plain she wasn’t.
    She gave me a pained smile. “It’s just been a weird day, and it’s not something I can really speak to Melanie about. Wedding dress shopping is freaking me out. Reminding me of the first time round.” She took a sip of her coffee and recoiled — it was too hot.
    I stared at her. “First time round?” What the hell was she talking about?
    She pursed her lips and nodded. “I keep forgetting we haven’t seen each other in a while.”
    I shook my head. “Quite a long while.”
    “I suppose it is.” She paused. “I was married before. To a man. I was young, I got pregnant, he proposed, it seemed the right thing to do.” She shrugged. “One of those things, but it’s freaked me out a bit today.”
    I managed to stop my mouth from dropping open — this was a lot to take in. “You’ve been married before and you have a child?”
    She nodded again, looking wary.
    “I can see why wedding shopping might be odd for you then.” I sipped my latte, trying to make sense of my jumbled emotions. “So when did you… switch sides? Is Melanie your first?” I was going to break down and sob on the table if she said yes.
    Nicola shook her head. “No, she’s not.” She paused. “When we were friends, there was something there, didn’t you think? That was my first inkling, anyway.”
    She was even a little bit hesitant when she said it — she wasn’t sure if I remembered. She had absolutely no idea just how much I remembered.
    I remembered all of it. Every single little detail.
    “I mean, have you ever thought about us since then? I have. When we kissed in the library… I was just, too scared. Too scared to contemplate it. So I went for the easier option.”
    If I’d been worried we’d be stuck for small talk, it turned out I needn’t have been concerned. Nicola Sheen didn’t do small talk. My head was spinning just trying to keep up.
    “The easier option was getting pregnant?” I raised an eyebrow as I said it.
    She grimaced. “No, that bit I didn’t