‘Right. Sorry...what?’
Even as she looked up at his adorably confused face, Zoey could feel a blush rising to her cheeks.
‘I just meant, I want what you and Grace had. I know that sort of love is possible and I’m not willing to settle for anything less. That’s all.’
Ash shook his head. ‘So it’s my fault you keep walking out on your weddings? Please, don’t ever let any of your ex-fiancés hear you say that.’
‘Well, yours and Grace’s,’ Zoey corrected, but that only made him laugh.
‘I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse.’
Suddenly restless, Zoey jumped to her feet, cradling her mug against her chest as she paced to the window to watch the rain and the dark. ‘Do you think I’m crazy? I mean, you wouldn’t be the first person to suggest that my approach to love might actually qualify me for some serious free therapy.’
‘How could I? I mean, it’s my marriage that you’re basing your theories on. It’s just...’
‘You can’t see anyone falling for me like that,’ Zoey finished for him. ‘Don’t worry, it’s not like I haven’t had the same thought myself.’
‘No.’ Suddenly, he was right beside her and she stopped staring out at the rain to turn towards him as he grabbed her hand. ‘That’s not what I was going to say at all.’
Zoey stared up into Ash’s strange light blue eyes and wondered at the chain of events that had brought them to this moment. She couldn’t, wouldn’t have predicted any of them. In fact, she’d have avoided or stopped most of them if she could.
But now she was there, she couldn’t imagine her life going any other way.
She was meant to be here, now; she could feel it in her bones.
Even if she had no idea why.
‘What were you going to say?’ Zoey asked, the words coming out strangely breathless.
Ash gave a sad smile. ‘Only that I know how lucky I was. How rare it is to find the one person you’re truly meant to be with. I honestly hope that you do, and when it happens I’ll be there to catch the bouquet.’
‘But?’ There was always a but, in Zoey’s experience.
‘No buts, not for you, anyway.’ He shrugged. ‘But, whether I catch the bouquet or not, I know it won’t happen for me again. The odds are too astronomical. And I’m like you. I know what true love feels like now so I can’t accept anything less.’
It wasn’t new information. He’d already told her he couldn’t imagine loving again, after Grace. But somehow, standing with her hand in his in the darkness, Zoey felt his words deep in her heart, like gouges.
Which was ridiculous. She’d literally never thought of Ash that way—not as someone she could fall in love with. Of course she’d noticed he was gorgeous—that kind of thing was hard to miss. And there had been one or two dreams that had made their next get-togethers very uncomfortable for her. But he was Grace’s. Always had been, always would be. Zoey had never forgotten that for an instant.
She pulled her hand away from his. It was just the emotion of the day—the craziness and the changes—getting to her. That was all.
But then Ash grabbed her hand back again and held it against his chest, and her treacherous heart skipped a beat.
* * *
‘Zoey...’ Ash trailed off, uncertain of what he even wanted to say. Just something. Anything that would wipe that hopeless look from her face.
This was why she needed Grace. He couldn’t even get further than her name. What kind of comfort was that?
‘It’s okay, Ash.’ Zoey started to pull away again, but instinctively Ash clung on.
There was something in this moment. Something important. And he knew, suddenly, that if he didn’t tell her now what her friendship meant to him, he never would. And Zoey deserved to know.
‘No. I want to tell you... I wouldn’t be here without you.’ He poured all the sincerity he felt into the words.
Zoey laughed in response, which wasn’t quite what he’d intended. ‘Well, no, Ash. If it weren’t for me and my ridiculous inability to get married, you wouldn’t be stuck here in some mystery island renovation project in the middle of a storm.’