Say Hello, Kiss Goodbye - Jacquelyn Middleton Page 0,93

Tarquin. You’re doing so well.”

I wish. I’m bleeding money right now. He smiled sheepishly.

“Are you taking breaks from work here and there, enjoying a little downtime?”

Not since Leia. “Yep, I’ve seen my mates a few times.” Tarquin picked at the lip of his reusable coffee cup, diverting his eyes and hoping Dex wouldn’t spot his unsociable lie. “And I’m heading on up to Orkney next week.” Ava’s been so patient, waiting for her unicorn. “I’m trying to get outside more, but the weather hasn’t exactly been kind.”

“Not so bad today. No sun. No rain either…” Dex’s naughty grin awakened again. “C’mon, grab your jacket!”

What? Eyebrows peaked, Tarquin’s gaze bounced to his coat, folded beside his thigh. “Why?”

The therapist slid his clipboard on the coffee table. “Southwark Park is calling!”

In the middle of my session? Tarquin’s mouth fell open. “Uh, now…?”

This is just weird… and my head hurts! Wrapped up warm against the midafternoon chill, Tarquin hid his confused frown behind his coffee and meandered along a footpath strewn with mushy brown leaves, soaked from the previous day’s downpour. His therapist played tour guide, jabbering non-stop about the gray scenery.

“The park has gone through a lot of change since 1869…”

I don’t care about the bowling green or how many trees have knees. Like that’s a thing! Damn trees—they make me think of Leia. Tarquin huffed. So, what’s the point of all this, anyway? It’s like Dex’s playing hooky on my dime, roping me in as his wingman. Sorry, mate, but Ferris Bueller you ain’t!

A few cyclists peddled past and a roving gang of Canada geese waddled up ahead, but the park’s faded greenery, closed café, and deserted playground did little to boost Tarquin’s mood.

“Isn’t this great? We’re killing two birds with one stone.” Dex side-eyed the geese, honking their displeasure at passing cyclists. “Chill, guys! I didn’t mean that literally.” He twisted the cap back and forth on his bottle of sparkling water and snickered to himself. “So! Tarquin! This is walk-and-talk therapy! Some clients tell me it’s more relaxed and productive than being sat inside.”

Yeah, ’cause they don’t have to stare directly into your weirdness. Tarquin tugged his burgundy beanie over his cold ears. Maybe I should change therapists…

“Back in my office, you mentioned your mates.” Dex led the way into a sunken garden with an unparalleled view of the park’s lake. Shaped like a semicircle, the commemorative terrace featured benches, vine-entwined pergolas, and dormant flower beds. “Socializing with friends is excellent self-care. It’ll help with your other goal, too—inviting love into your life.”

Oh, bollocks! He’s not going to ask about my parents again, is he? Tarquin trudged down the four shallow steps and gulped his coffee, the lukewarm bitterness intensifying his wince. Believe me, I get how the whole ‘absent mother-thing’ makes me crave loving relationships.

Dex moved aside, allowing a mouth-breathing jogger to trot past before continuing, his voice low, keeping Tarquin’s predicament between them. “A committed relationship will be easier to find when you’re out enjoying what life has to offer. Speaking of, on Monday you mentioned a date that took place a few days earlier—with Leia, wasn’t it?” Dex flashed his Cheshire Cat grin. “Aahh, now that’s a name, huh!”

Of course he remembered her. She’s unforgettable. A tight smile stretched Tarquin’s lips.

“Tell me about it,” said Dex.

Tarquin spilled all the highlights—except sex on Tower Bridge. A hollow ache swelled in his chest. I miss her giggle. I miss her.

“Sounds like a wonderful evening,” said Dex, passing a metal sundial missing its shadow due to the afternoon’s thick cloud cover.

“But she’s gone back to America now. She left a week ago today.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. How are you coping?”

Tarquin dragged a hand across the stubble on his chin. “It’s been…difficult.” Eyes drifting upward, a glint of silver piercing the clouds caught his attention, an airplane circling, waiting to land. “Leia’s special. I thought maybe she…” He shook his head, his stare falling to the stone pathway beneath his Tom Ford leather brogues. Fuck, I hate being vulnerable like this, admitting I’m not some stoic rock of a man who shakes off loneliness and disappointment like a rugby tackle. He blew out his cheeks. “I’ve been working all hours, trying not to think about her, but…I can barely think of anything else.”

Dex made a sad face. “Let’s stop here for a minute.” He leaned on the garden’s cement railing overlooking the lake. “It’s tough, what you’re going through. Sometimes we think if we push painful feelings away, we’ll be able