Read Online The Guest List by Melissa Hill - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Melissa Hill
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something on my mind tonight, that’s all. Just go home and don’t worry about a thing, OK? I’ll see you soon.’
She nodded and got into the waiting taxi, not sure what else there was to say.
Later that night, Cara woke suddenly. She sat up in bed, turned to the alarm clock and looked at the time. 12 : 15 a.m. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked down at the other side of the bed. She reached a hand out: it was empty and cold. Shane was not beside her. She had left him hours ago at the restaurant and he still hadn’t returned home.
Pushing aside the worries about their disastrous dinner earlier, she tried to figure out what had woken her up. She’d waited up for him as long as she could, but the events of the day had drained her and she had eventually fallen asleep.
Just then, Cara’s phone chirped from the nightstand. She reached out to grab it, and fear entered her heart as she immediately had visions of the police calling telling her there had been an accident and that Shane was in the hospital.
‘Oh God,’ she breathed, preparing herself for the worst.
The screen came alive but it wasn’t a call coming through. There was a lone text message. It was from Shane.
She swallowed hard. What if he wasn’t coming home? What if he had decided that he didn’t want to be with her . . . what if . . .?
She opened the message. It simply read
Sorry to wake you. Meet me in the living room?
The message was new and delivered a few seconds ago. Once again, confusion reigned. Shane was here in the apartment? But why was he texting her from their living room? She got out of bed and pulled her robe on.
Then suddenly, her senses, acute in the dark, were met with something unexpected.
A sweet, rich smell.
Cara began walking across the room and her bare feet came into contact with something on the floor. It was cold and velvety soft. Reaching to the wall to turn on the overhead light, she realised that the floor was covered in a trail of petals, rose petals. They led to the door.
A tentative smile rushed to her face, and something that felt like hope mixed with excitement bloomed in her heart. Her feet moved lightly across the room and she opened the door to find the hallway bathed in what seemed like soft candlelight.
What the . . .?
She continued to follow the trail of rose petals down the hallway, past the kitchen and, finally, into the living room, where Shane stood. He had his back to her, and was looking out through the glass patio doors that showcased the night, lit only by the stars overhead.
‘Shane? What are you doing? What’s going on?’ Cara asked hesitantly.
She knew he had heard her, but he began speaking without turning round.
‘I knew I was doing something wrong in the restaurant earlier, you know. I wanted to do something special, but it went completely against who we are, as a couple. However, it is now officially a new day.’
She started to breathe easier. He seemed to be apologising for his strange behaviour earlier – mind you it was a slightly odd apology, but she appreciated it just the same.
‘Shane, really, it’s fine. I’m sure that when you saw that couple and after what we talked about this morning . . . I understand, there is a lot of pressure about the whole marriage thing, and it’s all coming from me. I’m sorry, I should never have mentioned anything about it, and never would have, only for that stupid invitation . . .’ She started to walk towards him.
Shane turned around then and met Cara’s gaze. A smile was on his face, a truly genuine one. The kind she was used to.
‘You really don’t know, do you?’ he said, chuckling a little.
‘Know what?’ She was at a loss. Her eyes were round as saucers as she tried to figure out what she had seemingly been missing.
Shane crossed the distance between them in three steps and pulled her into his arms. ‘You make me so happy, you are my whole world, and I love you and I want you with me always. I don’t
She nodded and got into the waiting taxi, not sure what else there was to say.
Later that night, Cara woke suddenly. She sat up in bed, turned to the alarm clock and looked at the time. 12 : 15 a.m. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked down at the other side of the bed. She reached a hand out: it was empty and cold. Shane was not beside her. She had left him hours ago at the restaurant and he still hadn’t returned home.
Pushing aside the worries about their disastrous dinner earlier, she tried to figure out what had woken her up. She’d waited up for him as long as she could, but the events of the day had drained her and she had eventually fallen asleep.
Just then, Cara’s phone chirped from the nightstand. She reached out to grab it, and fear entered her heart as she immediately had visions of the police calling telling her there had been an accident and that Shane was in the hospital.
‘Oh God,’ she breathed, preparing herself for the worst.
The screen came alive but it wasn’t a call coming through. There was a lone text message. It was from Shane.
She swallowed hard. What if he wasn’t coming home? What if he had decided that he didn’t want to be with her . . . what if . . .?
She opened the message. It simply read
Sorry to wake you. Meet me in the living room?
The message was new and delivered a few seconds ago. Once again, confusion reigned. Shane was here in the apartment? But why was he texting her from their living room? She got out of bed and pulled her robe on.
Then suddenly, her senses, acute in the dark, were met with something unexpected.
A sweet, rich smell.
Cara began walking across the room and her bare feet came into contact with something on the floor. It was cold and velvety soft. Reaching to the wall to turn on the overhead light, she realised that the floor was covered in a trail of petals, rose petals. They led to the door.
A tentative smile rushed to her face, and something that felt like hope mixed with excitement bloomed in her heart. Her feet moved lightly across the room and she opened the door to find the hallway bathed in what seemed like soft candlelight.
What the . . .?
She continued to follow the trail of rose petals down the hallway, past the kitchen and, finally, into the living room, where Shane stood. He had his back to her, and was looking out through the glass patio doors that showcased the night, lit only by the stars overhead.
‘Shane? What are you doing? What’s going on?’ Cara asked hesitantly.
She knew he had heard her, but he began speaking without turning round.
‘I knew I was doing something wrong in the restaurant earlier, you know. I wanted to do something special, but it went completely against who we are, as a couple. However, it is now officially a new day.’
She started to breathe easier. He seemed to be apologising for his strange behaviour earlier – mind you it was a slightly odd apology, but she appreciated it just the same.
‘Shane, really, it’s fine. I’m sure that when you saw that couple and after what we talked about this morning . . . I understand, there is a lot of pressure about the whole marriage thing, and it’s all coming from me. I’m sorry, I should never have mentioned anything about it, and never would have, only for that stupid invitation . . .’ She started to walk towards him.
Shane turned around then and met Cara’s gaze. A smile was on his face, a truly genuine one. The kind she was used to.
‘You really don’t know, do you?’ he said, chuckling a little.
‘Know what?’ She was at a loss. Her eyes were round as saucers as she tried to figure out what she had seemingly been missing.
Shane crossed the distance between them in three steps and pulled her into his arms. ‘You make me so happy, you are my whole world, and I love you and I want you with me always. I don’t
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