Page 87 of A Taste of Paradise

Until finally, with a deep breath, he broke the silence.

‘Lily, I like you. I … really like you,’ he blurted. It was as if a lid had been taken off and suddenly everything that was bubbling inside him overflowed.

All Lily could do was listen.

‘I’ve known I liked you … well, for ages now,’ he admitted. ‘Almost from the very beginning, to be honest. I tried to pretend otherwise because I’d obviously made a commitment to Sarah, but the day she left me in the lurch at the airport kind of allowed me to process how I truly felt.’

He moved to sit beside her and Lily didn’t protest. She didn’t know what else to do and her mind was reeling afresh at this admittedly surprising admission. Did he mean that he’d liked her since before Sarah broke it off? That was a revelation for sure.

‘When I told you before that I was sort of … relieved by her calling off the wedding, I meant it. I’d spent months trying to keep my true feelings at bay and pretend what I was seeing with her and what I thought I was feeling for you, wasn’t real. When she left, it was as if I no longer had to hold myself back. I could pursue what I wanted, which is why I came here to St Lucia anyway.’

‘Shay—’ Lily truly didn’t know what to think of that.

‘Let me finish … please?’

She nodded her assent and listened in silence as he continued.

‘I have really struggled this last while,’ he admitted. ‘I didn’t want you to think I was some guy out for a rebound, but I also wanted to see if there could be something between us. I wanted to know if maybe you felt something for me too.’

Lily hadn’t come at all prepared for this. What he was saying was the furthest thing from her mind. And she couldn’t truly process it. Tears brimmed in her eyes, as all of her fears and concerns melted away, and she allowed her heart to hope once more.

‘Aw, Lily.’ He uttered her name gently as he pulled her to his chest and wrapped her in his arms. ‘Don’t cry,’ he said against her hair. ‘Please. I’m sorry if I upset you in any way. And I’m really sorry I didn’t tell Sarah to leave straightaway last night, but I was caught by surprise and, to be honest, I needed to tell her the truth too. That there was no going back for us. I owed her that much, especially when she showed up out of the blue like that. I only wish I’d done it before she flew all the way out here.’

Lily’s tears began to subside and she lifted her head to look at his face. He had also told Sarah that he had feelings for her? Was that what he was saying? Her shocked mind was still not fully comprehending what she was hearing.

‘So I told her everything. All the things I felt but never said, including her disinterest in the wedding – everything. She wasn’t happy, of course, but I needed her to know the truth. I needed her to know what I can now tell you.’ His hands moved to Lily’s arms as he gently pushed her away so she could see his eyes.

‘I’m honestly not sure what to call this – yet,’ he continued, and Lily’s heart pretty much staccato’d. ‘But I know for sure how it feels. I think about you all the time. I want to see you all the time. All of those Zooms and phone calls back then … half the time I was finding things that I needed to speak to you about, so I could hear your voice.’

Lily wanted to say something, but her mouth still refused to cooperate. Instead, she listened, completely engrossed in everything he had to say.

‘I’m a committed person, Lily. What I say, I do, and what I promise, I make good on. Until Sarah broke it off, I was determined to never say a word of how I felt to anyone. I told myself it was maybe just cold feet, or understandable even, because you and I had spent so much time together planning this huge event. I told myself a lot of crap that wasn’t true, so I wouldn’t face the truth that was staring me in the face. I truly didn’t want to marry Sarah.’

Lily had to stop him there. ‘I don’t believe that. From the outset you seemed so excited to be marrying her. How can I believe anything you’re saying?’

‘Because it’s true. I was marrying her because we’d made a commitment to each other. We could have been happy, I’m sure, but last night after you left, we were truly honest with each other for the first time in years. I realised that despite Sarah thinking we should give it another go, I had to live by what I truly felt. And I also had to see what was possible. With you.’

His words were almost too incredible to be true. This had to be a dream. It couldn’t be real. Shay couldn’t be there with Lily now, telling her that he had feelings for her all this time, that he may even be falling in love with her?

‘Shay,’ she began and gripped his arm as her emotions began to flood her. ‘Are you seriously telling me the truth? This truly isn’t some rebound thing … I’m not that kind of person. And for what it’s worth, I didn’t do any of what Sarah accused me of. I never manipulated you or tried to—’

‘Oh, I know that – you’re possibly one of the most honest and least underhand people I’ve ever met,’ he said, gently touching Lily’s face as he stared into her eyes. ‘And I swear to you, what I’m saying is one hundred per cent true. I wouldn’t lie. Yes, there’s so much more to figure out logistically, but that aside, you need to hear that I want a chance to be a part of your life. This trip merely confirmed what I already knew inside – I want more between us than just a client–friend relationship. I want to experience everything the world has to offer, and I want it with you, Lily. I want to show you everything that my country holds like you’ve done for me here. I want to show you the town where I grew up, have you meet my mother … my sisters and my friends, and all that. If you’d like to, obviously.’

Lily could feel Shay’s gentle tug on her arms as he pulled her closer. Her heart began to beat faster, and her breath came in rapid bursts that she tried to hide as best she could. One moment they were inches apart, the next his head was resting against her forehead.

‘Lily?’ Shay asked, almost as breathless as she was.

‘Yes?’

‘Can I kiss you?’

She didn’t reply, but simply raised her head to his and then drifted away on a cloud of happiness as his mouth found hers.

Every worry faded as Shay’s lips moved against hers and her own responded. It was perfection and Lily was drunk on it. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he pulled her closer. They kissed until they were both breathless, so much pent-up emotion coming out in a rush.

‘Now, can I ask you out?’ he murmured, and they both laughed.

‘After all the places we’ve been, you’re asking me out now?’