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People spilled out onto the pavehing, shouting, kissing

She drove on, leaden-hearted, until the lights thinned out again, and then on so around the island until she found herself drawn to so down a sandy lane, nosed through the fringe of pine trees, and turned off the engine as her wheels touched the edge of the sand

And there she stayed all night, dry-eyed and e the beach where she’d made love beside a campfire with a ht

One look at Kara’s pale face when she walked into the villa at just after seven the followingwas very, very wrong

Why was she here at all? Sophie frowned, trying to st the happy detritus of yesterday in her head Kara was supposed to be with loved up with Dylan All thoughts of the blissful wedding night she'd just spent with Lucien flew from her mind as she put the coffee cups doith a clatter and half-ran across the roo in her best friend’s dishevelled bridesmaid dress and mascara-streaked cheeks "What happened?" Her mind raced with disastrous scenarios Had there been an accident? "Is Dylan okay?" she pressed It had to be Dylan Kara’s face was ashen as she put down her keys and shook her head

"No"

Kara’s expression was so foreboding that Sophie’s hands flew to her cheeks and tears spiked her eyelashes "What’s happened? Tellthat Sophie had hed "He isn’t hurt"

Relief unclouded Sophie’s features, folloiftly by confusion and concern "So… what is it, then?"

Kara flopped wearily on the sofa and Sophie followed her, tight with anxiety At that moment, Lucien appeared up the stairs, his hair still ers, naked aside from his oldest, most loved pair of jeans, T-shirt in hand The honeymooner smile dropped from his mouth as he looked at their two faces: Sophie’s worried and Kara’s so far, far worse In a h alert, a feeling of apprehension chilling hi

Sophie rubbed Kara’s back, willing her to explain, willing her to be all right

"What’s wrong, honey?"

Kara put her elbows on her knees and dropped her forehead on her pal, Soph"

They sat in silence for a few seconds, each of the with their own questions Sophie knew that Kara had been planning to declare her love to Dylan Had he thrown it back in her face? Thinking back to Dylan’s expression as he’d danced with Kara at the wedding yesterday, she couldn’t make any sense of it if so He loved her, of that much Sophie was certain