Love at Second Sight Read Online Free

Rayner, an older lady who worked as a volunteer at the same hospital as my mum but had recently retired. ‘Oh. Hello, Mrs Rayner,’ I said as I glanced over her
shoulder. Finn had noticed that I was talking to someone and turned around, walking back to the girl he was with. I felt torn. I so wanted Finn to come over but I liked Mrs Rayner and wanted to
talk to her too. She was a sweetheart who would chat to me and make me a hot chocolate if ever I was waiting at the hospital for Mum after her shift. I hadn’t seen her for a while so we spent
a few minutes catching up and by the time we’d said goodbye and she went off to join her friend, Finn had long gone.
    Effy squeezed my arm. ‘Forget Finn, we’ll find you someone else,’ she said and began to scan the crowd at the fair then nudged me to look over to the rest of the band. By now,
they had packed up their equipment from the stage and were walking out towards the exit. Ryan, the lead guitarist, Josh, the drummer, and Ben Fraser, the boy Effy had pointed out. I noticed that
Ben had a black Labrador on a lead. He stopped to adjust the dog’s lead. I had a feeling he had overheard Effy say Finn’s name but it was hard to tell because he still had his shades
on.
    ‘Yes. There will be others,’ Tash added.
    ‘I don’t want anyone else,’ I said.
    Even behind the shades, I felt Ben look at me, his face registered disapproval. Maybe he thought I was just another saddo fan on a very long list. He tugged on the dog’s lead and walked
away.
    ‘I mean, I don’t want anyone ,’ I said loudly so Ben could hear. Even though I didn’t know him, I didn’t want him thinking I was a loser. ‘I’m
happy being on my own.’
    Effy and Tash both burst out laughing. ‘Yeah, looks like it.’
    Effy wasn’t going to give up. ‘So. Let’s think. What’s your type?’
    ‘I don’t know. I don’t know if I have a type.’
    ‘Yes you do,’ said Tash. ‘Haunted, Victorian poet with dishevelled hair; in fact, just like Finn.’
    ‘In that case, that is so not my type,’ I said.
    Tash laughed. ‘Oo, Little Miss Petulant.’
    I stuck my tongue out at her.
    ‘Whatever, we have to find Howard,’ said Effy.
    ‘Oh, shut up about Howard and Finn. I mean, just for a moment, say Betty’s story is true, then he could be anywhere on the planet in India, Australia, Outer Mongolia not right in
front of us on the Heath, five minutes after I’ve seen a clairvoyant!’
    ‘Ah so you do think there might be something in it?’ asked Effy.
    ‘ No. Course not. But if it was true – and it isn’t – it’s just not very likely that he’d be the next boy I see, OK?’
    ‘But if he’s your soulmate,’ insisted Tash, ‘you’ll surely find each other. It’s meant to be.’
    ‘Says who?’
    ‘Your destiny ,’ said Effy.
    I scoffed. ‘Yeah right. But if you put that garbage about Henrietta and destiny aside, I do like to think that I have a soulmate somewhere but not someone from another life. I want
someone in this life.’
    ‘So go and talk to a few boys,’ said Tash. ‘Be positive. You’re the one who’s always saying you have to make things happen.’
    ‘OK, I will,’ I said. I glanced around but there wasn’t one boy in sight who vaguely took my interest. ‘Er, but maybe not today.’
    Luckily Effy and Tash didn’t push it any further. We continued browsing the stalls.
    ‘Do you think Mark is your soulmate?’ I asked Effy.
    She shook her head. ‘I like him a lot, but I think he’s Mr Right Now instead of Mr Right Forever.’
    ‘I think Dave is my soulmate,’ said Tash. ‘It was like we recognised each other when we met. In fact, the first thing he said to me was, “Where do I know you from?”
But we hadn’t met before that first time. Maybe I knew him in a past life and that was why there was something familiar about him.’
    ‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Maybe he was your pet goldfish.’
    Tash laughed, but her and Dave did have something special.