Page 126 of Never Tell Secrets

“Enjoy the film and the ice cream, I’ll see you in the morning.” He turned to leave but I leapt up, grabbing his hand.

“Why are you dodging me?” My stomach turned, fear pooling there that another tsunami wave of pain might be coming for me all over again.

“I’m not, I’m just…” he trailed off, the struggle to find the right words clear to see. Alfie was still getting used to opencommunication, I watched him fight the urge to shut me out like he once would have done. He took a breath and released it. “I’m just overwhelmed. I didn’t realise until just now that I never actually thought this would happen.”

“What do you mean? You wanted this, you?—”

“Yes, I hoped and I dreamed but I never actually thought you would come back to me, at least not this soon. Now that you have, I…” His words failed him again and I searched his face, desperate to find the trouble hidden there. He straightened, looking down at me. “Lo, this means everything. I want to do it right.”

“This feels pretty right to me,” I whispered, my own voice cracking.

His expression softened and he reached up to cup my face, drawing me in. “You’re perfect. It’s me that’s not. Let me deal with this, okay?”

I studied him, trying to understand. Was he not ready? Had I caught him off guard and sent him spiralling? Maybe. Whatever the issue, it seemed tonight was not the night for us.

Reluctantly, I nodded. “Okay, but come back to my bed tonight, I don’t want to wake up alone.”

“I promise.” He pressed his lips to mine, a sweet apology. “Enjoy the ice cream.”

I nodded and let him go. “Alfie?” I said suddenly, he paused in the doorway, turning to me. “I’m your girl, right?”

His gaze heated, his bare chest heaving. “Always.”

Thirty-Nine

Alfie scowled at his phone as he shot off another email. The scowl, however, wasn’t directed at his work, it was for me. “I just don’t get the problem. Damien’s jet is already here, even Keira and Maia are coming instead of flying coach, you might as well come too.”

Alfie had woken up in a strange mood and spent the morning distracted by his ever-pinging phone. I guess taking time off work to spend with me was taking its toll. I was trying to be understanding but I couldn’t help but be frustrated. This wasn’t how I’d thought our first day back together as a couple would be.

He sat on my bed while I packed my things. Keira was doing the same with far less finesse in her own room, Maia had been sitting downstairs next to her packed bags for the last half hour.

“Because I paid for my ticket and I don’t want to waste the money. Besides, you might actually enjoy it.”

Alfie flicked his narrowed gaze up to me, dragging his eyes away from his phone for the first time in ten minutes. “What is that supposed to mean?”

I gave him my sweetest smile. “You’re flying coach with me.”

His scowl returned in full force. “Lola?—”

I raised my hand, cutting him off. “This is my show, remember? We made a deal to try this out for three months and we’re only halfway through. You agreed that I would get to have control, so until these three months are up, your ass is mine, Tell.”

Alfie put his phone down, holding my gaze with so much seriousness it was almost comical. “Lola, like hell will I ever fly coach.”

I folded my arms, arching an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“You’re flying coach?” Damien burst out laughing, even Eli was close to forming an expression. Keira, Maia, Alfie and I had all ridden together to the airport, bypassing the main airport for the private air strip nearby. Damien and Eli had met us on the tarmac. “Why the fuck are you flying coach?”

Alfie just gestured at me. “She’s persuasive.”

It hadn’t been that hard. I’d denied Alfie my mouth and after roughly three minutes he’d crumbled like an old biscuit.

“Got it.” Damien grinned at me. “Well, good luck with that.”

I watched the four of them disappear up the steps into the jet, not missing the wolfish grin Damien gave Keira. Alfie and I got back into the car to return to the main airport, his phone was back in his hand and once again I felt an invisible distance between us. I tried not to let paranoia get the better of me, I knew that his company was weighing on his mind.

“What did Damien mean ‘good luck with that’?” I glanced up at Alfie as Elliot set off. He looked down at me, a little hesitant.

“You sure you want to fly coach with me?”