Page 131 of Never Tell Secrets

I watched him study me, watched the cogs turn over in his busy mind. He hadn’t shut me down straightaway which was more than I was expecting. “Why does this matter so much to you?”

“Because the alternative is embroidery and I can’t guarantee I’ll want to fuck you anymore if you take up needlepoint.”

For the first time Priya cracked a smile and even Alfie’s icy expression was threatening to break. “I’ll think about it.”

We finished up the session with an agreement to continue with the status quo for a while. By the time we got back to the car, Alfie’s reserved mood had returned. Elliot gave us his usual silent nod and then raised the partition so we could have privacy while we drove.

I let Alfie sit in his thoughts for a few minutes before I jumped in.

“So, Dubai huh?”

“Yes, what of it?” His gaze was fixed on his phone, the glare from the screen lighting up his face, casting shadows across the planes of his high cheekbones.

“You know you can talk to me about work, right? Just because I hate your fathers company doesn’t mean I’m not interested in what you do.”

Alfie let out a small sigh, finally tearing his gaze away from his phone. “I know but I prefer to keep you separate. When I’m with you, I just want to be with you.” I understood but it didn’t stop me from feeling like I’d just had a door slammed in my face. “But I should tell you I’m leaving for Dubai in a week, I expect to be there for three or four days.”

“Can I come?”

His eyes widened and for once, I got to relish in rendering Alfie Tell speechless. Once upon a time, the idea of inviting myself on a trip with Alfie was out of the question. Now, it felt natural. “Why would you want to?”

“Because it’s Dubai. Besides, the Miracle Garden is there, I’ve always wanted to see it. I can tell Imani it’s a research trip.” I was certain she would go for that. My plans for my project were not going well. A visit to the biggest floral garden in the world might be just the inspiration I needed. “So, can I?”

“Of course.” The words didn’t meet his eyes. A cloudy storm was brewing in his mind and it was driving me to insanity that he wouldn’t tell me what was causing it. But we were both exhausted and I’d pushed enough for one night, so I decided to let it go.

Leaning back, I gazed out of my window, blinking in surprise when I noticed the direction we were heading in. “You’re taking me home?”

“Yes, I thought you’d be tired.”

“I am, but I thought you might want to spend the night together.” Two and a half years ago, Alfie had to be persuaded to be apart from me for a night. Now, to voluntarily send me home when we had only just gotten back together had my alarm bells ringing.

“I have work to do.”

No, that wasn’t going to fly. Exhaustion be damned, I couldn’t go to bed tonight with this spinning in my head. “Alfie, what’s going on?”

I studied his profile, the tick in his jaw, the furrow in his brow, all signs pointed to him trying to decide whether to tell me the truth, lie or placate. I sat in silence, waiting to find out which one I was going to have to deal with.

“I’m just distracted.”

Great. Placation it is.

“Distracted? You haven’t been right since I said I was ready for us to be together, are you not ready?”

“More than you know. I just have an issue I’m trying to resolve.”

I sighed, my frustration falling through. “What kind of issue? Is it your family?”

“No.”

“Work then?”

“No.”

I swallowed, not wanting to ask my next question but knowing I had to. “Is it us?”

The silence that followed threatened to swallow us both. The streetlights passed in fast flashes as we sped through London, twisting Alfie’s dark expression into something more haunting. My stomach turned over and I tried to stay calm.

“Why do I feel like you’re going to hurt me again?”