Page 170 of Never Tell Secrets

A sick laugh escaped me. “Still working with the safety net, Alfie. How am I supposed to trust you if you can’t trust yourself?”

His jaw clenched. “Lo, the images begin and end there. They’re yours to do whatever you want with.”

Priya’s words rang in my head. Her idea that looking at those photos could be ‘healing’ had been percolating ever since she’d said it. Now the opportunity was here and all I could think was that those images, like Alfie’s future in his father’s company, weren’t tonight's problem.

“Say something.” He sounded desperate, feelings he’d once fought so hard to hide were finally slipping through the cracks.

“Wait here.” I got up and went to my room, returning a moment later with the device Keira had sent. I threw it to him and he caught it. “It’s a camera sensor, or something like that. Keira packed it in my case.”

“Can’t say I blame her.” Alfie frowned at the item then flicked his gaze up to me. “Why are you giving this to me?”

“I need to work without the safety net too.” With that, I turned and headed for the door, my chest aching in that way it always did when I left him.

“And the images?”

I paused in the doorway, wishing I had the strength to face those demons tonight but I didn’t. “Not tonight’s problem.”

Fifty-Three

We fell into a rhythm over the next few days. Everyday, Maia and Ali joined me at the gardens, amusing themselves whilst I situated myself in one spot or another, sketching and making notes.

The day would draw to a close and I would return to the hotel, leaving my muses behind. I ate in the suite, or in my bed, or at the table by the pool, but always alone. Whether Alfie was avoiding me on purpose or not I wasn’t sure, but he was keeping true to his word of giving me space.

For three days I didn’t see him, the only time he felt close was at night when he lay in his own bed mere metres away and every night in the early hours of the morning, I heard the slam of his door and retreating footsteps as he headed for the gym.

I missed him, the shrapnel in my chest throbbing with that familiar ache. It hurt but I could breathe, it didn’t consume me like it would have once. I wondered if Alfie felt the same way. I hoped he did. I hoped he was healthy now.

After an evening swim, I walked through the empty lobby of the hotel, my wet hair trailing down the back of my white robe. For the first time in days, I was alone outside of my own suite. Maia had reluctantly agreed to go to bed after I’d arguedthat there were security guards posted all over this place, I was hardly likely to be kidnapped here.

Instead of finding the empty hotel eerie, I found it peaceful. I felt more at home here than I did in Alfie’s house in London. This is what Alfie’s mind was really like. A blue paradise, not that cold palace.

I stood alone, waiting for the lift when a strange noise interrupted my silence, a scrape of a chair on the floor. I shrugged it off until it was followed by a breathy moan. I bit back a grin, it sounded like one of the maids was getting lucky…but the tone of that voice was too familiar and alarm bells started ringing.

Angie.

I looked down the hallway. That area was sealed off with plastic sheeting and was strictly off limits to me.

Was she hooking up in the office? It was none of my business but?—

“Alfie…” Her words were cut off by more moans, sounding as if they’d been swallowed by kisses. Blood rushed in my ears and my head started spinning.

No. No…he wasn’t, hecouldn’t.

Before I could decide whether to follow the voices and see them for myself, the lift doors opened and my feet dragged me inside, almost against my will. I slumped against the wall, bent double. My stomach churned as if I might throw up.

Oh god. Ohgod.

Was I this stupid? Had I really been this blind?

The doors opened and I stumbled into the suite.

This wasn’t happening, itwasn’t. How could he?—

“Lo? Are you alright?”

I turned, heart pounding to find Alfie coming down the stairs, wearing only sweatpants, clearly fresh from a shower.

His brows knitted together. “What’s going on?"