PaigeEmotions warred for attention in my mind as I pulled the little wheeled suitcase I’d ordered for pickup after Tom told me about the plane across the tarmac. Excitement put a bounce in my step as I thought about seeing McKenna again. Stress weighed me down when I remembered how bad my first few days had been, and how she hadn’t even been home for a week yet. Anticipation fizzed through my veins as I tried to guess what a private plane might be like in the main cabin, not shoved in the bathroom.Next to me, Tom looked like he was doing his best to stay calm. He’d been quiet all morning, and as we rounded the final corner in the small airport outside the city to see a small, private plane and Killian standing next to it, he turned white. I wanted to reach out to him, but not where Killian could potentially take it home for Sera to gossip about. Or where she could see, if she’d just walked away.He closed the distance between us with a wide smile. “I’ll help with suitcases, but the
TommasoI glanced at Paige out of the corner of my eye as we stepped into the elevator. Her shoulders were hunched, and her hand in mine was tense. She kept glancing around the matte black walls like something was going to jump out, but she wouldn’t look at me. Something had happened when we walked into the hotel, and I had no idea what.“Are you okay?” I asked.She nodded absently.I tapped my foot and wished I could pace. But I’d have to let go of her hand for that and there wasn’t much room. Did she want me to let go of her hand? She hadn’t released mine, but more often than not when she got tense like this, she wanted me to disappear.The elevator dinged, and a few other guests stepped on. Paige froze up. They hit a button for a few floors above and chatted amongst themselves until they departed. I expected her to melt once we were alone again, but nothing changed.“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked.She nodded again, still not looking at me. My heart sank. When we finally reache
PaigeI blinked awake in the dark. My body ached from sleeping in an awkward position, and my hair was matted against my cheek. I sucked in a breath and didn’t recognize a single smell. I flipped onto my back, and there was no sign of the mural I’d grown used to on the ceiling. My chest squeezed. I’d let my guard down, and someone had taken me again. I should’ve known I’d never really escape.My breath began to race as my eyes adjusted, and I spotted a suitcase on the floor. My suitcase. The events of the last day, the trip to London and closing my eyes for a minute when we arrived, filtered back in. I swiped my hand over the silky soft comforter and tried to steady my breathing like Lauren had taught me. Not kidnapped. Just traveling.Once I could believe that, I sat up. Out my window, the lights of the city glowed, but not a shred of sunrise threatened the horizon. My stomach growled. I’d fallen asleep without dinner. Or lunch? This time change was really going to fuck me up.I chan
TommasoI woke to my phone softly blaring a bombastic classical piece I used as an alarm most mornings. I groaned in the back of my throat and started to reach to shut it off, but a weight on my chest stopped me in my tracks. I opened my eyes, and my breath caught.In the night, Paige had draped herself across me. Her fiery hair spilled across the plain white of my pajama shirt, and the early morning sunlight illuminated the angles of her face. Though she’d started filling out, regaining some roundness in her cheeks and lips, her cheekbones still cut a sharp angle, and her Roman nose cast a shadow on the lower half of her face. In this light, I could even see a few faint freckles dusted across the middle of her face. My heart pounded unevenly, and I shut my alarm off as subtly as I could. She looked peaceful, an expression I saw so rarely, but it suited her just as well as her furrowed-brow determination. I ached to brush the hair out of her face, to press a kiss to her forehead, to f
PaigeI clutched Tom’s hand like a lifeline as we walked up the path to the front door. Somehow, I hadn’t expected McKenna’s parents’ place to be so exactly like she described it. Just standing in the yard reminded me of lying on those awful bunkbeds, listening to her whisper details in the dark.Before we even reached the door, someone flung it open. A plump, older version of McKenna, with her blonde hair up in a wild ponytail, leapt down the stairs, and threw her arms around me. I stumbled back a step, choking on the feeling of unexpected contact.“Thank you,” the woman whispered before letting me go and wrapping Tom in the same overenthusiastic hug.I blinked.An older man stepped out onto the lawn. “Apologies for my Gail. She’s been a bit expressive since…” He swallowed like he couldn’t quite say it yet, and I saw tears glimmer in his eyes. “Well, I’d like to thank you as well.”Tom extricated himself from Gail and shook the man’s hand. “Tommaso Conti. I’m just glad I could help.”
TommasoI climbed into the driver’s seat and glanced at the robotic Paige next to me. I needed to get her out of here, but I worried that if she spent the whole ride back to the hotel in this state, I’d lose her completely. On the other side of the ocean, away from her therapist, I couldn’t take that risk. On the drive, I’d spotted a park that reminded me of the little one near our place. I threw the car into drive and headed there.I pulled into a spot near a lush green lawn and shut the car off. The radio fell silent. Paige buried her face in her hands, and I immediately worried that she was crying. But her shoulders didn’t move. She wasn’t even breathing particularly fast. She was just covering her face.“I’m sorry,” I murmured, though I had no idea what I was sorry for this time.“None of this is your fault,” she said through her hands.“I drove the car.” I tried a smile even though she couldn’t see me.She pulled her face out of her hands and dropped her head back against the sea
PaigeWe dropped the rental car back at the hotel, and Tom stopped inside to get travel suggestions. When he popped out, he smiled at me.“I was right that it’s a waste of time to drive in the city. We should take the Underground to Piccadilly Circus.”I nodded.“Unless.” He grinned impishly, and I leaned in. “You were serious about liking art. This hotel is a quick walk from the National Gallery, and the walk from there to Piccadilly Circus is a dream.”“I’ll have you know I’m very serious.” I smiled. “But don’t think you can weasel out of the circus that easily.”“I would never.” He put out his arm.I stared at the bustling crowd. No way I was getting through there without someone touching me. But I’d faced McKenna. I’d slept in Tom’s bed. Hell, I’d listened to him tell me he loved me without having a complete and total meltdown. I could do this. I slipped my arm through his, and we walked off.As we went, he began pointing to random buildings along our path and making up nonsense h
TommasoI stretched out on the big red couch Paige seemed to hate and glanced at her over my phone. She had her arm over her eyes, resting for a bit after our whirlwind day. After the morning she’d had, I was just pleased I’d gotten her to smile. I’d have stayed in London for a week if it meant seeing that.My phone vibrated in my hand, and I glanced at the notification. The restaurant Killian suggested had an opening at seven-thirty. I accepted it quickly.“I made a reservation for dinner,” I said casually.Paige uncovered her face. “Where?”“A place that came personally recommended from a friend.” I grimaced. “It is a little upscale. A lot upscale. Do you have clothes for that? I can always cancel, or we can buy something.”Paige exhaled sharply. “I actually do. I was just fiddling around online, and I found this dress with basically everything I’ve ever wanted in a dress and I just…bought it.” Her face colored. “With your credit card.”“Hey, I gave it to you to use it,” I said befo