“I just don’t see the point in all this pain when you both are happier together, and it was a mistake. One that was made with good intention.” I chew my lip, unable to shift the growing belief that I'm being childish. “Look, I’ve got to go—call me if you need anything,” he says finally and walks towards the door.
Clearing my throat to keep the oncoming tears at bay, I swallow deeply and walk him out. “I will. Thanks for coming to check up on me.”
“Don’t be a stranger, okay?”
“Okay.” I nod. Sighing, Matt hugs me again and walks away. It’s another few seconds before I hear the throaty roar of a car, then silence settles.
Chapter36
Cain
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Perry asks me as we exit the property. I shove my hand in my trouser pocket and stop halfway down the drive, turning to look back at the empty farmhouse. It’s quaint but extensive. There's room for expansion and enough land to turn this place into a spa and wedding retreat.
“Short of throwing her on a plane and refusing to let her come home, I don’t know what else to do. This bides me time.” I adjust my stance and slide my other hand into my other pocket.
“And it’s not illegal?” Perry frowns at me in concern.
“I wasn’t actually considering kidnapping her!” I scoff shortly.
He holds his hands up. “Hey, we all have our kinks.” He hops back when I whip out a hand to slap him. “You think she’ll go for it?” he finally asks when he stops grinning.
“I don’t know. She loves working in hospitality. She’s good at it. She has the potential to be more than a warm welcome at the front desk. If she can’t come to me, then I'll come to her.”
“Your competition would piss themselves sodden if they could see what a soppy twat you are,” Perry drawls, then jolts into a run as I turn to grab after him. He pelts across the grass verge, and I chase. “You’re a big pussy, really!” He laughs, his feet crunching on the clean, white pebbled drive as he tries to dodge me.
He skids to a stop when I yank him into a headlock. “You love my girl.” I laugh. “That's why you’re going to help me get her here.”
“If you choose Matteo to be your best man, I'll disown you.” He struggles, wheezing in my gasp. I shove him away and stand back to appreciate the sandstone and crystal-clear bay windows.
“I can’t believe you managed to snatch this place up so quickly.” He moves to stand next to me. “You think this will work?”
“Just get Lauren here,” I ask him quietly. He slaps my back and then heads towards the car, leaving me standing on the drive.
I’d never measured my life in hours, days, or even weeks—not until Lauren. I've spent most of our relationship counting down the hours to see her. The weeks to get her back. Those days had passed with a slowness that I felt drag over every part of me. Tearing up my skin and leaving me feeling raw and as broken as the woman I’ve travelled to see today.
I’ve spent my time between London and Lauren’s home town. As promised, I was back the next day and then the next, settling into her place of work and quietly reinserting myself back into her life. I’ve worked out of her cafe for more hours than I've been at home.
I want to share so much with her: the new deal I'm working on, Kat’s new job, Carson Court. My father—I’m yet to take her to meet my father.
Those things feel so far out of reach, like a speck of light on the horizon, and if I blink, it will disappear. I want to give her so much. I’ve spent enough time talking to the cold stone plaque about Lauren—it seems ridiculous that she is yet to visit my father’s resting place. It seems only fitting, given that his death was the catalyst for why our relationship broke down.
She’s slowly forgiving me.
Cautious.
Quiet.
Slow.
She needs slow, and there's nothing I love more than indulging her with slow.
I wander around the farmhouse, checking every external window for a sign of Perry’s car, but the rolling countryside sits unspoiled. A landscaped haven fit for my girl. The commute from London is minimal, and the location will put Henrik’s country club to shame. Not everyone wants to put money in the pocket of a man capable of blackmail. Shoving my fisted hands into my own pockets, I rehearse what has been playing on my mind these past few days, but the subtle crunch of tires in the distance has me crossing the open landing and down one of the halls to look out over the winding drive as Perry’s car churns up dust and kicks it into the air like a cloud of thick smoke.
A second silhouette sits in the passenger seat, and I suck in a relieved breath. I watch with a deep-rooted sense of unease as Perry chats with Lauren and urges her out of the car and across the driveway. She looks confused as she stares at the property—unsure why he has brought her here, that is, until Perry gets back in the car and drives off, leaving her staring after him. She wafts her hand at the dust cloud he leaves in his wake and, after a few beats, squints to stare back at the farmhouse, looking for me.
It’s a few more minutes before she ventures inside, and as soon as she does, I stand back from the main landing as her eyes widen at the interior of the main reception. It’s light and airy with floor-to-ceiling panelling. A heavy wood and brass chandelier sends a shadow sprawling across the floor and wall, and then there is just my girl, twisting her hands nervously as she waits for me to show.
“Your eyes.” My voice echoes, low and confident, even though I feel anything but. She’s the only one capable of making me vulnerable, but I keep my tone steady for her.