Chapter Forty-Three
Lucy
After what felt like a lifetime, we’re finally back in the UK.
Stepping off the plane is one of the most bittersweet moments I can think of.
I’m sad to no longer be in paradise with the most amazing group of people, but I’m happy to be home.
To be able to get back to the bar, wear more than just a bikini all day, and even just to have a little alone time.
The one thing I am most excited for is having that alone time with Max. Being able to climb into his bed after a long day and curl up into his arms without being worried about someone barging in.
Gracie hasn’t mentioned what she saw, not even once.
But I haven’t missed the sad smiles she’s aimed at me whenever Max is close but not by my side.
It’s made me realise just how much I’ve been struggling with it.
To be able to grab him whenever and wherever I want to, even if it’s just to hold his hand.
“I’m going to nip to the loo before we go, I won’t be able to hold it all the way back,” I say, suppressing a yawn.
Everyone nods in agreement. We’ve made it through departures at Manchester airport, and it’s close to a two-hour drive back home from here. I know Max and Tommy will want to do the journey in one, but there is no way my little bladder will survive that.
Once everyone has taken their turns, we’re picking up our bags when Tommy frowns.
“Where is Maya?”
“She’s still in the bathroom. I’ll run in and check on her.” Gracie offers and heads back inside.
Only a minute later, she runs back out, panting.
“She’s not in there! I’ve checked every stall and called for her, but there’s no answer.” She cries, her body shaking on the spot.
All the girls run up to her, trying to calm her down, whilst the bodyguards and Tommy run in to look for her.
“I-I didn’t even think. I thought she’d be fine because Freddie and the boys were out here.” Fallon stutters in a panic.
“Fallon, you did nothing wrong. She could still be in there.” I tell her, taking her hand.
She throws herself into my arms, sobbing on my shoulder.
“If she’s gone, it’s all my fault, again!” Her breathing is choppy as she tries to catch her breath.
Tommy walks out of the bathroom first, almost in a daze, but his face is deathly white. He doesn’t need to say it out loud. All our worst nightmares have come true.
Maya is gone.
I thought I knew Jenson pretty well, but seeing how he has acted today, I know that it has all been a facade.
From the moment Maya went missing, he has been barking out orders as if he’s running a military operation.
The crazy thing is that all of his security friends have treated him as if he is their boss, and this is another day in the office.
There isn’t an ounce of panic on their faces, just a group of men working hastily to get their job done.
They found a lead to where she might be with some hi-tech shit they had with them and have left to find her. Tommy forced his way to go with them, too. Not that I can blame him. She is his entire world, and he would burn it all down to find her.
That leaves me, the girls, and Max here in the apartment they’ve rented close to the airport.
We didn’t want to drive in any direction without knowing which one they would have taken her.
All of this from a psycho stalker. God, I honestly don’t know how they’ll ever get through this. That’s if they find her.
They will. They have to.
I can’t stop my hands from trembling as I hold them between my knees.
I’m trying to keep it cool, to be the strong one, because the three girls in front of me bloody need it right now.
They’re an absolute fucking mess. I've known Maya for that long that she may as well be another Jackson sibling, too.
Max, on the other hand, is furious. I’m surprised there is any carpet left beneath him from the amount of pacing and stomping he has done. He is holding his phone in a death grip in case any of them call, but so far, we’ve heard nothing.
All I want to do is run up to him and hold him close, but I’m just too scared to do it.
Max’s phone suddenly breaks the silence. He opens the message so fast he almost drops the phone in his haste.
“They think they’ve found her. They’re following a car to Liverpool now.” He says, breathing out a sigh of relief.
It’s not over yet, but this is a good sign. I run my hands through my extremely dishevelled hair, pulling at the roots to ease some of the building tension. When I look up, I notice Max is doing the same thing. The only difference is that he has tears in his eyes.
“Max?” I call softly.
He lifts his head, and the moment I see the look on his face, I give in. Fuck this shit. They can hate me all they want. But there is no way in hell I’m leaving my man in this much pain.
I rush over to him, throwing my arms around his shoulders and pulling him in close. One of his arms wraps around my waist, and the other threads through my hair.
“Baby, I don’t know what to do. I feel so fucking useless here. I need to be helping in some way. I hate that I’m not there for Tommy right now.” His voice sounds so pained, I can hear his tears fighting their way out.
“I know, but there isn’t much any of us can do right now. They have the best people looking for her, and we will be here to pick up the pieces when he brings her home to us.” I tell him, rubbing the back of his neck in calming circles.
We stand like this for a minute. It’s the first time I have been able to touch him since Gracie barged in on us. Fuck, that feels like a lifetime ago.
“Erm, can one of you explain what’s going on?” Fallon asks.
I would normally have dove out of his arms, but right now, I have run out of fucks to give.
He is mine, and I am his.
I turn my head, but don’t release him from my hold. Fallon looks like I’ve slapped her across the face. Her eyebrows are almost in her hairline, and her mouth is open so wide her jaw has got to hurt. I fumble for the best way to word what it is I want to say, but Max beats me to it.
“Lucy and I are a couple. We have been for a while. She is the love of my life, as am I hers.” He states boldly. “You live with it or live without us.”
Whoa. He definitely didn’t want to sugarcoat it. Honestly, though, I couldn’t have said it any better myself. I look up at his face. The same one that usually holds the most beautiful smile, but right now it’s stern. Ready to fight her if he must.
“Well, that’s one way to hard launch it.” Blair mumbles under her breath, a hint of a smile playing at the corner of her lips.
Gracie, on the other hand, is looking at us dreamily, her head tilted to the side as she gazes at us both.
The room is silent as we wait for Fallon to reply.
“Is this true, Lucy?” She finally asks, her eyes bouncing between us like a ping pong ball.
“Yes,” I say with confidence. “Max is my everything. He always has been, and I won’t be made to stay away from him again.” A hint of anger lingered inside of me.
From the way Liz acted last time, I’m ready for World War III to begin. We’re in too deep now, and no one will keep him from me. Not again.
“Okay then.” She says.
“Okay?” I ask, my brows furrowing.
“Yep. I won’t stand in the way. The pair of you are made for each other. I can’t believe I never saw it sooner!” A trace of happiness lingers behind her eyes. “Too much shit has happened recently. It’s about time something good came about.”
Well, I never expected that. Max squeezes me into his side, making me look up at him.
“See, I told you everything would be fine.” He says, before leaning in to kiss me.
It’s the softest of kisses that lasts mere seconds, but that’s enough to make Fallon gasp.
“Hey, I might be okay with this, but it’s going to take me a minute to get used to it.” She laughs, wiping at her eyes. “I am happy for you both, but my mind is kind of up my arse right now.” She admits.
“I know.” I agree. “But Fallon, thank you for not losing your shit.”
“I love you both, and I get it. You’re both weirdos; it was written in the stars.”
“I have something to confess!” Gracie cries out, grabbing at her chest. “I’ve known for like a full day, and I would never have said anything without their permission, but bloody hell, it’s been eating me alive!”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Don’t start with those bloody chakras now, Gracie. I can’t cope with that on top of everything else.”
“But you know how secrets mess with my chakras, Blair!” She complains.
“I can't deal.” Blair lowers her head as she shakes it from side to side. “Lord, give me strength.”
Max’s phone starts to ring, breaking up their bickering.
“Jenson… Thank fuck… Okay… Now?... Amazing, we’re on our way!”
The girls are sitting on the edge of their seats, staring at Max, as I hold his hand, squeezing tight as I try to eavesdrop on the conversation.
“They’ve found her and are on their way to a hospital now.” He cheers, rushing off to put his shoes on. All of us are following along behind.
“Is she okay?” Fallon asks, hopping from foot to foot as she does her own shoes.
“Well, no, but she will be.”