Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
“ W here the hell is she, Elliot?”
“The tracker says she’s still in this area. She can’t have gone far.”
“Tracker?” Keira whispered. Oh, fresh hell. This whole night could go fuck itself. Seriously. I sighed. There was no getting around it.
“He has a GPS tracker on my phone. He has one on my van too.”
She raised her eyebrows. “That’s some psycho shit, Lo.”
I could hear their voices getting closer. She was right, but what was I going to say? I stood slowly and, after taking a steadying breath, I stepped out into the street. Adam was nowhere to be seen. Bradley’s friends had disappeared, but Elliot, Riley, and Bradley himself were there.
All I saw was Alfie.
Mine.
No. He wasn’t.
Remember the pain. Remember it, Lola.
Then he was in front of me. Blocking my path.
“We need to have a conversation.” His voice was cold but his touch burned and I shied away as he reached for me.
“I think you need to explain why you’re tracking her like she’s some kind of animal,” Keira cut in, still holding my hand.
“That is none of your concern, Miss Larson.” Oh hell. I winced, knowing what was about to come next.
“None of my concern?” Yep, here it comes …
“Pull that stick out of your arse, will you? I’ve known her for twenty years, you’ve known her for two fucking minutes.
Have some respect for who I am in her life and explain to me why I should let my best friend anywhere near you.
” Keira crossed her arms and jutted her hip.
All the men just stood there, staring at her in silence.
Alfie paused, assessing her. I knew that look.
“I’m glad that you are so protective over your friend, but so am I. The trackers are just to ensure that she’s safe. I don’t stalk her and I’m not crazy. I can see what you’re thinking, but I am not Adam.”
Keira made a sound that told everyone she wasn’t entirely convinced. I didn’t know what to do. I caught Bradley’s eye. He looked concerned and hurt. Guilt washed over me.
“Stop looking at him,” Alfie snapped, and I jerked my gaze back to him. His eyes were blazing with barely restrained rage. I realised then that I was dealing with a part of Alfie Tell that I’d never met before.
“She doesn’t need to follow your orders.
She’s not a fucking dog.” Bradley scowled at Alfie.
“Lo, what do you want to do? Do you want me to call you a taxi?” He tried to step between us, Alfie turned, and if Elliot hadn’t stepped between them I don’t know what Alfie would have done.
Elliot gave Alfie a steadying look that seemed to halt him for the moment, a look that seemed more like a father to his son than an employee to his boss.
Bradley looked between the two of us, from Alfie’s fierce gaze to my frozen face. “You aren’t leaving with him, Lo. He’s not right in the head.” I swear Alfie grew in size. His gaze zeroed in on Bradley as if he was scanning him for kill points.
“Maybe she should come home with me.” Keira stepped between the two of them. “She can call you tomorrow.” They both looked at her as if to say, ‘ Which one of us are you talking to? Which one of us is she going to call?’
“No,” Alfie snapped, stepping away from Elliot.
“She isn’t going anywhere except with me.
Right now. I’m sick of this tip-toeing bullshit.
” He took my arm to pull me away, Keira took my other arm, and chaos ensued again as Bradley shouted, Elliot got him in some sort of hold, and then Riley joined the fray.
Keira yelled over my head at Alfie, the two of them pulling me in two different directions.
I could feel myself splitting down the middle.
Frustration and desperation over the last two weeks bubbled up and suddenly, it erupted. Without thought and with his hand still firmly on my upper arm, I balled up my fist and punched Alfie square in the chest. He was so surprised he loosened his grip enough for me to yank my arm away.
Everyone fell silent around us. Shocked. I felt Keira release my other arm and I stepped away from her, glaring up at him.
“I hate you!” I yelled. “I want you out of my life! I want you out of my head! Why won’t you just go?” I moved to shove him again but he grabbed my wrists. His touch burned me and I pulled out of his grip.
“You don’t know what you want, do you? You say you want a break then you’re angry at me for giving you space. You went to my hotel, wanting me back, but now you hate me again?” He cocked his head, looking me over. “You’re running scared in every direction but forwards.”
“Stop doing that. Stop manipulating me!” I needed to calm down. My throat hurt from screaming at him, but after days of silence and keeping it in, it felt good to scream. “You said you wouldn’t wait forever. I should have known you wouldn’t wait more than a day for me.”
“You infuriating woman. I meant I wouldn’t wait long before coming back to you, not that I wouldn’t wait long before giving up.”
His words made me pause. Had he really meant that? The girl inside me who’d been abandoned by her father at four years old couldn’t believe it. “You left me.”
“And it hurt.”
I stared at him.“Of course it did!”
“Good. I needed it to hurt, Lola. You needed to understand what this is.” He gestured between us.
“This was never over. You needed to understand how much it hurt to lose me, so you’ll think twice the next time you try to tell me you need a break .
” He gave a sick laugh that sent a shiver up my spine.
“Did you really think I would just let you put me aside?”
I took an involuntary step away and of course he moved with me, mirroring me. I could feel everyone’s eyes on us but I didn’t care. I was too focused on the piercing gaze in front of me. I swallowed, pushing down the urge to buckle. Remember the pain, Lola.
“ This. This is why I needed that break. Because you can’t stop playing with me for two seconds. I’m not a fucking chess piece, Alfie!”
“That is a matter of perspective.” His tone was cool, as smooth as syrup.
“Are you a sociopath?” Keira asked. Alfie glared at her but she didn’t waver.
“Nah, he’s just got that kind of energy.” Riley let out a laugh and it was his turn to be glared at. “What? I love you, man, but sometimes you do sound crazy.” He looked at Keira, grinning. “I’m Riley, by the way.”
“Keira,” she said, smiling back. I knew that smile. Jesus, Keira. Really? Now?
“Eye fuck her somewhere else, Fitzpatrick,” Alfie snapped, but Riley just chuckled.
“You know, I never thought I’d have to say this, but your skills with women really need some work.” Riley gave him a wry smile before looking my way. “This isn’t his best light, Lola.”
“Does he have a better light? He’s been screwing with my head this whole time.” I glared up at Alfie, but he remained cool as usual. “I was here, miserable, while you were swanning about in London doing your PA.”
“Angie, again? I’ve told you?—”
“And she told me about you and her,” I snapped. Keira gasped audibly. I’d forgotten I hadn’t told her about my run in with Angie. I guess it was just too humiliating. Unlike this, which wasn’t humiliating at all.
I turned to Riley. “Tell him.” Alfie looked at his friend and Riley gave him a small nod, confirming what I’d said.
“That’s definitely how she made it sound. She, uh, might have been trying to stir things up between the two of you. I would have told you but I’m not looking to get in the middle of you and Angie.” What the hell does that mean?
Alfie ran a frustrated hand through his hair. I knew that gesture well by now. It was what he did when he was trying to figure out a problem, to prioritise what he needed to fix first.
“I’ll deal with her later,” he snapped at none of us in particular. His eyes fell back on me, and despite my better judgement I could feel a weakening inside me. I looked away, up the street to where partiers were having the time of their lives. I gazed after them wistfully.
“Look at me, O’Connell.” He cupped my face, forcing me to look at him.
“I didn’t leave you. You needed time and it was just easier to stay away from you when I was in a different city.
Maybe I should be doing this differently, making you all kinds of gentle promises, but that isn’t who I am. You know exactly who I am and we fit.”
I pulled away, unable to look at him anymore, but he just stepped further into my space, not giving me time to breathe.
“Do you think I relished the idea of coming here? Of prostrating myself in public? Vulnerability is weakness, emotions are irrational, and public declarations of affection are not something the Tells do. I’m here anyway.
For you. If you think I’m letting you go, you’re out of your fucking mind.
” His eyes bore into mine and I saw the truth there, his unwavering resolve. It scared the hell out of me.
I buried my face in my hands. I was tired. So fucking tired, right to my soul. My feet hurt and my head was spinning. I could feel the eyes of everyone on me, waiting for my decision.
I just wanted to breathe, to feel safe again. I turned to Keira, weary and exhausted. I wanted her to take my hand, flip off the world, and get me away from all this crap that could hurt me. I also wanted to go with him more than I’d ever wanted anything.
What should I do?
“I need to go with him. I need to hear him out,” I said softly.
She crossed her arms. “Are you crazy? He put a tracker on your phone. His dick can’t be that good, Lola.”
“I assure you that it is,” Alfie said smoothly. We both ignored him.
“I’ll be alright.” I wasn’t sure if I was trying to reassure her or myself. “If I still hate him in the morning, I’ll call you.”
She was shaking her head, clearly not buying a word of it. Instead of fighting me, she turned to Alfie.