Chapter 30
Thirty
Istood on the rooftop, sipping wine. The cool evening breeze was my only company as I watched the sun disappear for the day. I had largely stopped drinking since Alfie and I had been together but tonight I needed something to steady my nerves a little.
I’d waited all day for news but heard nothing.
I checked my phone again and again until I felt like I was going mad, both eager for word that it was over and terrified that I would find those photos online.
Before I could drive myself more crazy, I’d thrown my phone on my bed, grabbed a bottle of wine and headed up here, away from it all.
Now I sat, remembering the first time I’d been up here.
I shivered at the memory of Alfie’s attempt to seduce me.
It was still a marvel to me that I’d been able to resist. My month at Harrington was almost over and it felt a far cry from the intimidating place I’d first walked into.
Now it felt like mine. With the Evergarden right there and memories of Alfie and I around every corner, this was beginning to feel more like home than the place I’d grown up in.
After my third glass, I debated pouring another. I should go to bed but I didn’t want to face sleep. I didn’t want to deal with the sick feeling in my stomach that wouldn’t go away. Before I could make a decision, the door to the rooftop opened.
“Lola, what the hell are you doing up here?” Maia gasped. “Are you out of your mind?”
“What? I’m hardly in danger, it’s not like I’m sitting on the wall.” I leaned against it, showing how it came up to my chest. “How did you know I was up here?”
“I heard you walk in this direction when you left your rooms, the door to the stairway hadn’t closed properly.
I took a guess.” She looked me up and down, clearly disapproving.
I could see her deciding whether to talk to me like a friend or an employee.
She chose the latter. “I came looking for you because your phone won’t stop ringing.
Thought it might be important.” Just as she spoke, my phone lit up again.
She handed it to me and left me alone, though I didn’t miss that she took the wine bottle with her.
I saw Keira’s name flashing on the screen and answered it immediately.
“Hey, are you okay?” she asked before I could say anything.
“Yeah,” I lied, “why?”
“I just saw everything online and I thought…shit, Lo. I’m so sorry.”
My heart sank. They were out. They’d leaked. Why hadn’t Maia said anything? “You’ve seen the photos?”
“Yeah, do you need me to come back? I know I’m seeing you in a few weeks for Natalie’s wedding anyway but I can come if you need me.”
I slumped against the wall, my palms sweating. “No, I’ll be okay. I’m just so humiliated.”
“You have nothing to be humiliated about. You did nothing wrong, they did. I knew we couldn’t trust him with that bitch.”
I paused. “What? What bitch? What are you talking about?"
“Angie. What are you talking about?”
“Angie? What does she have to do with anything?”
“Her and Alfie? The photos of them?”
“Hang on.” I kept her on the line while I did a quick google search.
I clicked on one of the many gossip rag news articles that had apparently been published in the last few hours.
Alfie and Angie together in a darkened corner of some bar.
It looked private, intimate. She pressed a hand to his face, he looked like he was kissing her but the angle made it hard to tell where.
Her cheek? Her mouth? I stared at the photos, my blood rushing in my ears until Keira's voice snapped me out of it.
“Lo? Hello? What’s going on?”
“I’m here. These pictures are bullshit. I’m not falling for it.” I decided to fill her in on what had been going on. Keira was the last person on earth who would judge someone for getting their kink on.
“Fuckballs. How did Damien let this happen? Oh, I’m gonna punish him.”
“Don’t threaten him with a good time, Keira.” Whatever she had planned, Damien would probably enjoy it.
“Whatever. My advice for dealing with this? Style it out. If they release the pictures, so what? Telling the world you have an amazing sex life is not the worst thing in the world.”
“I’m not you, Keira.” I didn’t wear my kink on my sleeves like she did, if a kink was even what I had. I didn’t have a fetish for anything but Alfie Tell.
“I know, but maybe you could take a leaf out of my book if the worst does happen. Remember, Alfie would set the world on fire before he let you be humiliated like this. Don’t forget who he is and what he’s capable of.
This man was able to film every part of your life for years without you knowing.
He planted a spy in your home. Do you really think he’s not going to be able to find out who did this? ”
“You’re right. I know you’re right.” I just needed to hear someone else say it. Just then, I heard a strange, whirring sound in the distance. I turned and looked across the skyline. I shook my head.
“Speaking of Alfie Tell, his helicopter is about to land.”
“Of course it is. Fancy fucker.” I could practically hear Keira rolling her eyes. I didn’t know what he was doing here but I was glad to see him. “See you at Natalie’s wedding?”
“Yeah,” I replied, “you’ll get to meet Alfie’s sister.”
“What now?”
“Fill you in later. I love you.”
I hung up and it was only then that I saw the ten missed calls from Alfie.
The calls Maia had heard hadn’t been from Keira, they were from him.
Shit. No wonder he was making a big entrance.
Alfie didn’t tolerate missed calls. Especially when there was drama.
Though why he hadn’t just called Maia I didn’t know.
I left the room and hurried down the stairs. The entrance hall echoed with my footsteps. I rushed to the doors and pulled them open. I stood on the steps in my nightdress, watching as he stalked across the lawn, the dusky moon rising overhead.
“I didn’t do it,” he said as he reached me. “I didn’t cheat on you.”
“I know. I left my phone in my room, that’s why I didn’t answer you. I didn’t see the stuff about Angie until just now. I’m sorry.”
He paused, as if I might be tricking him. “You aren’t angry?”
“No.” I cupped his face. “I trust you.”
He frowned. “With Angie? I thought—”
“We’re not back at the beginning. Promise. I do want to know why you were with her.”
“I wondered if it might be her sending the photos. It’s not her style but I’ve been checking every avenue. She was in London anyway and I wanted to see her face to face to see if she was lying.”
“She wasn’t. She wouldn’t.”
He raised his brows. “Since when were you Angie’s biggest fan?”
“I’m not. But she wouldn’t hurt you.”
“Scorned women can be unpredictable.”
“And scorned men can't? Need I remind you of Adam.”
“Fair point.” He smoothed a hand through his hair, the telltale sign that he was stressed. I slipped my hand into his. “I thought you were cutting me off again.”
“No. Someone’s fucking with us, Alfie. I know that.”
“I know it too and Elliot is looking into it. For now, I’m going to fuck with you.” I almost got excited, then I noticed the dark look in his eye. “You didn’t answer your phone. Ten missed calls, Lola.”
“You should have called Maia—”
“Maia is not my wife.” He stilled, catching his mistake. “My fiancee, I mean. Keep your fucking phone with you, please. Especially now.” He pulled me to him, pressing his forehead to mine. “Where were you anyway? Why didn’t you answer me?”
“I was on the roof having a drink. I needed to unwind.”
He stilled. “What?”
Oh shit. “That sounded bad, didn’t it?”
“You think so?”
“I’m not drunk. It was just a few glasses. I wasn’t exactly dancing along the wall.”
He stared at me. His grey eyes had turned to ice.
“Say something.”
“I’m deciding which room to punish you in. There are so many options here.”
I took a step back but he didn’t let go of my nightdress. I wasn’t going to be able to run.
“I don’t need to be punished. You're being paranoid.”
“Yes, I’m paranoid because you are my life. I don’t want you in danger, ever. You’re being reckless with something that belongs to me.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think.” I reached for him and in turn his hand curled around my neck. His grip was firm, enough to make me pay attention, not enough to hurt me. He walked me backwards into the house and through to the golden ballroom. This was the first room I’d ever seen in Harrington House.
“Are you going to hurt me?”
“Never. At least, not in a way you won’t enjoy.” He pressed me up against the wall, his mouth consuming mine. I didn’t get lost in it the way I usually would have. A part of me held back, uncertain of this man I trusted more than anyone.
He urged me to my knees but for once, my body resisted him. He paused, pulling back to run those x-ray eyes over me.
“Of course. How stupid of me. You don’t like to play when I’m angry with you.”
“Is that what this feeling is? I’m not scared of you, I trust you.”
“I know. Forgive me. I’ve never played with someone I was in love with before.
The dynamic is different. Other women, they like it when I’m angry.
They like the threat of danger without the reality of it.
For you, it’s different because your heart and mine beat together.
We have to be in sync for play to get us off. I won’t make that mistake again.”
I went up on my toes to kiss him. “I’m sorry about the roof…and my phone…and the drinking.”
“Forgiven.” He pressed his forehead to mine and we stood for a moment, calming ourselves together.
“So, what now?” I whispered.
“Well, we’re in a ballroom. We could dance.” He spun me, catching me off guard. Alfie had been catching me off guard since the moment we met. He moved us in a gentle waltz.
“Are you trying to take my mind off everything again?”
“How’s it working?”
“Not bad. How’s your mind?”
“Murderous. You don’t need to worry about that.” His phone rang, interrupting us. He practically growled in frustration. “What?” He snapped at whoever was on the phone. I could hear Elliot's voice and in his garbled message I heard one word. Adam.
Alfie closed his eyes, his jaw clenched together.
He hung up the phone. “A story will be leaked tonight about you and Adam. His harassment of you and the question mark over his death.”
I buried my face in his chest. “It just keeps coming. One wave after another. Maia thinks it’s Julia, or your mother.”
“If it is, I’m not going near them until I have proof. Elliot wants to wait another twenty four hours to see if they’ll make demands.”
“If they don’t?” I asked. What did that mean for us?
“If they don’t, then there isn’t much reason for me to hold back.”