Chapter Twenty-Four #2
He doesn’t rise to it. He just watches me for a moment longer.
“If she never comes back,” he says evenly, “can you live with that?” The question lands like a blow to the chest. My focus blurs.
I snap the laptop shut and lean back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling like it might give me an answer I don’t already know.
“I spoke to Toni last night,” I say instead. “Erik’s impressing him.”
Anthony nods. “He just needed the chance to prove himself in the right ways.”
“Clock off,” I tell Anthony as he pulls the car in by the curb.
He glances over. “You sure?”
“Yes.” I loosen my tie, already reaching for the door. “I’ll find my own way home.”
He studies me for a second, like he wants to argue, then nods. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
I snort. “I’ve retired from that.”
He drives off, and I stand there for a moment, staring up at the warm glow spilling from the restaurant windows. Familiar. Predictable. Safe in the way routines always are.
I step inside.
“Evening, Mr Baxter,” Luca says immediately, flashing a smile as he takes my coat. “Your usual?”
“Yeah,” I reply absently.
He hesitates. Just a fraction. Enough that I notice. “And—” he clears his throat, glancing toward the back of the room, “there’s someone waiting for you tonight.”
My stomach drops. I follow his line of sight, and the world narrows to one point. One woman seated at my table, her hands folded neatly in front of her, her spine straight, chin lifted.
Leoni.
My lungs forget how to work. She looks different. Calm. Collected. Like she belongs to a life I’m no longer part of.
I stop by the table. Luca murmurs something about giving us time and disappears, but I barely hear him. All I can hear is the thud of my heart and the quiet roar of everything I want to pour out before she decides to leave again.
She looks up, and our eyes lock.
I force my legs to move and take the seat opposite her, careful. Scared that any sudden movement might spook her into vanishing.
“Leoni,” I say, managing a small smile.
“Don’t you ever get bored of eating the same thing?” she asks thoughtfully, glancing at the menu I don’t need.
I give a slight shake of my head. “No. I like it here. They cook my—”
“Steak just the way I like it,” she finishes for me.
Something tight in my chest loosens. I smile properly this time. “Yeah.”
Silence settles between us. But it doesn’t feel awkward. I don’t break it; this has to be on her terms.
“I found a job,” she says eventually.
“Yeah?” I keep my voice neutral, like it’s news.
She arches her brow. “But you already knew that.” I don’t deny it. “Hannah’s lovely,” she adds. “I like it there.”
“I’m glad,” I say, meaning it.
She draws in a deep breath. “I came here because I wanted to say thank you.”
It catches me off guard, and my surprise is written all over my face.
“I don’t know if it was guilt,” she continues quietly, “or just you trying to fix something. But paying off Mum’s debt… the money you put into her account.” She meets my eyes. “It changed everything for her. For us.”
My throat tightens.
“So… thank you.”
I study her for a minute. “I didn’t do it to fix us,” I say, finally, my voice low. “And I didn’t do it because I thought it would make you forgive me.” She gives a slight nod. “I did it because Isaac was trying to save his family,” I continue, “And he paid for it with his life.”
She inhales sharply, her eyes glazing.
“He wasn’t being greedy,” I add. “He was just desperate, trying to do the right thing, even if the means were wrong. I knew that deep down. I just didn’t stop it fast enough.”
She swipes away a stray tear, nodding but not saying a word. “So, when I saw your mum’s finances,” I add quietly, “when I understood what Isaac was carrying on his shoulders… I knew exactly what I owed.”
“Owed?” she repeats softly.
I nod once. “It’s my responsibility to help fix what he didn’t have a chance to.
” I take a deep breath, exhaling slowly.
“I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want it to feel like it was charity, or for you to think I was doing it to win you back.
” My gaze doesn’t leave hers. “It’s just something I needed to give that didn’t require anything back.
So please don’t thank me, because it’s the very least I owe. ”
Her silent tears trail down her cheeks, dripping down onto her arm as it rests on the table.
“My mum thought it was a mistake,” she whispers with a watery smile, “She even rang the bank.”
A faint, humourless laugh escapes me, and she wipes her jaw with the back of her hand. “Because things like that never happen to her.” She sniffles. “She’s sleeping at night. And Jordan’s going back to college. He’s… lighter.”
I close my eyes briefly; just hearing those words makes it worth it. “Then it was the right thing.” I smile sadly, “I only wish I’d done the right thing in the first place.”
The waiter returns. “Are you ready to order?”
I glance at Leoni, who shakes her head. “I’m not hungry,” she mutters.
I turn back to the waiter. “Actually Luca, neither am I. Sorry.” I take out my wallet and place some notes on the table. “For the inconvenience,” I add, standing.
Leoni rises to her feet, and I wait for her to make a move. When she heads for the exit, I follow.