Page 113 of A Forever Love
“You’d make such a great Bond girl, mittens.”
“Aw! But I love being a King girl.”
“That you are.” Carter kisses my nose. He toes off his shoes when his phone rings.
“Hello, Tony. All okay?” Carter’s carefree voice swiftly turns serious as he flops onto the couch and takes off his shoes. He’s quiet for several moments, listening to the other side. Then he runs a hand over his jaw. “Are you sure? I don’t like you working the entire night.”
The person on the other side must make a joke, because Carter chuckles. “Oh, I don’t doubt your abilities, Tony, and no, I’m not judging your age at all. Charlie is safest with you. I just—” He’s interrupted, and then he finally replies, “Okay, but if you need anything, just shoot me a text.”
“Everything okay?” I ask when he places the phone onto the table.
“Yeah, everything is fine.” His smile returns. “It was the head of security for the Hawthornes. He just informed me that he’ll take over some of the shifts of watching Charlie.”
“Is Charlie in serious danger?” I ask. I had already assumed that the Hawthornes must have some real problem if they asked Carter to relocate from St. Peppers to Cherrywood, but tonight, after seeing so many bodyguards sitting undercover around our dinner table, I realize I probably underestimated the gravity of the situation.
“I don’t know how serious the external threat is, but it’s definitely affecting him emotionally. He’s already started to show signs of avoiding people, preferring more alone time than anything else. I don’t want his entire life to be governed by what happens these few months.” Carter takes off his suit jacket before untying his tie. He grabs his track pants and T-shirt from the closet.
“The Hawthornes are very lucky that you’re looking after Charlie.” I perch on the dresser next to the mirror as Carter changes his clothes.
“Nothing will matter if I don’t keep him safe, mittens.”
“You’ll protect him at all costs, I know that. That’s what you and all the Kingsmen do.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence. It definitely helps.”
* * *
The next morning, Kristy, Brandon, and I visit Elixir Inc.’s partner research company. The day is filled with back-to-back presentations and workshops discussing collaboration opportunities. By the time we leave, I’m utterly exhausted.
“If I knew I’d have to walk this much, I would’ve worn more sensible shoes.” Kristy groans as we climb into the car.
Brandon and I share a knowing smile, fully aware that she’d never trade her high heels for anything else.
“I didn’t know we were going to discuss everything in such detail. I feel like I could have been more prepared.” Brandon looks out the window as his lips flatten into a thin line.
“You were good, Mr. Perfectionist, and the ideas you had about using AI for automation definitely impressed everyone.”
“I completely agree with Merida. There’s no denying that we have a lot of work to do, but I really like the progress we’ve made so far.” Kristy swipes her phone screen, possibly checking up on her son as she’s been doing every hour since we left this morning. Charlie is with Carter at the hotel, preparing for tomorrow’s competition.
“So you guys will be fine all by yourself?” Kristy asks for the millionth time again. “I can’t miss Charlie’s event, but if you need me, I can drop by in the afternoon.”
“Not necessary,” Brandon and I say at the same time. “We’ll manage.”
“And if we need something, we’ll call,” I add as we cruise through the bustling streets of London. “So don’t worry.”
The next two days fly fast, with so many great memories. Charlie won the competition, and a giant trophy now sits in his hotel room. I think this was all he needed. Since this trip started, his smile has been wider than I’ve even seen. Our collaboration with the London office was a total hit.
My laptop is now filled with new project ideas, and I’m so eager to start on them once we are back home. I can’t believe this magical time is now coming to an end. Sometimes, like now, I feel like I’m living someone else’s life, because never would I have imagined mine would be this amazing.
Carter is fast asleep on my bed, one arm tucked beneath his head, the other draped across my side. I bend down to tie my shoelaces before looking at him some more.
God, I’m so lucky.
I lightly tap on the wooden surface of my nightstand twice for good luck before tucking the key card into my pocket and leaving for the restaurant.
Just as I’m about to get into the elevator, I hear Charlie’s voice and turn to find him in front of his room.
“Hey, Charlie. Good morning.”