Page 89 of The Keeper and I
I need to see you
You haven’t been home in ages
I don’t know where you’ve gone, but there’s so much I need to say.
Please, Laci. You don’t understand. If you let me, I can explain everything.
I hope I’ll see you there
Jordan tore his eyes away from the screen just as Laci emerged from the bedroom in a soft pink sweater. He wished he could say the sight of her slowed his racing heart.
“Anything from Jax?” she asked. Her smile disappeared at the look on Jordan’s face. “What’s wrong?”
“You’ve got new messages from Dane,” he said. “A lot of them.”
“I try to just ignore them. I block as many numbers as I can, but he always gets new ones.”
Jordan looked at her incredulously. “Have you been getting more?”
She shrugged. “He went quiet for a few days after the break in. But now he’s back to creating three new numbers for every one I block.”
He swallowed down a roar of frustration. The only consolation was that, by his own admission, Dane didn’t know where Laci was. Jordan knew she was careful about having her location off for any and all apps on her phone, and posting places after she left them. She also never posted from Jordan’s flat, inside or out. It still made anger roil in his stomach at the thought of Dane continuing to torment her after everything he already put her through.
She held out her hand, and he handed her phone over. She tapped the screen a few times, no doubt blocking this latest number, and then she sighed.
“Until he’s caught, this is my life,” she said, her voice catching.
Jordan pulled her into his arms. He hated this for her. And he hated how helpless it made him feel. He pressed his lips to the top of her head and hoped she could feel how badly he wished he could take it from her.
They jumped apart at a knock on the door. Laci blinked back the mist in her eyes and forced a smile. “That’ll be Jax.”
Jordan went to the door and looked out the peephole to be sure, and it was Jax’s familiar form on the doorstep. He opened it.
“Morning,” Jax said cheerfully. He held up two coffees. “Sorry I’m late. I stopped by Coffeeify.”
Laci accepted the one he held out to her with a grin. “You’re definitely forgiven.”
“Ready to go?” he asked.
“One sec,” she said, and turned to face Jordan, rising to kiss him tenderly.
Jordan wondered if it was too late to tell Coach he was sick. Surely the squad could handle Brighton without him. All he wanted to do was keep Laci in his arms. A dream cut short when she pulled away.
“See you after the match,” she said.
“After, aye,” he replied, breathless. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Biting her lip through a smirk, she followed her brother out. Jordan watched them until they reached the car. He would need to forget Dane for a while if he could.
“Oi, Laci,” Amy, her makeup artist said, pulling the brush away. “Stay still. This is a Charlotte Tilbury commercial. Your skin has to look flawless.”
“Sorry,” Laci replied, leaning back into the chair. “It’s…my boyfriend’s match is on.”
From her phone’s small speaker, the announcer yelled, “And a massive save by Frawley though he may be feeling that one in the morning!” She tried to take a peek to see what he meant, but Amy stood in front of her.
“Listening will have to do. I’ve got to powder you and do your lashes.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll listen.”