Page 277 of The Grand Duel

His smile instantly grows.

“What is it?”

He cocks his head to come closer, so I step inside and shut the door. “I’m very busy, you know, Mr Aldridge.”

He turns in his chair, his eyes tracking me across the room until I’m right in front of him. “Too busy for me?”

His hands reach for me, gliding up the backs of my thighs.

I shake my head, looking away. “I’m your assistant.”

“Then assist me.”

I chuckle, biting my lip. “The really important thing in your office…”

“It was on order,” he explains, pushing up the hem of my skirt. “It should be on my desk in a few short moments.”

“Mr Aldridge,” I say, sighing, smoothing my hand over his jaw. His eyes close at the touch. “You look hungry,” I whisper.

His lips part, eyes flicking up. “Starved, Lissie girl.”

I wipe at my face, my nose full as I sniff, trying to clear it.

I’m not sure I’ve ever fitted into someone’s life like I did into Charlie’s. As if I was finally at home. I thought he felt that too.

I could text him and tell him how much I love him still. How badly I want him to come home. How no amount of space will make our situation better.

But if I do that, and he tells me no. If I ask him to come home, and my voice grows needy, and then he tells me he won’t, I wouldn’t survive the rejection.

I’m barely holding it together as it is.

I lock my phone and pick up the log basket, carrying them back into the house.

FIFTY

Lissie

Three weeks later…

“It was the reason.”

“I know,” I tell my sister. “And what was worse was that you never asked me if it was what I wanted. If you disappearing to the other side of the world was what I needed.”

I swallow, looking out into the darkened garden.

“Why didn’t you stop me? You acted like it was a good idea to leave.”

I think about it and how I truly felt at the time. “I thought it was. I didn’t know you felt how you did back then. Not in the way I realised when Willow was born. I guess I knew you had Joe and his family in Australia. They wanted to be there for Willow, and you said you wanted to go.” I twist my head to look at her. “There’s not a lot I wouldn’t have done to make you happy, Jove.” I smile sadly at her. “Still isn’t.”

“I should have told you about Mum and Dad.”

“You did,” I correct her. “Eventually. It’s not like I ever made it easy to speak about them.”

“I avoided telling you. I was scared you’d be mad at me and then got defensive when you did.” She drops her head to my arm, hugging it to her. “I am sorry, Lis. I would never intentionally hurt you like that.”

I close my eyes at my name, the way only the two most important people in my life shorten it.

“It’s okay. I appreciate you apologising.”