AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, you did ask me to come away with you, didn’t you? I couldn’t just up and leave. I needed to arrange our flight, contact Chance to come and fetch us, make sure Luna’s travel documents are still in order, pack, rehire Quinny, then set him to work getting my apartment in London livable for us. Then I also had to contact Miles about shutting down this place. Thankfully, he said to just lock up and go. His mother and stepdad live close by and will sort it out. All in all, it was fucking exhausting. I fell into bed at eight then woke up this morning only to discover that you didn’t come to bed last night. What the fuck, Iris?”
“Wait, so you’re coming with me?”
“Of course I am. Was there ever a doubt?”
“Well… yes,” she said. “When you made no effort to talk to me after our initial discussion yesterday, I assumed you needed more time to think. Then when you simply disappeared for the rest of the day, I thought I had my answer.”
“You actually thought I could say no to you? That I’d choose staying here, in this lonely place, without you? Iris, did you miss the part where I said I love you?”
Her lips spread into a wide smile and she launched herself into his arms.
“Oh my God, so we’re really going to do this?” she said in a voice that quavered in disbelief and her hand went to her stomach as she was hit by a sudden bout of queasiness.
“Hey, don’t go getting cold feet on me now,” Trystan chastised, and she gulped and shook her head.
“No, I’m fine. We’re doing this. We’re going out there and people will know I kissed Trystan Abbott—the movie star.” He rolled his eyes and teasingly tugged at one of her curls.
“People will know I kissed Iris Hughes—talented, future bestselling author.”
“It’s a little intimidating,” she admitted, and he looped an arm around her neck and kissed the top of her head.
“Storm in a teacup,” he predicted.
“And what was that you said about a flat in London? I have a flat.”
“Iris, sugar, I love you, but I’m not sharing a flat with you and your two flatmates. On this one, I’m afraid I can’t compromise.”
“Where’s the flat?”
“Knightsbridge.”
“Oh, of course, he has a flat in Knightsbridge,” she muttered sarcastically to herself, rolling her eyes. “When did your life get so fucking surreal, Iris?”
He grinned and kissed the tip of her nose.
“Eat your toast. Chance will be here shortly. I’ll bring out the bags and do last checks.”
It was all happening so fast; it was hard to believe they were leaving. She truly loved it here—the place had really grown on her—and she hoped they’d be able to return sometime… preferably in summer.
She ate while he collected their bags and went down into the basement garage to fiddle around with a few things. He returned to pilfer a slice of her toast, before continuing with his little tasks.
“There’s a ton of food in the fridge, so I’ll leave the electricity on. I assume Miles’s family will know what to do with it.
Before too long, she’d finished her breakfast and cleaned the dishes, which gave her some time to wander from room to room, ostensibly to see if she’d left anything behind, but really to say goodbye.
When she came to the suite of rooms that had been her prison for those first few awful nights she paused and sucked in a deep breath before stepping inside. She’d expected… something. But all she felt was mild surprise that she’d built it up to be this awful place, when in reality it was really just a pleasant little living area for a teen, or perhaps a housekeeper.
Iris laughed quietly underneath her breath and exited the room without a backward glance. The events that had led to that horrible night had taken place a lifetime ago. And the two people caught up in the middle of all that drama had changed because of each other, for each other, and they were both the better for of it.
She walked to the front of the house where Trystan stood waiting, Luna on a leash beside him. He held out his hand to her and she took it without hesitation.
“Ready?” he asked, and she smiled at him and nodded.
“I love you, Trystan.”
His eyes wrinkled at the corners, and he smiled in appreciation.
“Not as much as I love you, Iris.”
A car slowly made its way up the drive toward them, the first sign of The Real World they’d seen in weeks.
Iris and Trystan—and Luna—stepped out into the sunshine prepared to face that world together.
The End
