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As he leaned back and gazed into her eyes, Brit noticed the unanswered question in his. As if he knew something was wrong but what, he had no clue. She was on the edge of unleashing her anguish on him, she wanted to scream and pound her fists against his chest, and demand to know why Declan was letting him know that he was here and for what purpose. But before she could utter a word, he simply murmured, “You should head out.”
Without a last word, she nodded and opened the door. She stood a moment until it closed softly behind her with a click. Knowing Luke, he was probably watching her from the peep hole, so she made her way down the hall at a normal pace, despite her mind screaming for her to run. The second she turned down the adjoining hall, she took off running as if the hounds of hell were snapping at her feet.
Racing up the stairs to her room, she quickly grabbed a duffel bag and started by shoving her clothes inside from her dresser drawers. Crossing to the closet to get her winter coat and boots she stopped a moment as regret washed over her. The dress that Abbi had given her was hanging there. She would never get to wear it and she would never get to feel like a princess, with her prince charming by her side. Dashing the tears aside, she left it hanging along with the other dress that Destiny bought for her and gathered her winter gear. Closing the closet door to what might have been the start to a wonderful chapter in her life, she donned her coat and boots and quietly left the room. Knowing that the inn was a flurry of activity downstairs she gathered her hair up into a bun and stuffed it under her winter cap then pulled the hood of her coat on making her way downstairs to the elevator in hopes of passing off as a guest.
As she entered the cage of the elevator, an elderly couple joined her, and Brit recognized them from the night before. The sweetest couple she had ever met, and as she got to know them over the course of the night, she imagined what it would be like for her and Luke when they were that age. She sighed and looked up as the elevator made its descent. Big mistake, as her eyes zeroed in on her Christmas tree and the memory of that day and what had taken place in the hidden storage area flashed through her mind.
She couldn’t do this; she couldn’t just leave her job and most especially Luke without finding out his reasons for contacting Declan. As the elevator came to a soft landing, she decided she would meet him in the dining room, and over lunch ask him to explain himself. Opening the gate, she waited for the couple to disembark before she did and followed them to the hall that led to the dining room.
The couple waited as a man stood there in winter gear, coming from the front lobby apparently also on his way to the dining room.
“After you two, please.”
Brit’s heart fell to her stomach, she knew that voice, a smooth timber sounding voice of a man who knew exactly what he wanted and got it. It was her cousin, Declan.
“Miss?” she heard him say.
She dared not look at him for fear he’d recognize her and instead, ducked around him towards the lobby.
Don’t run, walk slow, she kept repeating in her head until she reached the front doors. The second she was out in the fresh air; she made a beeline to the road and started running towards the only place that no one would think to look for her. The emu farm.
Chapter 21
Luke stood up the secondhe saw his old friend from high school step into the room and motioned for him to join him.
“Declan, it’s been a few years, hasn’t it?” he grinned, and gestured to the seat across the table from him.
“It certainly has. What happened to the skinny ass nerd that played video games all day?”
Luke laughed. “Well, I still play video games but now I do it for a living and I just blossomed into the magnificent physique that’s before you. You’re not too shabby looking yourself Declan, what happened to you?”
A dark look crossed Declan’s face before it disappeared and was replaced by the carefree, friendly grin Luke remembered. “The family business, speaking of which”— Declan looked around— “where is that dear cousin of mine?”
Luke leaned back in his chair as Jasmine came over to the table and set a glass of water in front of them. He looked up at her and said, “We will need one more, Jasmine, Brit will be joining us shortly.”
“Alright, will you guys be having the buffet, or do you want menus?” She asked.
