Page 34 of R is for…

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Page 34 of R is for…

‘Of course.’ I lead her outside to the cool garden.

‘I’m sorry I was so cruel to you,’ she says regretfully. ‘I’m deeply ashamed of the way I behaved.’

‘I understand, Sophia. I was around an awful lot.’

‘You were, but that wasn’t it. I knew you didn’t want Jasper, and that was what infuriated me the most, because I did,’ she admits quietly. ‘You were besotted with Caleb. Jasper was besotted with you. I was besotted with Jasper, but no one was besotted with me. I just wanted to be chosen by him and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.’

‘Jasper wasn’t besotted with me, Sophia. We’d just loved each other for a very long time and it’s crushing to walk away from that. He was truly my best friend, but that’s all he was.’

‘Is. He is your best friend, and he has been insufferably miserable without you. Do you want to go out to the car and say hello?’

‘Really?’ Tears spring to my eyes.

‘Yes.’ She nods, tearing up too.

I run through the house and out of the front door. Jasper is out of the car in the blink of an eye and we’re wrapped round each other in a matter of seconds. We just stand there, holding on to each other, over the moon to be back in each other’s lives.

THIRTY-FOUR

CALEB

I’m jittery when I take my first-class seat on the plane. I can’t believe I am here, doing this. I neck two double rums to try to knock myself out even before we take off. When the hostess comes to check on me, I ask her to let the team know that I’d like to be left alone for the entire flight. I just want it to be over. I’d rushed through the airport with no luggage to check, and only just made it.

Melissa had been persistent for the entire time she gave me to make my mind up. She spent most of it texting daily with Gustaf titbits and teasing me with information that might incriminate Dominic. I should have listened to MsPat and thrown the burner away, but I’m a weak idiot and have no idea what good advice is when I hear it.

I’ve spent the last two weeks, with Jasper’s help, looking for anything on Dominic. Now that he’s reignited his friendship with Ariella, I’ve made him swear repeatedly not to breathe a word. No matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t find anything.

Today is the fourteenth day of the tortuous two weeks that Melissa set. Time is up. I woke up to a voice note froma tired Ariella telling me that she’d had a lovely day trying ‘Mums with bumps’ yoga and met Em afterwards for cake and a hot chocolate by the river. She then ended what started as a wholesome voice note with a filthy memory and a naughty giggle. Arrrgghhh. I need to get home.

Melissa’s first text came through before I woke up.

Well?

If I do this, it will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Haha. I wasn’t that terrible in bed was I?

No, and if you were, I wouldn’t have cared, because for a very long time you were everything I wanted.

Why didn’t you say anything?

I did. You threatened to turn me into your house husband and said my work was boring.

I’m sending you a first-class ticket. Let’s talk. Really talk.

Within ten minutes, the ticket to Brunei is in my inbox and Melissa has texted me.

Come.

I stare at the ticket and decide to bite the bullet.

Melissa, I’m sorry for all the things that happened to you. You didn’t deserve them. If Gustaf makes you happy, hold on to him. We all have our limitations, and believe it or not, MsMelissa Chang, you have fewer than most. Use your freedom. Stay safe. I can’t come to Brunei. I will find another way.

I take the sim out of the burner phone, snap it and toss the phone in the bin. I then open my email, delete the ticket and empty my mailbox’s bin.

When Honey arrives for training, I can barely stand. Just like that, the cage is shut. We don’t train that morning. We just sit together on the floor as she holds me. Just as training time is about to be over, my phone buzzes. It’s a message from an unrecognised number with another ticket attached. It’s Melissa.

Don’t ask me for anything, ever again, Caleb Black. You may have been the first man I slept with but I won’t be in love with you for ever. Your flight leaves in four hours. Be on it before I land at my next destination and change my mind. I will deal with Dominic. You win.


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