Page 12 of Love Thief

Scared or not, a decision needs to be made. Kell has dragged me back into his world—to him. I can’t keep moving forward only to take two steps back. I won’t do it. I’m in. I’m out. I shake it all about. It’s the Hokey Pokey of insane relationships. And it’s getting annoying. Hell, I’m annoying myself.

It’s also not really me. I make a decision and that’s it. Once made, end of one story, the start of a new chapter. Forward, only ever forward. It’s my mantra, always has been.

He’s asked me to be with him, and it’s time to put up or shut up. Though again, if I‘m honest with myself, I don’t really trust him. He says lots of things whilst having wild sex, half of which I don’t think he knows come out of his mouth.

He finally apologised for France, and to be honest, I was over it. I’ve dissected that conversation from the white tents in my mind over and over again. Added it to when Xander yelled at the house, denying he’d tried to have sex with me. And all the messages and pictures Xan sent afterwards along with paragraph after paragraph telling me how he felt.

Now Kellen’s claiming he didn’t want me to sleep with his band mates or anyone else. According to Xan, Kellen had wanted to have sex in public, but only with me. Well, that definitely wasn’t happening, But I didn’t intend to live with regrets either, and I feel that I would regret it if I turned him down. If I passed on the opportunity to be a ‘real couple’ married in the truest sense of the word.

Promises have been made that he won’t do it again, but I have my doubts. He’s an extrovert, exhibitionist, and loses the plot at times, but I still feel safe with him. At least physically.

After his declaration of love, and amending my surname, how he looked at me, kissed me, it was different. Tender, loving, his whole self in that kiss and those words. I’m not sure I’ll get out of this emotionally unharmed though. But regardless of my trepidation, I feel a gravitational pull towards the man. He’s worse than The Death Star.

I look up at the ceiling and smile at my Star Wars reference. And I can practically see Kellen roll his eyes at me. Even when he’s not physically next to me, he’s here.

If I want him, I need to make a statement and stamp out whatever was going on over at Farm Cottage. It’s time to stake my claim. Just as I had to on the boy I left behind so many years ago, I have to do the same on the man Kell is now.

He said he wouldn’t have sex with anyone else for three months and it’s been less than a week since the marriage. I don’t get the vibe that he’s broken his promise. To be honest, I don’t see when he would have had the time.

The boys kept him on the hop in London, sending pictures of him out of his depth whilst they wound him up. Making out they couldn’t cook, wash, shower, do their own laundry, or make any decisions without input, he’d lasted three days. I could practically hear them laughing when he finally kicked them out at Greystone House with their uncles and hightailed it back.

Decision made, I watch the sunrise moving steadily upwards over Fair Fryers Hill to the east. It’s another beautiful day.

Going into the kitchen, I find Marshall up already and Nikki starting to sort out breakfast. Marshall raises his eyebrows at my appearance.

“Back on with Russell then? I assume it was you who flattened his Ferrari, and smashed up your house?” He points a fork at me, and I sit, awaiting his verdict on my actions. “The lads have been having a field day in the pub with that tale. One even told me you ran over two cars, a Lambo and a Ferrari.” He’s holding his fingers up, counting up my misdemeanours. “By the end of the week, when I go to the horse sales, you’ll have flattened six cars and baseball batted another ten, along with the fifty women he’s got in his harem.” He’s got both hands now out in front of him, fingers splayed wide.

Then he grins, his homely grey-blue eyes lighting up my world, and I know I’m off the hook, as usual. “Does he look as good as you?” he chuckles.

“Worse actually, Marsh. I had the crop first.” I grin at him and he starts to laugh.

“It was the best thing I’ve ever seen,” Nikki says. “She was magnificent, Marshall. I knew she was going to do it when she put her goggles down, and that idiot woman called her names.”

“Who called you names, midarlin’?” Marshall is indignant.

I shrug. “One of the harem. You know what it’s like. If you don’t look like them or sound like them they insult you to make themselves feel better. Not sure it worked out well for her though. Think she got hit with a flying potato.”

We all start to laugh so hard tears are rolling down my face, with Nikki mimicking my baseball swing.

“Whose paying for the damage and cleaning crew?” Marshall finally gets out. Of course the money would still be on his mind. “I’ve sent them in. Are you picking up the bill?” He looks over his glasses at me and I shake my head.

“Send it to Kell, he can pay. He’s renting and didn’t spring for catered, the cheapskate. I checked. And keeping that in mind, I’m going to go over, Nikki. Can you do extra breakfast rolls and come with me? I feel a bit bad. I walloped him a bit hard at times.”

“I’m sure Kellen Russell can stand it.” Marshall smiles again and my heart blooms with love. He has embraced our situation and is running with it, putting me and the boys front and centre as he always does. Acceptance and love first and foremost.

“He’ll have to stand a lot worse I think,” adds Nikki and they laugh at each other.

I roll my eyes at their antics. But I know they’re right, because he definitely will.

Chapter

Five

KELLEN

Itry and bend my legs into the truck. They are fucking killing me. Every sinew straining. Every muscle has had a serious work out. I huff out a laugh. I dumped my boys and thought I was coming back to a rural heaven. Fields and hedgerows. Quiet, peaceful, tranquil. A place where nothing happens. How the hell does she make it so fucking crazy? But then she always has, even at home in Yorkshire, a rural idyll. She made it exciting, they all did. I should have known.

I grin as I think about how I went from crazy irate to crazy in love. It was worth a flat Ferrari for that. The best fucking flattening of a Ferrari ever. I laugh, who the fuck flattens a car, with a fucking tractor? Evie Fucking Greystone.

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