Page 39 of Love Thief

Kasey goes up the stairs first. “Hey honey, I’m Kasey. Do I know you? You look familiar.”

He’s such a prick. I know he’s never met her, but he knows who she is. I roll my eyes at his infantile behaviour.

“I bumped into some friends. Hope you don’t mind others.” He smiles at her, full white gleaming teeth on show. She answers, and I can’t hear what she says, but he laughs.

I walk through the door as if I’m annoyed with her, but then say in the soft voice she loves, “Hello, Kitten. Fancy meeting you here.”

She looks up at me with a storm raging in those beautiful eyes. Then she starts to fucking cry. What the hell is going on?

Xan rushes in behind me. “What have you said?” He hits me on the back and I stop him as he goes towards her, shaking my head at him.

Going to her, I pick her up and take her to the back of the plane and sit her in my lap. She’s still crying, and I let her cry. My head is all over the place, my fucking chest feels like it’s being cleaved open. I don’t even realise I’m doing it, but I’m talking quietly to her, telling her I love her. Why is she leaving us? I’m kissing her face, licking up her tears. Don’t leave me, don’t leave us. I’m touching her hair, kissing her, every bit of me is touching her.

Xan comes over and squats down. “We’re all going home, Kitten. Don’t leave us. Not again.”

He’s as bad as me. Seeing he needs to touch her to make sure she’s still here, I nod at him. He puts his hands on her legs and touches her skin, he touches her hair. He looks like he might cry, he can hardly speak.

She holds her hand out to him and takes his hand in hers, giving comfort as much as taking it. Wrapping her fingers through his.

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t know what to do. I’m sorry for leaving,” she says so quietly.

I kiss her. “Don’t. We’re here now. We’d have come sooner, we didn’t know.”

“I saw your song. James sent it to me.” She touches my face and kisses me. “It was beautiful. You both looked so gorgeous up there, it was amazing.”

She leans forward and kisses Xan on the lips, looking into his eyes. “Thank you, Xander.”

“It was for you, all for you.” He leans in and kisses her again. “Everything will be alright.” He’s patting her on the knee as he takes the seat next to me.

Evie is still in my lap, but I move her to sit between the two of us so we’re both holding her. What the fuck has happened? She’s never been as emotional as this. But then, do I really know if that’s true? We’ve only been back in contact six months, and most of that has been a rollercoaster.

My boys start up again.

James

u got her?

Bucky

she better be ok

Bucky

is she?

Me

got her. on way home, c u at Cornhill. all good

Slight exaggeration, but still, what are they going to do? We’re on our way home.

Something must have happened at that boxing event with those women, and I need to find out what. I message into our band group chat.

Me

WTF. We’re headed home, Evie with us. Find out what went on

Gabe

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