Page 71 of The Penalty

“Don’t forget to turn your phone back on.”

True. It was still off.

“I’ll see you in Paris?” I leaned back, holding his pretty stare.

“Yes, love.” He cupped my face and kissed me. “I’m counting the minutes.”

Watching him disappear into the sleek fuselage sucked. I went back to my car and sat there until the plane taxied down the runway and took off. I waited for the flashing lights to be swallowed by the night sky before starting the long drive home.

When I finally arrived, I greeted the night guard and went up to my condo.

My empty condo. The silence pressed down on me.

It’s always been empty. I’ve lived alone forever. Always wanted it that way.

Now? I didn’t want to be alone anymore. I wanted Xavier to waltz out of the kitchen and curl up on the couch with me. I wanted to feel his body next to mine, breathe him in, hold him forever.

I never want us to end. Please don’t ever take your light away.

I dropped my bags and dug out my phone.

“Time to re-enter the real world,” I muttered, turning it on.

Countless missed text messages lit up the notifications. Most were from Killian. Dawn and Ray texted to wish me a happy birthday. So did my dad. Nothing from my mother. I scowled.

The final message was from a local area code but I didn’t recognize the number.

Unknown: Hope you enjoyed your vacation. Now the real fun begins.

Victoria

Six Weeks Later

“Are you packing for three days or three weeks?” Killian asked, sprawling out on my bed. He rummaged through the pile of clothes I’d stacked neatly. His dog, Winston Furchill, rolled onto his back and panted.

“Stop touching my stuff.”

He smirked, yanking out a green lace thong. “Will Xavier take this off you with his teeth? That would be so hot.”

I stormed out of my closet and snatched the underwear from his hand. “You are worse than a toddler.” I shoved it in the suitcase. Winston sat up, ready to play. I patted him on the head.

“A toddler? Moi?” He pursed his lips. “Someone has babies on their mind.”

“Oh for the love of God, Killian. Zip it.” I returned to the closet.

“That wasn’t a denial,” he shouted at my back.

I wasn’t thinking about babies. I wasn’t thinking about anything except packing. We had a preseason game on Friday in Miami. From there, I planned to fly directly to Paris for Xavier’s international game.

Normally I wouldn’t pack this far in advance but tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday were stacked.

“When are we getting together again to talk about the foundation for Charlotte?”

I poked my head out the closet door. “Hopefully after Paris. Noah and Tracey can meet with you while I’m away if you want.”

“Did you come up with a name yet?”

“Nope. Feel free to brainstorm.”

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