Page 192 of The Bonus

This isn’t how it looks,

I can’t let her go home alone,

she’s too upset.

I pause as I think what to write next.

I’m physically going with Ariana,

but I’m leaving my heart with you.

I’ll be back as soon as I can.

I love you

I think for a moment, I can’t say I love you for the first time in a fucking text message, and certainly not in these circumstances.

I delete the words I love you from the message and I read it again.

This isn’t how it looks,

I can’t let her go home alone,

she’s too upset.

I’m physically going with Ariana,

but I’m leaving my heart with you.

I’ll be back as soon as I can.

Xox

I press send and walk out into the living room with the grilled cheese and hot chocolate.

Mark is sitting deathly still and Ariana is asleep. The poor thing is exhausted; she obviously hasn’t slept all night. I put the food down on the coffee table. “A word in my office.”

Mark follows me down the hall and I close the door behind us. “Where the fuck were you?” I growl.

“I don’t…I didn’t know…she wasn’t.” He’s tripping over his words as he searches for an answer.

“Where the hell were the guards on Grace’s house this morning?” I’m livid, how could this happen?

“I texted them and they weren’t starting until nine today because you weren’t out and about yet.”

“What?” I explode. “My ex-fiancée bombarded me in a house with my children in it. Do you think this is fucking acceptable?”

“No, sir.”

“So tell me how was Ariana sitting at the front door here all night and you didn’t see her?”

“After you left yesterday afternoon, I watched a few movies and then went to bed. There was no sign of anyone here at all. I thought the guards over at Grace’s had taken over the shift.”

“You thought wrong, get the fucking plane organized.” I storm out my office and up the stairs to pack my bag.

I throw the things into my bag with force. After the best twenty-four hours in history…this happens. I check my phone to see if Grace has replied.

She hasn’t.

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