Page 20 of The First Chord

I loved her for offering but I just couldn’t. “No, Amelie. I can’t put Hugo in an awkward position like that. I don’t think for one minute Jimmy will care if I go, but it will hurt his ego, so he’s bound to kick off about it, so I can’t put that on you.”

“We don’t mind.” She moved to get up. “Let me run it past Hugo.”

I pulled her back down. “Amelie, no. Seriously, I don’t want you to. I’ll be fine.”

Her chest heaved on a sigh. “Are you sure?”

“Honestly.”

She gave me a resigned nod and sat back in her chair. “Okay, but promise me we won’t lose touch.”

I hugged her. “Of course we won’t.”

We would. I knew we would, bar maybe the odd Christmas card, but I would accept it if it meant I got my self-respect back.

“God, I need to pee,” Amelie said, as I let her go. “I’ll be back.”

Watching her go, I envied her. She and Hugo were happy, he adored her, it was obvious in the way his eyes followed her across the room. They had a great place which they’d bought between them, and she had a brilliant career which was getting better with each job she took. It was no wonder she was always smiling. I couldn’t remember the last time Jimmy had made me smile or given me any joy. There was only Ronnie that had given that to me, and he would be gone from my life soon, too.

At that moment the man himself stood up. My heart leapt as he turned and smiled at me. His handsome face was like a beacon in the misery that my life had become. His jokes, his chat, the way he cared about how I was feeling, they were everything that had got me through the last few months. Before that I’d been floundering, drowning even, but he’d saved me, and he probably didn’t even know it.

Ronnie raised his hand and waved. It was accompanied with another smile, this one shy rather than his usual confident grin. I was going to miss him so much. I was going to miss him more than anyone and it was hard to come to terms with. I had to, though, because if I didn’t there wouldn’t be anything left of me to save.

CHAPTER11

RONNIE

“Oi,” Joey hissed, leaning into me. “Instead of pretending you need to piss every five minutes, go and talk to her. Fox is asleep at the back of the plane.”

We were on our private plane back to the UK and the journey had been painful. I could see Amber from where I was sitting, and she looked so beautiful it was sending me crazy. There was a different look in her eyes since I’d punched Jimmy. No so much sad as resigned yet determined. I fucking hoped to god she wasn’t looking like that because she’d decided to put up with Jimmy and make the best of it. I couldn’t stand that for her.

“I’m going over there.” I slapped Joey’s knee. “Keep a look out for him waking up.”

“Okay, but just don’t punch him again if he realises you’re hot for his missus.”

“I’m not,” I lied. “I feel sorry for her, that’s all.”

“Whatever you say, Mr Dwyer. Whatever you say.”

Trying to ignore Joey’s laughter, I made my way down the aisle to where Amber was sitting. She was chewing on her thumbnail while reading a book, and there was a certain level of calm about her. Again, the thought that she’d resigned herself to a life with Jimmy chilled me, but if she had, then I wasn’t sure what I could do about it. Actually, that was a lie, there was something, but I didn’t have the balls to do it.

“Is it okay if I sit here?” I asked, pointing to the empty seat next to her.

Amber looked up and gasped. “Ronnie.” She nodded. “Sure, yes, sit down.”

“Good book?”

Slipping what looked like a pamphlet about Lisbon into it, she closed the book and placed it on her lap. “Yes, really good. Not my usual thing, dragon riders, but I’m loving it.”

“Dragon riders?” I raised an eyebrow. “Sounds interesting.”

Her laugh sounded like the sweetest melody that Elliot had ever written, and my heart jumped in my chest. When I sat down, I was sure that she could hear my heartbeat and see the way my hands were shaking. Desperate to hide them I shoved them into my pockets.

“I haven’t had a chance to thank you, by the way,” Amber said, her voice soft as she glanced over her shoulder. “About what you did to Jimmy.”

“Thank me?” I laughed. “Most wives would hate me for it.”

“Well, most wives aren’t married to Jimmy Fox,” she scoffed.

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