Page 104 of Until I Have You

“I want to stay!Why can’t we stay?”

I get her to the rental car and plop her into her car seat.

“Bonnie, love…” I get control of my tone.

Bonnie twists away from me.

I touch her shoulder, and she shrugs me off.“Bon…”

“Why are you mad at me?”She sobs.

“I’m not mad at you.Not at all.I… Things are making me upset, but nothing to do with you.”

She lets me run a hand through her hair.

“Not you at all.”

Bonnie sniffles.

“We’re going to go home now.All right?”

She doesn’t say anything in return, but at least she’s not fighting me anymore.

I buckle her in and close the door behind her.

That’s when I hear my name.

Inhervoice.

Abigail.

“Theo!”

I look up, see her in one of the second-floor windows of the beach house.

Abigail reaches out and waves an arm at me.“I’ll be down in a minute!”

I don’t have the heart to tell her I won’t be there when she’s ready.Instead, I place my fingers to my lips, kiss my hand, and release it outward for her.The last kiss, probably.

And she doesn’t even know it.

Abigail flushes.Puts her hand to her mouth, accepting the kiss, and disappears inside.

I drive off before the heartbreak can set in.

20

ABIGAIL

I am lighter than air,tripping down the stairs.However, when I get to the first floor, the house is empty.I glance around.“Hello?Where is everybody?”

The only people around are Liam and Emma who are both knocked out in their baby playpen.

“Okay…” If they left the babies inside, they can’t be far.

Guests are supposed to be arriving any moment for the luncheon, aren’t they?

I mean, Theo and Bonnie are already here and while he arrives almost everywhere early, he knows it’s impolite to arrive anywheretooearly.

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