Page 62 of Stolen Kiss

“I’ll put another pot of coffee on,” Heidi said.

Heidi wanted to grill Erica on what she’d heard at the pub the previous night but she preferred to hear it from Jason. She’d waited eleven years for an explanation, another eleven hours wouldn’t make much difference.

Chapter Twenty-One

Jason

Archer and Erica went to see Jason the morning after the night before. They were waiting on the back patio until he got up and came outside. He took one look at the pair of them and shook his head. Archer, Luke and Daisy were always nearby, but to have Erica join the fold and lead the comforting was a bonus.

“We have breakfast ready, come over to our place,” Erica said.

Jason thought briefly that Archer couldn’t ask for a more perfect partner in life. He followed them over to their kitchen. The cold was too biting to sit outside on that November morning so they pulled up stools to the kitchen counter and dug into the breakfast Erica had laid on.

“I should go with him,” Archer muttered to Erica as Jason tore a piece of croissant with his teeth. His angry chewing escalating their concerns.

They were on their second pot of coffee while they argued about what to do.

“I’m going alone,” Jason said once he’d finished chewing.

“Is that wise?” Erica asked shifting forward on her stool across from Jason.

“Probably not,” Jason muttered taking another bite.

“Why don’t I come with you, stay in the background and not utter a word?” Archer said like he was negotiating with a child.

“And I’ll go and see Heidi, make sure no one has fed her any lies about what went down. I’d like to get to her before she sees the state of Keith.”

Jason winced at her words. Keith deserved both punches for disrespecting his sister. He dreaded the moment he saw Heidi again and what she’d say to him. He was expecting her to cut him off. He didn’t like violence, but he didn’t like Keith’s viewpoint.

“She may be freaked out if you just turn up,” Jason said. “You’re a Hollywood movie star.”

“I’m just Erica.”

“I know that and I love that you still think you’re the girl next door, but Heidi doesn’t know you that well, if at all.”

“I don’t want to risk her avoiding me if I call ahead. She needs to know the truth about last night, not the gossip’s version. I didn’t see Freya last night.”

“She’s in London on a mini-break,” Jason said.

“How do you know?”

“Luke told me,” Jason replied.

“Where’s Luke?” Archer asked wearing a smirk already guessing the answer.

“Probably not far behind,” Jason replied, smiling for the first time that morning.

“Are they an item?” Erica asked.

“No. I don’t know where Luke is, I’m just stirring the pot behind his back.”

Jason laughed and sat back, pressing his fingers to his jaw to see how much Keith had whacked him.

“Does it hurt?” Archer asked.

“Not really. He was too drunk to have much power behind his swing.”

“I bet he has a different feeling this morning,” Erica commented.

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