Page 144 of Worth Every Penny

“I have no idea. If I see him, I’ll tell him to call you. I’ve got to go.”

My thumb is poised over the screen to end the call when she screeches. “Wait. Don’t you dare hang up on me. The darnedest thing just happened.” Mum pauses and I hear men’s voices in the background.Where is she?

“All your Dad’s art just showed up,” she continues. “They’re unloading it now.”

“Who is?”

“A lorry turned up. This great big man knocked on the door. Built like one of those men who live in the gym. Messy blond hair. Said he had instructions to unload here.”

“Instructions from whom?”

“Nico.”

My mind spirals. How on earth has Nico managed to recover the stolen art? I didn’t even know he knew about it.

Mum’s talking to someone else, squealing with excitement. I can’t make out what she’s saying, but suddenly her voice is loud and clear. “My diamonds! The jewellery! It’s all here too. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Thank you?

“Are you talking to me?” I ask.

Mum’s exasperated sigh is a harsh blast. “Of course I am.”

“I didn’t do anything. This has nothing to do with me.”

“Honestly, Kate. You can be so stupid sometimes. When you told me you were dating Nico, it sounded so outlandish that I assumed you were lying. That you’d made it up for some bizarre reason. But this… Nico tracking Curtis down and returning everything without a word… gosh.” She sighs heavily. “He’s done that because of you, hasn’t he?”

The pulse in my fingertips beats hard against the phone, and my body is suddenly far too hot.

“So, yes,” Mum continues. “I think I do owe thanks to you. And I’m sorry I ever doubted that Nico cares about you.”

I listen to Mum blathering and weeping tears of joy for a few more minutes before I hang up, but my mind is on Nico and the last thing I said to him.

You do not get to choose when this is over… leave me the fuck alone.

Why did I say it? I tell myself it’s because the last thing I needed was Nico telling me more lies.

But did I mean it?

The only thing I do know is that I definitely didn’t expect him to actually do what I asked. When I think back on our relationship, it’s hard to remember a time when Nico asked me how I felt or what I wanted to do before going right ahead and doing what he wanted, and demanding I do that too.

Since the presentation, I’ve been waiting to hear something from him… anything. But there’s been nothing but radio silence.

I thought it meant he didn’t care. It didn’t occur to me that he might, finally, be doing exactly as I’d asked him.

I leap out of my seat so suddenly that Charlie stands, too. “Everything okay?”

“Yup. I just need to…” I don’t finish my sentence before I run through the office, slamming my hand on the button to call the lifts when I reach them. The doors open so slowly, I feel like I might die before they do. When they edge apart, I slip in and hit the button for the twentieth floor.

I need to see Nico, right now, before it starts to seem like a bad idea.

When the lift pings, I step out into the calm lobby. There’s soft music playing and Nico’s PA, with her pristine blonde hair, is tapping away at her computer behind the desk.

I rush over to her, practically slinging my upper body over the desk. She leans back, a mildly appalled look on her face. “Miss Lansen?”

“Yes. Hi. I need to see Mr. Hawkston. Nico. Now. Is he free?”

She glances at the other woman behind the desk, and I’m sure I glimpse a barely disguised eye-roll. “He’s not here. He’s in New York until the middle of next week.”

---