Page 8 of Destined Lovers

My Nora… My Nora is long gone it seems.

I take a deep breath and throw my head back on a groan. What do I do now?

I’ve waited ten years for this exact moment, but I never sat to think about what would happen when I actually found her.

Does she want to be found? Or worst of all, does she want to seeme?

But I’m unsure if I can live the rest of my life without knowing what happened—not knowing why she would leave me after years of fighting for us.

I put the brakes on our relationship all those years ago, not her. I would have never disrespected her family, knowing that she was only sixteen and I twenty. She never understood and would constantly fight me over it. For years.

We met when she was six and I ten, and we instantly became best friends. Back then, our age didn’t seem like such a big difference. Once I became a horny teenager, it was all the clearer how far apart our ages really were.

Besides a few quick kisses when she turned sixteen, I would never budge on the decision. Anything more, no matter how much I wanted it, didn’t feel right to me until she wasn’t a minor.

So, turning eighteen was something she looked forward to since the day I showed even an ounce of interest. Yet, she still ran, and I need to know why.

In the corner of the pub, I notice Jackson running full speed toward the front door.

What the hell?

“Jackson, what’s going on, mate?” I yell after him, and he stops for a split second, his face is screwed up with anguish, and he waves his arms dramatically while yelling back.

“I have to get to B!”

“What? What’s going on with Annabelle?” I get up quickly, about to leave with him. Torn to stay with Nora, but Annabelle is family now, and if she needs us…

He shakes his head. “Nothing you can do now, Dec. I can handle it. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Then he’s out of here at the speed of light.

I wonder what the hell is happening in that crazy castle they rented. Our friend group is undeniably entertaining and never short on drama.

I scan my eyes through the room again, trying to find Nora while I devise a plan. Because ifshe doeshappen to have an ounce of the old Nora left, she won’t be happy with an ambush or a surprise. And I’m sure seeing me after ten years, in a random Irish pub, will shock the shite out of her.

* * *

It’s past midnight, and Nora’s still nowhere to be found. Last call is soon, so I wonder if her shift might have ended. However, the pub is crowded enough for her to work until closing.

I flag my waitress down to settle the bill and take one last look around before I head out. Already planning to come back tomorrow when out of the corner of my eye I spot her.

She’s saying goodbye to some people in the back, and I’m not wasting one second more. I get up, and with a few long strides, I make it there in seconds.

My body is shaking with nerves that I can’t get under control, but the faster I do this, the faster it’s over.

Nora’s back is to me, so I take one last deep breath and realize I can’t remember one thing from my plan. Shites went straight out the window.

“Look who it is, my long-lost Pip,” I mutter with a shaky breath. Her body freezes, and she doesn’t say a peep, but I can see her body react.

The blokes in front of her are looking between us, as confused as I am. I give her a few more seconds to process whatever’s running through her head. Finally, when enough time has passed, and she hasn’t moved a muscle, I decide to say something that I know will force a response.

“If you’re going to ignore me, you can at least look me in the eye.”

She turns slowly, and although I thought she would look me square in the eyes, she looks past me. Trying not to give anything away, she probably forgets I have memorized everything about her. When she’s nervous, she nibbles on her bottom lip in the most adorable way, and it’s exactly what she’s doing right now.

She still hasn’t said anything, and before I can get another word out, she turns around and sprints down the hall.

Shite!

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