Page 55 of Room Twenty-Three: Tangled & Teased

I’ve changed so much too.

A few days a week, I’ve been getting off different stops on the Tube and checking out venues for my future venture into running my dance studio. Unfortunately, the prices of rentals in the City of London are astronomical, and I’m traveling a long way outside the city each time.

Today I am westbound, and on a train and not on the Tube. All because my father negotiated a deal with one of his clients. He has the perfect sized vacant property. I don’t have to take it. It was strange hearing from my father. Normally he tells rather than asks.

The train stops. I grab my possessions, including my laptop and the directions to the property. My feet stride across the platform and toward a ray of sun blasting through the station exit. Outside, I rush to the cab rank.

“Your car is here,” a voice calls behind me.

The voice makes my feet root to the spot as a shiver of anticipation skates down my spine. Slowly, I turn around and see Jove standing beside a Range Rover. One hand in his pocket and the other rubbing the back of his neck, but it’s the look on his face that I find interesting—he looks different.

I want to walk to him and find out why he’s here.

But I shake my head and turn back to the cab rank and rush to open the door.

“Erin!” I hear, but I can’t go through the heartache of seeing him or Atty and Beau. I’m only just getting over not being theirs, and I don’t want to spend another day wishing I was older... that I was never their client. The only thing I don’t regret is my time with them in room twenty-three.

“Where are you going, love?” the cab driver asks.

I glance at the address in my hand. “Can you take me to Wynyard Drive, please?”

I settle into the backseat of the cab, the soft leather comforting me as I close the door behind me. The driver turns around, his eyes meeting mine. He appears to be a middle-aged man with a friendly smile and a hint of curiosity.

“Wynyard Drive, it is,” he acknowledges. “Any particular number on Wynyard Drive, love? It’s a long road.”

I take a moment to compose myself, my thoughts still lingering on the unexpected encounter with Jove. With a deep breath, I look at the paper in front of me and reply, “Not a number. It’s The Vines, please.”

The driver nods and starts the engine, merging into the flow of traffic. As the cab glides through the town’s streets, I find my mind drifting back to Jove, standing there with a curious expression. It’s been over a month since we last saw each other, since I made the tough decision to distance myself from the men and the tangled web of emotions that came with them.

I glance behind.

His car follows. A part of me, however small, is inquisitive about the reason behind his appearance. Has something changed? Is there something he wants to say?

Yet, I know deep down that I made the right choice by leaving them that day. But the pain of losing them is overwhelming, and it’s taking me time to heal.

I glance behind again, but this time he’s not there. My heart feels like it’s rejected once again. I lean my cheek against my knuckles as I stare out the window, seeing the upscale neighborhood as we drive. Elegant houses with well-manicured lawns sit behind the tree-lined streets.

“Here we are, love,” the driver announces, bringing me back to the present. He pulls up to a security panel situated inside on one of the pillars that holds the locked gates. He talks into the microphone as I look beyond the wrought iron ten foot high gates. Where I see a beautiful house with a charming garden.

The gates open, the car moves forward, until the cab driver stops outside the house. My mouth is open as I stare at the address again.

“That’ll be twenty-five pounds and fifty pence, love.”

“Is this the right place?” I say, almost to myself.

“The Vines on Wynyard Drive. It’s part of a massive private estate,” the cab driver says. “Here’s my card. Call me when you’re finished.”

I nod and push myself out of the cab, watching as he reverses on the driveway and disappears.

I stare at the house ahead. It’s more of a cottage with small windows and a nice sage green door. The scent of flowers and cut grass fills the air. But something doesn’t feel right. My nerves tingle inside as I pull my cell out of my pocket and scroll down my contact list.

“You’re at the right place.”

I squeal and stare ahead.

My heart skips a beat as I see Jove, Beau, and Atty standing at the open front door of the cottage. They’re all wearing matching smiles, and it’s as if they were expecting me all along.

What are they doing here?

---