Page 72 of Don't Fall in Love

I’m vaguely aware of Sam throwing me a questioning look as I move to my office door—because I’ve never taken a personal call in a meeting with him or called anyonebaby. I can hear Alex on the other end of the phone breathing.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

It calms my own heart as I subconsciously mimic her breathing pattern.

I turn to Sam. “Something’s come up. I’ve got to go. We can finish this meeting tomorrow.”

“Of course. I’ll pop you over an email and we can pick it up tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

“Bastian,” Alex calls, pulling my attention back to her.

Fuck, I love it when she calls me that.

“Yes, princess?” I ask, a smile on my lips now that she doesn’t sound as panicked.

“It’s okay. If you’re at work. You should stay there. I’m going to try and go back to sleep.”

I’m not going to leave her alone tonight, not after she called me when she needed me, so with as much authority as I can inject into my voice, I say, “I’m on my way.”

Pulling the phone away from my ear, I drop a quick text to my driver, asking him to meet me out back. His response is to tell me he’s already there and I thank fuck for the fact that I was getting ready to leave before she called.

I walk out of my office and down the stairs into the club. The bass from the music drowns out any conversation I might have with Alex.

When I step into the corridor that leads to the back exit of the club, the music is muted as the door closes behind me.

She doesn’t speak, content to listen to the sounds on my end of the phone. If it wasn’t for the sound of her breathing, I’d think the call had disconnected.

Duncan, my driver, has the door open and ready for me when I walk into the alleyway.

When I’m settled into the back of the car, I ask her, “What did you do today, after I left?”

She needs a distraction from whatever had her picking up the phone and calling me, that much I know.

“Umm… I took a shower,” she hiccups as she drags in a breath. “Then I watched a film. I didn’t do much.”

“What film did you watch?”

“You’ll laugh at me.”

I chuckle, saying, “I would never.”

“Promise?”

“Cross my heart.”

“I watchedThe Lion King.”

“Did you cry?”

“No,” she says, and I can just picture her now sitting among the sheets on her bed as she bites on her plump bottom lip.

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