Page 41 of Slow Burn (The Boston Beauties)

‘Yeah, because that’s likely going to happen.’ I looked at her, devouring her with my eyes.

‘So, I take it the wedding was a good time?’

‘Would have been better if you were there, but I’ll take you now.’ It was an innuendo, but she didn’t bite.

‘I wanted you to enjoy your time with Ali, I didn't want to be a distraction…’ she smiled at me. That was so her, selfless. Everything she’d done over the past year had been an act of selflessness.

‘What are you doing here?’ It dawned on me that she was in England, heading to London. Where had she been, did she arrange this just to see me?

‘Like I said, I thought it was a good day for a train ride,’ she smirked again.

‘Have you been in Manchester all weekend?’

She shook her head and took a sip of her tea. ‘No, just rode up this morning.’

‘From where?’

‘Trying to steal all my secrets?’ She took my hand, clearly in a playful mood. This was the Jessa I loved, the playful, carefree Jessa I fell in love it.

‘Just trying to get some answers.’ I kissed the hand that was holding mine. ‘I think after all this time, I’m due.’

‘London, I’ve been there with Breton for a few months now.’

‘Really?’ I asked, surprised, I’d been assuming she was closer, as in America, but then she made a joke about Australia, had she really been there too? There were so many questions I had still. She didn’t give much away over the phone and always said she would explain more in person for security reasons, and I got it. But now that I had her, I wanted to know everything. ‘I guess I should have figured.’ I didn’t think for one moment they would be far from one another.

‘Yeah, I was in Australia for the first seven months, but after the trial, it was slightly safer for me to be a bit closer.’

‘I’m supposed to stay with Breton tomorrow…’

‘I know!’

‘Is he really away?’

She nodded, chewing a bite of a sandwich. ‘Actually, yeah he is, but he’s supposed to be back tomorrow evening, but with him, anything can happen.’

‘Do you know much about his job?’

‘Not too much,’ she shook her head. ‘And honestly, I think I prefer it that way. Any more and I’d stress far more than I already do.’

I stared at her for a few moments, still having a hard time believing she was here next to me.

‘God, I’ve missed you,’ I blurted out, pulling her closer to me, kissing her, tasting her, savoring her. When I pulled away, I had to look down to make sure I was actually holding her hand and not hallucinating from lack of sleep.

We spent the entire train ride talking, touching and kissing. I was pleased to know that our chemistry hadn’t been diluted by what we’d been through and our distance. Our communication was a kind of intimacy that didn’t need chemistry, but our physical affection was enough to cause a chain reaction.

Too soon, we were in London. When the train came to a stop, people started pouring out, walking past our cart, and we accepted that we needed to leave this little bubble we had secluded ourselves in for the past two hours. She slipped her jacket on, took her purse and umbrella then followed me down the train and out onto the platform, holding my hand the entire time.

She looked in the direction of the connecting underground. ‘Where are you off to?’ she asked me.

‘I’m just following you,’ I smiled at her, squeezing her hand.

‘But what were your plans?’ she prompted. ‘I know you were staying with Breton tomorrow, but he said you were with friends tonight.’

‘They no longer matter,’ I assured her.

‘No, really though.’

‘It sounds like you’re trying to get rid of me,’ I questioned her in a playful tone but scared that she actually wanted to end our reunion.

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