by Claire Adams
“We have a guest room here ready for you,” William said, still brisk. “The staff and I will be leaving here shortly, so you will have some time for yourself.”
“Thank you,” I said.
We walked along the hallway to the very end where a maid emerged from a room with a smile. She nodded briefly at me before continuing down the hallway in the direction of the stairs. The guest room felt like a suite from its expensive furniture and spacious room with even a large guest bathroom. A fire already crackled in the fireplace near a balcony that over looked sprawling green acres.
I found myself letting out a trembling breath when William gestured to a pile of robes on the end of the bed
“I’m afraid we don’t have any female clothes here,” he said, but I didn’t find that regretful. At least I knew Alfie didn’t have women staying the night here on a usual basis. “Mr. Conner confirmed he would be here in the morning with your bags. He is driving your maid of honor to the airport.”
“Right,” I said. A part of me wished I was in the car listening to them talk about Harry. Knowing Peyton, it was humorous and horrible at the same time. “Thank you. I appreciate all the help.”
William bowed a bit stiffly. “You’re welcome. If there is anything you need, there is a list of our numbers in the kitchen.”
He left without saying another word. I let the skirts of my dress drop down to trail along the swept hardwood floors. It smelled of fresh sheets and soap in the room. The chill of the entire day fell away as I stood in front of the fireplace with my hands extended forward to warm them.
I listened to the staff leave the house before I grabbed a large fuzzy robe from the end of the bed. A suffocating wave of emotions crashed over me when I stepped into the bathroom to look at myself in the mirror. I looked like the bride I had hoped I would be. I had spent months planning every detail of this wedding.
Bitterness tore me from the inside. I reached up with a trembling hand to rip out the veil clipped into my hair. I watched as it fluttered to the ground along with some strands of my hair attached. The butterfly and flower pins were next on the floor.
I stripped out of everything until I stood bare in front of the mirror with those cursed salty tears trailing down my cheeks.
“Stupid,” I whispered, wiping at my face. “You’re stupid, Molly. You’re stupid to be crying over him.”
Slipping into the robe, I heard the distant trill of a text message from inside the pile of white fabric, lace, and my undergarments. Peyton had brought my cell phone on her way out to tell me what had happened. It was the one thing that I had on me besides my wedding dress.
I stared down at Harry’s name on the touch screen with a twisting stomach as I read the message. You realize how fucking shitty it was of you to do that to all of our guests? For Christ’s sake, Molly. Your parents and friends flew into England to see this wedding! What the hell is wrong with you?
“Nothing is wrong with me,” I snapped, and then deleted the message along with Harry’s number. “I’m not the one who did this to us.”
Pretentious. That was the only word I could think of as I knotted the robe tightly around my waist. I left the bathroom to explore the rest of Alfie’s house curiously, but to also distract myself. I paused in front of a series of photographs hanging artfully on the wall. Many of them were of Alfie when he was a little boy. I smiled up at the sight of his familiar mischievous smile and sparkling eyes. A few photographs were of him alone, but there were a few of him with a tall and dark-haired man that I assumed was Alfie’s father. I dimly remembered Harry mentioning that Alfie’s father had passed when he was in Uni with Alfie. It had been a hard death, and I could see why. The small little boy appeared to very happy sitting on the knobby knees of his father.
No mother though. I frowned up at the pictures as I scanned them for a maternal face, but found nothing. I couldn’t remember either if Harry mentioned anything about Alfie’s mother either. In a very strange way, I knew intimate details about Alfie that the general public didn’t know about.
I startled in surprise when my phone vibrated from the pocket of the robe. To my relief, it was Peyton calling.
“I just wanted to check on you,” Peyton said, breathlessly. “Alfie just dropped me off at the airport, but I wanted to make sure you were okay before I got on the plane.”
“I’m fine,” I said and trailed a hand down the wooden banister. “Alfie was kind enough to let me stay here for the night while I think about a few things.”
“I know. He told me on the car ride back to London.”
I smiled a little. “I’m glad he took you back. I’m sorry. I should’ve taken you myself since you came out here to see me.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Peyton said. Voices echoed in the background. “I got to spend time with you, and I don’t blame you at all. Harry’s a prick. Even his own former friend doesn’t understand what happened to him.”
“It’s a mystery,” I said.
I didn’t have any answers either besides perhaps too much alcohol, money, and bad company. Those groomsmen were the worst characters. They cheated on their girlfriends. They drank all the time. I had no idea why Harry craved their company over everyone else’s—including Alfie’s.
“Alfie seems like a good man,” Peyton said. “I really enjoyed his company on the drive to London. He was going to stay somewhere in Ashburton tonight to give you some space to think.”
“I know. He is a good man.”
I chewed on my bottom lip anxiously as I thought of tomorrow morning. What would I honestly say then? I had no idea where I was going to besides possibly back to America to start a new life again. My job was flexible, at least in that sense. I wasn’t even sure what motives Alfie honestly had for letting me stay here. While I gathered that Alfie had changed over the years, I was still a bit cautious when it came to him.
I wasn’t much of a better person by hanging around my ex-fiancé’s former best mate. It was tempting, too. He was incredibly attractive, sexy, and so confident in where he was in life. I loved that about him.
Bad idea, Molly. Don’t go into that area of your brain.
“I can literally hear the wheels in your brain turning,” Peyton said, teasingly. “I wouldn’t judge you if you slept with Alfie. In fact, I think you should do it.”
I rolled my eyes. “I can’t just jump into Alfie’s arms. I’ve only been separated from Harry for a little over two hours now.”
“So? What better way to get over someone than by sleeping with a gorgeous man who is guaranteed to piss off Harry in the process?”
“I’m not after blood, Peyton. I don’t care what Harry does anymore.”
“I don’t believe your façade of strength,” she said, sighing. “Whatever. As long as I know you’re okay, then I’m going to let it go.”
“I’m going to be fine,” I said, assuredly. “I just need a few days to regroup on what I want to do, so don’t worry about me. Have a safe flight back.”
“I will. The offer is always there if you want to come visit for a little bit.”
“Thanks. I might take you up on that someday soon.”
We hung up after I promised to call with my plans even though I had none. I was stuck in a horrible limbo of between my past life and future. It felt even stranger to be roaming through an empty house that belonged to Harry’s former friend.
I found a small library and nook that was stocked well with various books. I spent the next hour browsing through several subjects on Astrology. It seemed odd that a man like Alfie would be into Astrology, but I found it also endearing at the same time. He believed in fate and the stars.
Romantic. My lips curved up as I clicked the light off in the small library before venturing down to the guest room. It was pitch-black downstairs, but I managed to find my way through the dark hallways back to the guest room. Throwing a couple of logs into the fireplace, I collapsed on the large bed to stare up at the moonlight dancing across the ceiling.<
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I didn’t let my brain go to that bitter part that wanted to remind me I should have been married right now. I let a dreamless sleep take over me, instead.
Chapter Five
Alfie
Ashburton, England
The hotel lobby was thankfully empty when I reached the front desk the next morning after a long night of tossing and turning thanks to the sound of Harry’s drunk voice. I had no idea if he knew I was staying at the hotel too, but he never once pounded on my door. I did hear a gaggle of females though around 2:40 a.m., along with the other groomsmen though, so that comforted me a little bit. He was too drunk and distracted to think of anyone else in the hotel.
It made me sick to my stomach thinking of Molly running away in her wedding dress, all her dreams of a beautiful wedding pissed on because of Harry. No one deserved that type of heartache.
William had called to inform me that Molly had indeed shown up for the evening. They didn’t have any clothes for her, but at least she had a robe and a place to stay away from the chaos of what happened.
The clerk behind the front desk checked me out quickly. I grabbed Molly’s bag along with my own to head out through the doors. A trickle of nerves went through me. I didn’t know what to expect now that I had crossed the threshold of defending my former friend’s fiancée. Ex-fiancée.
It was cold and rainy when I stepped outside in the direction of the rental car I had promised Peyton I would take care of myself after dropping her off at the airport.
“Alfie.”
The sound of Harry’s voice from behind me brought out an array of emotions. I turned on my heel to regard him coolly as he stepped out of the phone booth in front. His white shirt was rumpled and stained while his hair was unkempt. A shadow of a beard covered his jaw while the stench of cigarettes, cheap perfume, and whiskey wafted off of him in rolling waves.
“What?” I asked, flatly.
“I know you’re mad, mate,” he said, as he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for the complete sham that my wedding turned out to be.”
I shook my head at him. “Something tells me that you blame Molly for that.”
“I do blame Molly for that.” His eyes narrowed at me. “She left the wedding knowing damn well that everyone had flown out to be here, or at least traveled to be here for us both.”
“You cheated on her. What did you expect?”
“She’s known about it,” Harry said, shrugging. “Molly is a smart woman. A part of her had accepted it a long time ago.”
It was sorely tempting to smash my fist into Harry’s face in a blind hope that maybe it would knock him back into the old Harry—my friend who I missed.
“I doubt that she did,” I replied. “She didn’t go through with the wedding, so I don’t think she had accepted it in her mind.”
Harry’s jaw worked while he chewed those words over for a moment. I took another step in the direction of the rental car, but Harry stopped me by saying, “It doesn’t matter anymore. She doesn’t want to be with me anymore, then that’s fine. I have other women in my life who want to take her place in a heartbeat.”
“Great, mate. That’s fantastic. Now, excuse me—”
He stepped in my path before I could take another step. “I overheard that Molly left in your rental car.”
The accusation hung clearly in the air. I kept my face carefully blank while Harry studied me intently. I didn’t want to sell out Molly’s hiding place yet. I knew word would spread around Devon that Molly was in my estate, but for the meantime, Molly deserved some peace and quiet.
“I have to go, Harry,” I said and gave him a sharp nod. “It was great seeing you. Good luck with wherever your endeavors take you.”
“Alfie—”
I ignored Harry’s calls as I walked across the stony pathway to the rental car. Placing the bags in the rental car, I hopped in the driver’s seat. I looked up briefly in my rearview mirror to see Harry staring after me with a miserable frown spread across his face before Ashburton disappeared behind me.
I let out a relieved breath when Devon appeared over my dashboard. It was one of the small towns that I truly felt comfortable in. The hustle and bustle of London was nice, but nothing compared to the quietness of Devon. The residents of Devon were also friendly. They looked after one another, including me, whenever the media came looking for me.
George’s Grocery was a small store on the corner of Main Street buzzing with usual energy on an early Sunday morning. I parked in front of the store before grabbing a small cart. There wasn’t any food in the house just yet from what William had told me on the phone. They weren’t expecting me to return, or to have an unexpected guest.
Cart full of groceries and basic necessities, I walked up to the check stand George Malley ran himself. The older man’s smile wiped away the unpleasant encounter with Harry outside of the hotel in Ashburton.
“Morning, Alfie,” he bellowed, hands moving fluidly as he scanned every item I placed on his check stand. “Didn’t expect to see you here this weekend. No important business?”
“Nothing that can’t wait,” I replied with a smile. “I’m taking a break from work for a little bit.”
“Good for you, mate. You’re too young to be working as hard as you do. Although—” he paused to wink playfully at me, “your phone company and plans have been wonderful for me so far. Who knew that an old timer like me could have a phone?”
I grinned as George chuckled heartily. “I’m glad it’s working out for you, George. I’ve been very firm on customer service with my employees.”
“They are doing fantastic,” George said. “Everyone should have a raise.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” An idea struck me as I loaded the grocery bags back into the cart. “Would you mind doing me a favor, George?”
George nodded. “Anything.”
“Keep your eyes peeled out for Harry,” I said. “If you see him stroll into town, give me a call right away.”
“I will,” he replied, seriously. That was the good thing about people like George in Devon. They didn’t press for information but would do favors without question.
I reached my estate right before lunch. True to his word, William had given Molly privacy. None of my staff’s cars were parked in the driveway per my request. I wanted some time to myself too.
Grabbing the bags from the trunk of the car, I walked to the front door to twist at the handle to find it locked. Out of habit, I patted my pockets for my keys when I remembered I had given Molly my set of keys.
Locked out of my own house. I chuckled in amusement at the situation as I knocked loudly on the front door. Footsteps approached the front door. I got a brief glimpse of someone looking through the window next to the door before I heard the slide of the lock. The door opened to reveal Molly standing in one of my robes. Her dark hair tumbled about her shoulders, tangled from sleep, while her face was still painted with makeup from yesterday. It took all my self-control to not imagine if Molly was naked underneath the robe that hung off her petite frame easily.
She looked just as beautiful dressed in a simple robe as she did in her wedding dress.
Molly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously as the silence stretched on between us. “I didn’t think you’d be here so early.”
“It’s lunch time,” I commented and watched the color in Molly’s cheeks drain. “I forgot that I gave you my set of keys, but I brought your bag that Peyton had given me.”
“Oh, right,” Molly said. She took a step back while opening the door up. “I’m sorry. I normally don’t sleep in.”
I set Molly’s bag on the floor next to her. I tried not to stare into her eyes or stare at all. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but damn… She was beautiful.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “You needed the sleep after what happened yesterday. I got us some groceries.”
“Groceries?” She blinked at me in
confusion.
“Yes, groceries,” I clarified with a grin. “I wasn’t planning on letting you starve here as a guest in my house.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” Molly said, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. “I shouldn’t have slept in. I told myself that I was going to be up before you came back.”
I reached forwards to gently clasp her small shoulder. I ignored the jolt that went up my arm from the contact.
“You can stay as long as you want,” I said, seriously. “I have no ulterior motives. Stay as long as you want.”
Molly nodded mutely as I forced myself to let go of her shoulder.
“I have to get the groceries,” I said. “Would you care for something to eat?”
“I’m starving actually.” She offered a small smile before turning in the direction of the stair with her bag in hand. “Thank you for getting my bag. I’ll be down in just a minute.”
“Right,” I said, watching her move up the stairs with graceful steps. “I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”
I retrieved the rest of the grocery bags from the trunk of the car before shutting the front door. After punching in the code to the gate to close it, I headed straight to the kitchen to brew us some coffee and start on some sandwiches.
Footsteps pattered on the floor above me as Molly moved about in the guest room. I debated on calling William to talk a few details over to pass the time, but decided against it. He didn’t need to know any more information than what he already knew.
I rubbed at the back of my neck as I sat down on one of the kitchen stools while I waited for the coffee to finish brewing. What now? The weekend had not gone the way I had expected. I had expected Harry’s wedding to go smoothly. I never once thought Harry could ever turn into an older version of myself from years ago during our Uni days. Now, he was a pretentious prick, and I somehow had ended up with his ex-fiancée in my house.
The tempting thought crept across my mind. It’d been way too long since I had enjoyed a female’s company in bed. I needed that sort of release given it’d been a stressful couple of months with work with little time to enjoy anything.