I shove the paper into the bin, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and dusting crumbs onto my jeans. Screw being polished and tidy, that’s not who I am.
Storming over to the door I unlock and swing it open. He’s still there. “Stupid man,” I mutter.
I crook a finger in his direction and beckon him over.
He steps out of the car slower than I would have thought. I imagined he would bolt it over the road, drop to his knees and beg for forgiveness.
But he’s methodical. Slow. He runs his hands through his hair a few times as he makes his way over to me.
His shirt is crinkled, his sleeves are rolled up, and the mess of his hair makes him deliciously dishevelled.Fuck, he’s a beautiful man.
“Reilly.” He greets me with a nod.
“Elton,” I respond back, with more of a bite.
“Did you enjoy your breakfast?”
“No pleasantries, Elton. That’s not why I called you over here.”
He shuffles his feet and pockets his hands. Nodding, he looks away, waiting for his telling off. The dark circles under his eyes and the stubble growing on his normally tidy face have my resolve waning. He’s in pain.
“I …” I’m not sure what to say. “I want …” He waits, giving me space to gather my thoughts. “Why are you here, Elton?”
“I miss you. I—”
No no no, I can’t hear it. He’ll tell me he’s sorry and that he loves me and I’ll forgive him and we’ll get back together and I’ll be that silly girl again. The girl who keeps letting people fuck up around her.
“Sorry, Elton,” I cut him off. “I can’t do this right now,” I whisper as I close the door, turning the key and locking him out.
~
“What’s going on between you and Jeeves?” I ask Thea. She’s been secretly seeing him, but she won’t admit it and sidesteps the question every time.
“What’s going on between you and Elton? Have any more little gifts been delivered?”
“Don’t answer a question with another question.”
She can’t avoid this forever. If she’s serious about Jeeves, it will be a long uphill climb for both of them. Thea’s family are super conservative and traditional. Mr-Tatted-Up-Dark-Brooding Jeeves probably isn’t going to cut it. And her family will be very, very vocal about that.
It makes me even more thankful for my little inner circle. We may be small, but we are fiercely loyal and supportive. This last month has proved that, with the amount of work they have all put in to helping me set up the bakery. As well as helping me to mend my broken heart.
There’s a knock at the door, saving Thea and me from further interrogation. Sitting on my doorstep is a huge wicker hamper basket. I lift it with a huff and thump it through to where the girls are congregating.
They both raise their eyebrows and smirk, knowing exactly who this has come from.
Hope you have a lovely girls night. You deserve it for all the hard work you all have put in recently. I’m so proud of you.
- Elton
“Well, either Elton has turned stalker on me, or someone has been keeping a certain right-hand man up to date with her schedule.”
“Sometimes, we bump into each other.”
“Yea Reilly, you’re not the only one with a persistent admirer,” Sarah quips as Thea blushes at the insinuation.
Sarah jumps straight in and flips open the hamper.
A selection of penny sweets. All the classics: gummy hearts, cola bottles, fizzy laces. A pack of marshmallows. Maltesers, cans of Diet Coke and Lemon Fanta. And the necessary three bottles of Prosecco. As well as the essential pamper kit: sheet masks, luxury moisturisers, a whole new Temple Spa skincare routine and three gorgeous sets of White Company slippers.
