Page 66 of Forbid It

“Where the hell have you been? Pip warned me, so I’ve been covering with your parents, but there are a lot of angry people looking for you.”

I let my eyes fall closed. “I know.” I swallow thickly. “I’m in Wales.”

There’s a pause before Lane replies. “You’re still in England?”

I can’t help a small laugh. “Nearly.”

“Pip made it seem like you’d gone on a one-woman retreat to the Alps to reconnect with nature.”

I laugh. Fucking Pip.

“No, just a small town in Wales. Listen, can you call me a car?”

“A car in Wales? Do they even have chauffeurs there?”

“I don’t know, Lane. It’s not the middle of nowhere. It’s really…nice.” Nice is such a nothing word to describe how the last few days here have been. It felt more like home than any of the houses I currently call mine.

“Okay, give me a few minutes, and I’ll see what I can do. It might be a while though. Can you send me the address?”

“Yeah, I will.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Just out of here.”

“I’ll book you a flight.”

The thought of getting on a plane and flying back home with my tail between my legs and my pride in tatters is not very appealing.

“No, not yet. I’ll figure it out when I’m on the road.”

“What do you want me to say to your parents?”

I grimace. “Nothing, I’ll call them when I’m ready.”

“Okay, give me a couple minutes, and I’ll text you.”

“Thanks, Lane.”

I hang up with a sigh and rest the heels of my palms on my eyes. My body is still buzzing with adrenaline, humiliation, and a hint of stubborn arousal that will not go away. I get a notification almost immediately.

LANE

Car’s on its way.

I take a steeling breath and swipe my bag off the floor. I shoulder the door open and cross the hallway. The shower is still running from the bathroom, and I know Robbie is in there, washing any trace of me away.

I grit my teeth as I pass, taking the stairs two at a time. Hopefully he’ll stay in there for the next five to ten minutes and let me leave the house without seeing his face again.

As I round the bottom of the stairs, I still at the crowd gathered in the kitchen.

“Hi, flower,” Sian calls without looking up from the kettle. “Come and have a cup of tea.”

Gwen and Iwan are sat at the counter, mugs placed on the mats in front of them. Gwen spots my bags before her husband does. “Are you off?”

“Uh, yeah.” I squeeze the strap of my bag between my hands awkwardly as everyone turns to look at me in confusion.

“Robbie driving you?” Iwan asks.