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My stomach now balling with my own anxiety, I sit silently with her and wait until the plane touches down, where we meet Finnegan again on the runway.
“Finnegan, so nice to see you again,” I say with a smile, handing him a small suitcase. I had no idea how long we’ll be staying, so I took precautions and we packed for two nights. If Audrey needs to stay longer, then we can always buy more essentials later.
“And you too, Mr. Prescott. Although I had no idea it would be this soon.”
I wait until he places the suitcase in the trunk and shuts it before I motion to Audrey. “This is my wife, Au… Kendra.”
Wow, I can’t believe I almost called my wife “Audrey.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Finnegan replies, shaking her hand. Audrey is very courteous back, all smiles and all, but something is still off about her.
Continuing to put it down to nerves, I ignore it for now and instead concentrate on the day ahead. This is of course not about me. It’s all about Audrey. I have no idea what she has in store, but whatever that may be, I will be by her side.
For the next few minutes, as we drive towards her café, we stay silent. The day has unfortunately changed from yesterday’s bright blue skies and the warm sunny rays hitting your face. Now, it’s dark, gloomy, and the rain has just started, hitting the windows as we drive. Audrey is pensive, staring out of the window and every now and then turning to look at a certain shop or house that she may recognize. Once we pull up at her café, she stares inside the huge window simply watching her employees as they serve customers and clean tables. Victoria is there with her vibrant red hair, handing over a takeaway coffee to a male customer as she laughs at something he says. When a chuckle leaves Audrey’s lips, I ask, “What are you laughing at?” I don’t care really, I just love that she’s laughing at something.
“Victoria. She’s an outrageous flirt. I often thought her and Trent would be perfect for each other if it wasn’t for the fact he loves men. They’re both just as bad as each other.”
I smile back at her words, but then the smile fades as she carries on staring. When a few moments pass and nothing is said, I have to ask.
“Shall we go in?”
She dips her head, closing her eyes with a sigh before glancing my way. Her eyes are sullen, filling with unshed tears as she obviously struggles with something in her head.
“I feel like the worst person in the universe.”
Unable to fathom why, I shake my head. “What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know what I thought by coming here and now I’ve wasted your time and money on this pointless trip. See,” she says, pointing to the window. “Despite me not being here, life is still going on without me.”
Her words astound me. I hope she’s not implying what I think.
“Would you rather your café be run into the ground without you?”
She shakes her head. “No, of course not.” She sighs like she’s frustrated that I don’t understand. “For years, I have worked myself so hard to get this place to where it is now. Despite my mom and my friends telling me to take a break and that they could handle things without me, I never took their advice. Now, look at me. Stuck in the hospital in a coma because I was too tired to notice there was a car about to run into me.”
I note Finnegan staring into the rearview mirror, a frown on his face, but I ignore the obvious questions no doubt roaming in his head.
“Number one, your café is running smoothly now because of all the hard work you put into it. Number two, that accident wasn’t your fault as you weren’t even on the road. And number three, you haven’t wasted my time and money. If you want to turn back now and go home, then so be it. Whatever you want. This is your decision to make.”
More tears well in her eyes before one pops out and falls down her left cheek. “I’m scared.”
My heart breaks at her words. I’m scared too. Jesus, I’m petrified. Now that I have her in my life, I don’t want to lose her.
Grabbing her hand, I grip it tightly in mine. “There’s no need to be scared. I’m with you and I’ve got your back. You hear me? Whatever you want and need, I’m here for you. I promise.”
“But, what if, after my month ends, I don’t…”
“Don’t talk like that,” I interrupt, not wanting her to say those words. “You’re young, vibrant and healthy. You’re a fighter. Look how much you fought for me even though you couldn’t remember that you even love me, let alone know me.”
She smiles through her tears and when she squeezes my hand back, my heart does a little victory dance.
“I know you are and that makes things especially harder.”
Confused, I ask, “Why?”
She takes a deep sigh before glancing back at her café. “I don’t see the point in going in there. I can’t talk to them like I know them, I can’t hug them, give them a kiss. I can’t do any of that stuff anymore. But the funny thing is, despite knowing all that, all I’m concerned about right now is losing this… with you. It sounds so selfish.”
I’ve only known the spirit of this woman for just over three weeks, and yet, my heart skips and jumps every time she opens her mouth and those pretty, little, gorgeous words come out.
