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45
AVERY
My heart somersaultswith the shock, and the Christmas world around me drops away. “Bryn?”
“Nice performance.”
I stare at the apparition. “What are you doing here?”
“You won’t answer my calls or messages, so I've come to get you.”
Bryn. Here.
Bryn’s features are sharpened by the stress of the last months and his shining eyes, softening as he looks at me, are the same. The familiar beautiful mouth he once explored my body with is covered in a wary smile. However, something about Bryn is unfamiliar.
“What happened to your hair?” I whisper.
Bryn runs a hand over his buzz cut, and my early thoughts about Bryn with short hair are right. Add in the tattoos and muscles and he’ll frighten the kids. “Yeah. Did this for Connor. He cried about losing his hair so I said I’d cut mine and we could grow it back together.”
Instant tears choke me, Bryn’s huge heart strikes again. “That’s beautiful, Bryn.”
“Bit bloody cold now I’m back in England,” he mutters and pulls a black beanie out of his jacket pocket. “Wasn’t sure you’d like my new style either.”
“It’s good to see you even without your hair. Weird though, you look very different.”
Bryn pulls his beanie onto his head. “Shit. Please tell me I’m still a hot rock star.”
“Yes, with the mouth of one. Shush.”
He takes my hand and leads me through the doors into the quiet hallway. I stare at the display of animal drawings on the wall behind him, struggling for breath.
“What do you mean? You’ve come to get me?” I ask.
“Come back to Australia with me.”
“Australia?” I squeak.
He brushes my cheek with the back of his hand. “Yes. I want you with me. I missed you so fucking much, Avery.”
“Swearing inside a school isn't appropriate!”
Bryn leans closer and whispers, “I like school teacher Avery. Will you tell me what to do sometimes?”
The heat in my cheeks deepens. “Stop that, you can’t walk in here and pretend nothing has happened,”
He cups my face. “You know me; I’m joking because I’m scared what you’re about to say to me.”
“I’m speechless currently, so you’re pretty safe for now.”
He rubs his rough thumb over my lips. “I'm sorry for being an idiot. I didn't realise how much I was hurting you.”
“You left me and moved in with the love of your life and your son. How else was I supposed to react?”
“You could've trusted me; you could've believed I loved you.”
“And you could've understood that I've always felt like I was competing with this ideal woman from your past.”
Bryn rests against the wall. “Is that why you stopped talking to me?”
