AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hello, dear.” I turn with a jump.
“Mrs. Johnson, hi. I’m so sorry to intrude on you like this.”
“Is Jax not with you?” Mrs. Johnson strains to look behind me, looking disappointed when she realises it’s just me.
“No.. He’s.. away at the moment.”
“Ahh, that’s a shame; I haven’t seen him for a while. I miss our chats.” Mrs. Johnson is an 80-year-old widow who has a soft spot for Jax. Every time I’d come over, there would be a homemade dish in the fridge courtesy of the friendly neighbour.
“Will you be staying for a cup of tea, or do you need to rush off?” Something tells me this isn’t the first time someone has come through her loft unannounced.
“I need to get going. But thank you so much for the offer; I really am sorry to bother you.”
“Anytime, dear. You tell Jax I have a currant bun with his name on it.”
I quickly check the coast is clear and make my exit. Walking as fast as I can without drawing attention to myself, not stopping until I am home.
It’s Saturday. My birthday. I really don’t feel like getting out of bed, let alone celebrating. If it wasn’t for my clients booked in the salon at work, I would stay in bed. I don’t like letting people down. Dragging myself out of the covers, I get into the shower. I haven’t slept a wink, but after a shower and a full face of make-up, you’d never know. With 5 minutes to spare before I need to leave, I open my birthday cards. There’s one from my mum with a voucher for my favourite make-up and one from my dad with some cash.
The next one I open isn’t a birthday card; it is a wedding invitation. I read the Bride and groom’s names a few times, not recognising who they are. Confused, I check to see who it is addressed to on the envelope; it’s definitely for me, my address, my name. It takes a few more minutes for it to register. But it can’t be, can it? The Bride- is me.
This is an invitation to my own wedding.
Chapter 2
Katie
I’m in a complete daze. My team at work has arranged a full day of surprises at the salon. I have been showered with gifts and food. There’s been activities and games happening throughout the day. Everyone’s dancing and singing while going about their day, but I cannot focus on anything. I am working on autopilot, carrying out colours and cuts on my clients; my head is somewhere different. Everyone keeps saying I’m overwhelmed with what’s going on. I am overwhelmed, alright, but not with my birthday celebrations. I am trying to get my brain around who would send me a wedding invitation and a one-way ticket to Italy. The invitation is to the wedding of Katherine Harris and Leonardo Guerra. My full name is Katherine Harris. My dad has always called me Katie, so since I moved in with him at 16, I’ve not been known as anything else. Only people who knew me before then would know my real name.
It could be someone playing a joke.
But it’s the name Leonardo Guerra that persuades me otherwise. It’s a name I have been trying to remember for years. As soon as I read it, I instantly recognised it.
My first love, at 15 years old, his name was Leonardo Guerra. My Leo.
The devastation I felt when I lost all contact with him came flooding back.
I’d tried to remember his address, but I couldn’t. I tried searching the internet, but there was no Facebook or social media back then. By the time there was, I couldn’t remember his surname. But this morning, seeing it there in front of me in black and white, I knew that was his name.
Then I remember the last letter I wrote to him:
My Leo. Let’s swear to each other. If neither of us are married by age 30, we will marry each other. You promise? Because I promise you, I will find you, and we will be together forever.
Well, blow me down; it looks like He Found Me.
He could have called first or, you know, sent me a message on Instagram or something. I am obviously assuming there isn’t an actual wedding, and that’s just something to grab my attention and make me get on that plane, which I am not. I can’t do it.
I carry on with my full set of foils on Mrs Blackwood when I see one of the guys who was at Jax’s house walk past the salon. He looks straight in through the window making eye contact with me. Chills spread throughout my body, making me feel sick. He didn’t see me at the house, so how does he know who I am? Maybe it’s just a coincidence. Maybe it’s not the guy that I saw at Jax’s door. I look to Mike, the security guard who has spotted the guy looking at me. He walks over to him, but he quickly leaves. Mike comes in and quietly speaks to me so my clients can’t hear.
“Do you know that man, Katie?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“That’s the 3rd time he has walked past the salon today. I have radioed down to the hotel door security, and they are escorting him out. He won’t be coming back. There’s something very unnerving with the way he was acting. If you see him again, Katie, you must tell me. Even if it is out of work hours, you call me, understood?”
“Yes, thanks, Mike.”
I am really freaking out now.
