“Sure,” I say. But I can’t meet him here. I can’t have him here, where John and I had our life together.
“Let’s meet at the café near your house. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” The call ends and I look at the phone, but I’m unable to see anything, because more tears are filling my eyes. A mix of guilt, and of wanting more, makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong every step I take.
Putting the phone down, I walk to my room and into the bathroom. I quickly undress, and then I’m in the shower, where I can let the tears fall, hidden by the water. When I step out of it, my tears are gone and I’m ready to listen to everything Samuel has to say.
One thing I’m not ready for?
Seeing him again.
Chapter Fifteen
Samuel
I’m intimidated when I reach Aidan’s building, and the guard at the entrance stops me and asks me a thousand questions before picking up the phone to call Aidan, to confirm what I told him.
I should have shown him my badge, but that would have opened another can of worms and probably pissed Aidan off.
That would have been fun to see, though. I’m kind of regretting not doing it.
“Top floor,” Bishop, according to his nametag, says, pointing to the lift.
“Thanks,” I say, before pushing myself away from the reception’s counter and slowly walking to the lift.
Everything reeks of money in here, from the beautiful chairs and table adorning the entrance, to the high ceilings with chandeliers, and the light-coloured carpeting, still shining as if it’s just been replaced. Everything is so clean and so different from our building.
I wonder if these people would be horrified by the condition my building is in. And I’m lucky, because the part of London where I live is still considered a good area.
I’m still comparing the differences between normal human beings and the people who live here when I reach Aidan’s door—the only one on this floor.
When I approach, I see it’s already ajar, so I push it open and take a step in. And fuck me, this place is like a palace; I wouldn’t be surprised if royalty walked out of the rooms.
Everything is white, making the massive place seem bigger than it already is. There are huge windows and a view of London that many will never see.
“Aidan,” I call, surprised when my voice doesn’t echo.
“On the left, the first door on the left.”
After closing the door behind me, I follow his instructions and enter another big room. A study this time, like the ones you see in old movies. There’s a massive desk of dark brown wood, posters of old movies on the walls, and a sofa with two chairs. There’s still space for a bed in here, but Aidan doesn’t seem overpowered by it. If anything, he actually seems more powerful than ever.
Did he invite me here to show off, to make me feel even more unworthy than I’m feeling right now?
“Have a seat,” he says, and I’m surprised when he points to the sofa instead of the chairs in front of the desk.
He notices that and smirks.
“We’re among friends,” he says, then laughs aloud at my questioning face.
Since when have we been friends? He hasn’t done anything more than bully me and treat me as if I was a nuisance.
Sure, I allowed a fucker to kidnap me, but I was sure Martin was in danger. I needed to save him, even more than I needed to save everyone else.
“Are we?”
“Sure, we are. I don’t give info to people I don’t count as friends.”
“Then why do you act like a bastard all the time?”
“Because I’m tired of seeing you wasting your life.”