Page 189 of Pervade London
The passers-by mostly ignored me, only a few looking up and then soon dismissing the girl who wasn’t up to much, who was seemingly staring at the view. Though I was secretly peering at the security cameras trained on this location.
Before me stood Nelson’s Column and surrounding it were the vast bronze sculptured lions positioned at all four corners. The same landmarks I’d driven by in a Tesla with James and Xavier while making love on the backseat.
It made me smile even now.
In the two weeks since James had left me outside my Primrose Hill home, my emotions had been vacillating between loss and hope. There were enough scorching memories of our love to last me a lifetime, and this was what I held onto. Though not being able to have contact with either of them was causing my hope to fade fast.
Standing straight on the stone edge of the fountain, I held my palm in front of my face, then raised my thumb, index finger and pinkie finger. Keeping my ring and middle fingers down, I moved my hand back and forth—using sign-language to get my message across.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
I placed my palm on my chest as though this could ease the ache in my heart.Please, send me a sign you got this.
It was time to return to the Academy for my afternoon class after stealing away during my lunch hour—feeling satisfied that I’d sent a message to my beloved Xavier the only way I knew how.
Since I’d seen him last, I had dutifully continued with my ordinary routine—attending classes daily and then leaving to go straight home. On the weekends, I had taken up busking in my favorite haunts in Covent Garden and had returned to the place where it all started—Piccadilly Circus.
Just in case…
Thankfully, I’d found a vast sum of money deposited in my Lloyds bank account, upwards of half a million pounds, which would last quite a while for someone who lived simply.
And my old violin—the one I used to play before I met Xavier—I’d discovered in a cupboard. I was quite happy to be reunited with my beloved instrument, having many fond memories of owning it. And it had brought Xavier and I together, after all. I was even thinking of going back to teaching music lessons.
These thoughts burned up my mind as I wandered along the corridors of the Academy. I stopped off at my personal locker to gather books for my next class. A blur of movement next to me caught my attention and I turned my head to see Kitty Adair.
She didn’t look at me, only pretended to be fussing with a locker catch. “How are you?”
I played along and stared into the cavernous space that was the inside of my locker. “Fine,” I lied. “Did he send you?”
She gave a subtle nod. “You have your finals, right?”
“Next week.” I had to fight the urge to look at her.
I smiled, feeling that this was the moment I’d been waiting for…a message, a word, a sign that I’d see them again. And on the eve of my exams it couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Em,” her tone changed. “Have you heard from Xavier?”
I swallowed hard. “No.”
“You’re sure?”
“I think I would remember that,” I bit out. “You’re more likely to hear from him.” A shudder of fear slithered up my spine. “Is he okay?”
She hesitated for a moment. “Yes, I’m sure he is.”
I rested my violin case against the locker. “What happened?”
“Don’t look my way.”
“I need to speak with James,” I said vehemently.
“I get that.” She gave a nod as though her work was done and walked away.
I looked over at where she’d been standing and exhaled a shaky breath of doubt.
