Page 44 of Forever After All

Carter: Alice, pick up your phone.

I ignore that too.

Carter: Stop ignoring me, Alice. I know you are.

Me: I'm sorry, I’m about to board my flight.

Me: I'm okay, I'm safe, I'm fine. I just need to do this.

Carter: Pick. Up. Your. Phone.

He calls me again and I reject the call.

Carter: Don't go by yourself, Alice. This is stupid. You shouldn't go.

I send one final message.

Me: Carter, I am fine, I promise. I can't talk. I am boarding the plane. I will speak to you soon, okay? Don't worry about me, I can look after myself.

I bristle a little at his last message. This is not stupid. Ineedto do this.

I turn my phone off, stuff it back in my pocket, and shuffle with the crowds towards my seat on the plane.

Sinking down into my leather seat, I wish only happiness, the cold side of the pillow, the freshest slice of pizza, and the best oral sex for the person who invented extra legroom premium seating on a plane. I stretch my legs out in front of me and can barely touch the seat in front—and that is pretty impressive for a five-foot-eleven woman.

The cabin crew perform their preflight checks, and the captain speaks over the tannoy giving an estimated flight time of eight hours and twelve minutes. A whole thirty minutes earlier than expected due to the current wind speeds. I pull on my headphones, plug them into the screen, and flick through the movies, landing on a particularly sad romance movie about aman and his wife who loses her memory.

Nope. Not today, Satan.

I look at the shows instead and zone in on my favourite ’00s vampire series. You want to bite me? Go for it! You want to claim me as your mate? Yes, sir.

Chapter 22

Carter

Iamnon compos mentiswhen it comes to Alice. Not of sound mind.

I try to be cool, try to play the “friends-with-benefits”card but I know, in the pit of my stomach, that she is something special.

When she came over this evening, it was going to be to set boundaries, to talk about how we keep a line between us, and I would have given her that. I would have given her whatever she wanted just so I didn't lose the very real, very physical connection to her. I crave Alice in every way. She has become one of my closest friends, and I feel like a better man just for knowing her.

I would have let Alice completely control the conversation and would have agreed with whatever she said, just so I could be in the same room as her and to breathe the same fucking air as her.

I couldn't get off that Zoom call fast enough. Seeing those messages come through from her about leaving and going back to England was like a knife twisting in my side. Not because I was hurt, and not because I was trying to make it about me, but it was because I felt worried for her.

I know the very real guts, strength, and determination it would take for her to do that. I immediately wanted to be at her side. I wanted to be the security blanket that she needed, even if she thought she could do this alone.

Alice has a tough, no fucks given exterior, but I remember the very terrified woman who was curled up in my arms, trembling and sobbing just two weeks ago.

Yeah, that's right. Alice has got me wrapped around her pretty little finger, and now I don't know what to do with myself. Pacing around my office, I keep hitting call, expecting it to connect. Instead, I just get voicemail.

Hi, this is Alice. Leave me a message and I'll call you back.

After a few attempts, I do the next best thing and call my brother.

"Hello?" he answers.

"Bro, it's me. Alice went back to England. Her flight has just taken off," I speak quickly as I run my hand down my face, scrubbing my fingers through my beard.

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