Page 43 of Losing the Forbidden
I smile at her, but I don’t feel any better about any of this. “This place is about to go under, and my darling stepdaddy left it all to me.”
“Yeah, your mum mentioned something along those lines. Is there anything we can do?” Dec asks.
“Got a few hundred grand to spare?” Dec looks a little too serious. “I’m joking, I’m joking. I’m sure it’ll all be fine once I get back into the swing of it.”
“Well, you know where we are if there is anything.”
“I hate leaving you like this,” Liv whispers in my ear when I pull her in for a hug.
“I’ll be fine. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Keep me informed about everything.”
“I will.”
Saying goodbye to the people who’ve basically been my family for the past few years is more emotional than I expected it to be. When I left Devon, I wasn’t expecting my life there to come to an end, but looking at how things have turned out here, it seems that might just be the case.
Walking back into the office once they’ve left, I’m met with a sea of concerned faces, and it reminds me that I haven’t slept.
“Are you going to be okay holding the fort?” I ask Erica when I come to a stop by her desk.
“Of course. Who do you think’s been running this place for the last two weeks?”
“I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
“Ben, I caused half of this. It’s my job to try to help put it right. I’m just grateful I still have a job.”
“Don’t be stupid. You’re not going anywhere. Call if you need me, but there’s a good chance I’ll be sleeping.”
“I’ve got it covered. Go look after yourself.”
Laughter fills the house when I get home. Poking my head into the living room, I find Mum and Chris laughing at something on the TV. I can’t help but smile at them both. Maybe what everyone has been saying is true, and things will all be okay in the end. An image of Lauren pops into my head, but I push it to the back of my mind—for now, at least. I just need to be happy that Mum’s able to move past the disaster that was her late husband and the legacy he’s left behind.
Memories of my time with Lauren last night fill my mind as I shower. The scent of her perfume has lingered around me since the moment she left. I’m not all that happy about washing it away.
My body’s just about ready to crash when I drag my feet towards my bed. Crawling under the covers, I fall asleep the second my head hits the pillow.
Chapter Fourteen
I wake with a start and one thought running through my mind.
Joe knows we slept together, yet he didn’t take my head off.
I don’t stop to question my decision. Instead, I jump out of bed and drag on some fresh clothes.
“Ben?” Mum calls from the kitchen as I race towards the front door. “Is everything okay?
“Yeah. What’s Lauren’s address?”
“I can’t…I promised…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find it.”
“What are you doing?”
“Going to claim what’s mine.” Pride fills her face, but I don’t miss the slight concern that’s also present. It makes my determination to get this sorted right now falter slightly.
“Are you sure this is a good idea? She’s already been through so much.”
