Page 64 of Kiss Me Ever After
Amber: So long as you’re not pregnant as well… when?
Me: Now?
Amber: Give me three minutes.
In less time than that, she was there. God, I wished she was coming to London with me. I could seriously use a friend like her there.
She stood in the doorway, her mouth hanging open. “Do you need help with your wardrobe edit?”
Turning away from where I was trying to cram some clothes into a rucksack, I looked at her. “I need a favour.”
“Charity shop run?”
“Can you take me to the station in…” I checked the time. “Half an hour?”
Amber frowned. “Where are you going?”
“London, obviously.”
“But you’re not going yet!”
I sank down onto the bed and let out a hard breath. “I can’t stay here any longer, Amber. It’s killing me to see them together.”
“Who?”
“Justin and Candace. They came into the cafe earlier. She looked so fucking smug.” I pulled at a non-existent thread on the duvet. “I’m only going a little earlier than planned.”
“But you can’t leave like this. You need to speak to Justin.” Amber pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Let me get him to come over.”
“No!” I leaped up and grabbed it out of her hands. “He’s made his decision. And I wasn’t it.”
She leaned over to take it back, but I held it out of her reach.
“I mean it, Amber. Promise me you won’t contact him?”
“Okay, okay. I promise. Now can I have my phone back?”
Reluctantly, I handed it back to her. “How the hell am I going to get all this stuff up to my new place?”
We worked quickly. Amber helped me pick out the essentials I needed and offered to bring up an extra bag of clothes when she came to visit. By the time it came for me to leave, I had one huge suitcase, a holdall and a rucksack.
“I can’t believe you’re really going.” Amber pulled up in the short stay parking, tears glistening in her eyes. She swiped at her face. “I said I wouldn’t cry.”
I blinked away my own emotions, suddenly unable to speak. Leaving early was absolutely the right thing to do. I couldn’t bear to watch Candace fawning over Justin. Cutting all ties with Ealynn Sands—again—was the only way to go.
“Don’t wait for me to get on the train. Go home, hug your mum for me and I’ll let you know when I get settled.”
“You’d better! Me and Curtis are looking forward to coming up for the weekend.” Amber gathered me into her arms awkwardly as we grappled with the gear stick being in the way. “Be safe, Lennon. I love you.”
“Love you too.” I squeezed her hard, fighting back tears. “Now go.” Gulping in a breath, I got out of the car and grabbed my luggage from the back seat before I changed my mind.
Without looking backwards, I made my way onto the platform.
In four hours I’d be starting over, again.
29
Justin
