seat next to him.
Charles took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You people watched more than you looked at attractions. You got a Merlin card just to do it.”
She let out a soft laugh. “I did, too.”
“When did you get back?”
“Yesterday afternoon. I was too jet lagged and didn’t know where you worked. I wanted to surprise you so I called Sophie. She told me about how well you’re doing for yourself.” The hint of proudness in her voice had his heart expanding.
“You should have called me, Steves. I would have picked you up at the airport. Where are you staying?”
A sigh escaped her lips, and she tilted her head to stare at the Houses of Parliament. “My mother’s place.”
“You can stay with me,” he offered.
“I know,” Stevie replied in a small voice. “She was surprised that I showed up on her doorstep. I had nowhere else to go.”
Charles twisted his body so that he faced her properly. “What’s going on, Stevie? There have been sad times in the two years we’ve been apart, but you’ve never once called, texted, or come back to London.”
The realisation flashed in her eyes. Stevie then brought her legs up and crossed them. She tore her hand from his and settled them in her lap. “He couldn’t love me at my worst.”
The pain in her eyes was as if a blunt knife was forced into his chest. Slow, brutal, and absolutely painful. He loved this woman. Loved her the moment he’d rescued her from the club he had been celebrating his friend’s birthday in. “Then he doesn’t deserve you.”
The appreciation consumed her beautiful face. The feistiness and sass that he had loved seemed non-existent. She wasn’t quite the Stevie he remembered. The one he helped get over her past and her pain. All the improvements seemed like a waste.
“He didn’t deserve what I did.”
“Stevie, you did nothing wrong. You miscarried. You have to stop blaming yourself. You couldn’t have prevented it,” he assured.
“You always did have a way of making me better.” Her smile returned. But it was slightly off, slightly broken.
I’ll make you smile again, Stevie.
I’ll make you happy.
“So he didn’t take the news well?” he asked, needing confirmation.
She shook her head. “He got me fired. Called me a whore. Pretty much defined me as a murderer for killing our child.”
“But you—”
“I know. But he didn’t give me the chance to explain. Jarred hijacked me and gave him the sonogram. He also hates me for lying to him. I’ve never seen him so angry before, Charles,” she admitted.
“Does he know you’re in London?”
Another shake of her head. “No. I didn’t know what to do. Papa found out whom I had slept with and said he was disappointed in me. Jarred’s disgusted in me, so I ran. The only thing I’ve known how to do. I won’t be missed. No one will be looking for me.”
Charles grabbed her hands and wrapped her arms around his neck, like old times. Her nose brushed against his. “That’s a bloody lie, Stevie. They’ll see how wrong they were. You’ll be missed. They’ll notice. Gotta thank him in a way; you’re back here with me.”
“Where I should have stayed all this time,” she revealed.
“I know. I shouldn’t have let you go,” he said, regret heavily laced his voice.
“I’m where I should be now.” She closed her eyes and let out a soft hum.
“Come with,” he whispered.
“To where?”
“Brighton.”
Her eyes snapped open. “Now?”
He nodded. “We’ll go back to your mother’s. We’ll grab everything you have, and I’ll call Gary and get the key to the beach house on the way.”
Stevie pulled back. “But work?”
“I’ll take it with me,” he answered. “Please? You need this. I need this. We’ll go back to where it all started for us. Remember? From London to Brighton…”
An honest and sweet smile appeared on her face. “Somewhere in between is where I fell in love with you.”
Charles’ hands were on her hips as he brought her a little closer. Then he whispered, “From London to Brighton, I knew I couldn’t love you any less than I already did.”
Like she did all those years ago, Stevie exhaled and witnessed her breath in the air. It was that cold. That was one thing she hadn’t missed about England—the cold weather. By the time they had retrieved the small suitcase she had brought from Melbourne, it was just after lunch. By the time they had reached Brighton, it was almost 1:30 p.m. Her mother had understood her need