Page 152 of Nothing Without You


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“Let’s have dinner tonight.”

I forced a smile, “Of course.”

“Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Hayes.” An older man with white hair turned to look at me and smiled, “Mrs. Hayes.” He tilted his head down in greeting, which I returned by sliding off the counter and extending my hand.

“Adelaide, this is Monty—my assistant chef. He takes care of Moonshine when I’m not here.”

“He’s being too kind. I take care of this placeevenwhen he is here.”

Laughing, “That does sound like Christian.”

“Indeed,” his smile widened. “I like her.”

“I do too,” Christian grinned. “What did you have to tell me?”

“I’m wondering where to put Ayeza. You said where she’d be most comfortable, but she’s been doing work only part-timers do.”

Ayeza.

Christian’s adam's apple bobbed in his throat twice. “I’ll get back to you on it.”

Monty walked away but I was frozen.

Was she really here?

“Ayeza—”

“Not the same one,” he said quickly. “She’s a new worker…”

Before I could open my mouth and say another word, Christian continued. “How about you go home, get some rest and I’ll pick you up at night for dinner?”

Whiplash hit hard. “Okay.”

Christian pressed a hard kiss on my mouth. “I love you, Adelaide.”

I thought we settled that already.

Bewildered and a little shook, “I love you too.”

While I walked out of Moonshine and down the streets of New York, I chose to let go of the odd unabating discernment in the shift in Christian’s behaviour.

What mattered was he loved me, and I loved him and that he promised he’d always be honest with me.

Right?

FORTY-FIVE

CHRISTIAN

“You bastard!”

Freezing cold water poured down my back.

“What the fuck?”

I turned around only to be met with a furious Umaima behind her was a panicked Hasan and behind him was Osama looking like a lost puppy.

Shit, she knows.