Shuffle (Ruby Riot #2) (24 page)

Chapter Forty-Three

WILL

Jax wanders into the hotel restaurant and grabs toast out of my hand. “You busy this morning?” he asks through a mouthful.

“Yeah, I am actually. Seeing Fleur later.”

Jax looks like I slapped him across the face. “Fleur Roberts?”

“Who else?”

“Huh. Okay. How about Nate? Is he busy?”

“No idea. Haven’t seen him today.”

Jax continues to chew the toast staring across the restaurant.

“Going somewhere special?” I ask and indicate his smarter than usual clothes.

Jax breaks into a huge grin and smooths the front of his dark blue shirt. “Might be.”

“Another photoshoot without us? I heard about the GQ one. I bet Tegan had a few choice words to say about the hot model they draped over you.”

Jax doesn’t reply, and pulls his phone from his pocket instead. His eyes shine as he reads the message. “Okay. If Nate isn’t around, can you bring Fleur with you?”

“Where?”

He grabs my phone, types something, and hands it back. “There.”

I study the map on the screen. “Did you get the address wrong?”

“Nope.”

He’s not serious.

No way.

“Are you out of your bloody mind, Jax?”

****

FLEUR

I’ve ignored the shadows at the edge of my life, focused on my studies the way I did before Will. The problem is I’m not the way I was before. Will Campbell exploded into my world and blew apart my neatly ordered life. Stupidly, I thought I could return to who I was, but the shadow of his absence didn’t leave. Dropping contact with Will made sense, his life had moved on and so had he; but when it comes to how I feel about Will, logic doesn’t exist.

When we met yesterday, it was clear neither of us had moved on. When we kissed, the desire to be Will’s took over; and after a few hours in his company, I knew I couldn’t let him go. When I’m with Will, I’m with somebody who makes me believe I can take on the world if we’re together. Perhaps it’s his nature rubbing off against me; maybe it’s the love that’s clear in his eyes, which energises me the way it did before. All I know is that deep inside is a part that will never stop loving Will.

The intensity frightens me. I attempt to keep a handle on the desire to fall back into who we were because I know he’s leaving tomorrow. If I spent a night in Will’s bed, and then didn’t see him for weeks, everything I’d allowed back to the surface would threaten my ability to cope when he leaves again.

I kept control of that last night; and after an afternoon together, Will went back to his hotel alone. Then I lay in bed and wished I’d gone with him. See? Fleur logic doesn’t work. My body doesn’t agree with the ‘take things slow option’; my body’s more interested in the ‘grab what you can when he’s here’ idea.

Who am I kidding that we’ll keep this at kissing before he returns to London?

Will arrives at my dorm room as arranged, dressed in a black shirt and jeans and wearing his signature grin. I don’t even have a chance to walk into the room before his arms are around my waist and his mouth meets mine. I back into the room, Will’s lips still on me and resist the temptation to unbutton his shirt. My body flares to life, eager for the reunion we both want, which simmers beneath the politeness.

“I want to throw you on that bed,” he murmurs in my ear. “But we have to go somewhere.”

“Where?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

The air of amusement to his voice intrigues me. “Try me.”

“It’s a surprise.” He snorts. “To both of us.”

I huff at him. “Is this okay to wear on the mysterious date?”

Will takes his time in sizing up my dress, paying extra attention to the length and the cut of the material around my breasts, and my skin heats as if he’s touching me. “You look perfect.” He moves his eyes to mine. “And I think we’d better leave this room.”

I place a hand on his chest. “We can’t stay here for a little while?”

Will groans, “No. I can’t be late.”

“Intriguing.”

“Ha. Just you wait.”

And just like that, we’re Will and Fleur again. Three months apart, and it took one meeting for the old us to reforge. My plan to take this slowly is naturally blown apart by the guy who lives his life off the cuff. I’ve avoided seeing him, scared of hurt. Now I understand – I held onto the hurt that Will wanted to take away.

Will never hurt me, not deliberately; but once I was ready to speak to him after Christmas, he’d left the country. A broken relationship can’t be mended when the couple aren’t together and only interact by phone; it’s impossible to judge what somebody is really thinking and feeling unless they’re in front of you.

When Will sat with me yesterday, he no longer needed to say anything.

****

We step out of the taxi, onto the busy street. Will heads to the steps to the white-stoned council building, where a smartly dressed group congregate at the bottom, their excited chatter carrying through the air. A couple head down the steps toward us, and the man carries a baby. Bewildered, I follow Will up the stairs. Then stop. Printed signs on the wall point to different areas for registrations. Births. Deaths.

Marriage.

I stumble into the cool of the building. Is Will playing some kind of crazy joke on me? He wouldn’t, this is beyond even his humour. Couldn’t. If I wasn’t speechless, I’d ask; but he catches my thoughts and shakes his head before pointing behind me.

I turn. Jax and Tegan are half-hidden in a doorway. Presumably, it’s them. I can’t tell as their faces are glued to each other. She’s wearing a short, cream dress; the flared skirt stops above her knees and high-heels stretch her long legs to Jax’s height. Tegan’s brown hair flows down her back and I look away from where Jax’s hands are on her ass. Tegan’s arms are draped around Jax’s neck; and in one hand, she’s holding a small bouquet of roses.

“Oh!” I say and snap my head back to Will. “Are they...”

“Getting married? Yeah. Just two crazy kids in love,” he says in a false movie announcer accent.

“Wow. Who else is coming?”

“Nobody.”

“What?”

“I told him, he’s freaking mad. Then I told Tegan the same thing. They want two witnesses and nobody else involved. Bloody typical of this pair.”

“Why me?”

“Nate’s not around.”

I splutter at his honesty. “Is she pregnant?” I ask in a low voice.

“That’s exactly what I asked! No, she isn’t.”

“Why are they doing this then?”

“Because this is Jax and Tegan. They do shit like this.”

Will laces his fingers through mine, and we walk up to the couple. “You’re not supposed to do that until you’re married!” He pokes Jax in the side, who lets go of Tegan and wraps an arm around her waist. She rests her head on his shoulder, the happiness radiating from the couple is infectious, and I can’t help but smile back.

“Congratulations,” I say, unsure exactly what I should say.

“Thanks! Come on!” Tegan grabs my hand and pulls me into the small room, behind the doorway they kissed in. Several rows of chairs line the maroon carpet, dated pictures hang on the dark wood-panelled walls. At the front, an older lady dressed in a blue business suit looks over.

“Just the four of you?” she asks.

“Man, you’re gonna regret this,” Will mutters to Jax under his breath.

Jax flashes him a look. “I told you not to say that shit in front of Tegan!”

“Jesus, I’m not talking about you two getting married, that’s your call.” He shakes his head. “I mean, what do you think the big man is gonna do to you when he finds out?”

“If you mean my brother, this has nothing to do with Bryn!” hisses Tegan.

Will backs off and we sit as Jax and Tegan approach the woman.

The small room stifles and my head spins. Yesterday I spent all morning in the library; today I am witness to a rock star’s wedding. How the hell did that happen? I side-glance Will next to me; his eyes sparkle with amusement as he watches Jax and Tegan. The joy of being with him buzzes a forgotten happiness through me, and I touch his cheek. Will turns his head and gives me his heart-encompassing smile before he places his lips gently on mine.

Will. That’s what happened.

I fight back the tears as I watch the ceremony because I’m a wreck at anything emotional, however hard I try not to be, and the last twenty-four hours have been overwhelming enough.

As I sign the marriage certificate, I study the pair. Yes, I agree with Will that the couple are crazy; but what’s sane about their life? Very little. The tall beautiful girl and her stunning guy are surrounded by a natural energy I haven’t come across before. The times I met them, it was clear how strong their love for each other is, and that it’s a barrier against everything thrown at them.

We sign the register while Jax and Tegan resume their passionate kissing, until Will smacks Jax across the back of the head again. “I don’t think we want to see this!”

Tegan wipes her already smudged lipstick with a finger, and pushes a hand into the back pocket of Jax’s trousers. “Thank you for helping out.”

“I’ll give you a moment,” interrupts the registrar as she leaves the room. “I’ll organise the certificate for you.”

Will sits on one of the upholstered chairs, and slings his arm across the back. “Jesus, man...”

Jax winks at him and opens his mouth, but is interrupted by Tegan nudging him. “Jax, can you call Tony and ask him to drive around the side? I don’t want to hang around.”

“Nobody saw us arrive,” replies Jax. “Don’t stress.”

“You want to step out the front and check? Because I don’t,” replies Tegan.

Jax wrinkles his nose. “Yeah. True. I’ll call.” He pulls his phone out and wanders toward the door.

Tegan grabs my arm and pulls me away from where Will sits. “Are you two back together?” she whispers.

“We met up again yesterday.”

“What are you saying?” asks Will.

“Nothing. Girls stuff,” replies Tegan and pulls me out of the door into the hallway. “I’m happy for him. He’s had a tough time,” she says in a low voice. “What happened really affected Will too. You know how he is.”

“He spoke to you?”

Tegan picks at a petal of a red rose in her bouquet. “A couple of times. He’s such a sweet guy underneath all that attitude, but you already know that.”

“He’d hate you saying that.”

“Yeah, but he knows it’s true. That’s why what he did upset him so much.” Tegan’s phone beeps and she drags it from the small matching bag she’s carrying. “Jaxon!”

He glances over and points at the phone to his ear. She huffs. “Will!”

“Oh, I’m allowed to listen now?” he grumbles and heads over.

“Show her your arm.” She gestures at Will’s sleeve attempting to catch her new husband’s eye.

“No.”

Tegan shakes her head and takes Will’s hand. She unbuttons his cuff and pushes the sleeve up his forearm. “Show her!”

The mayhem happening around retreats as I stare at the inside of Will’s wrist. This side of his arm wasn’t tattooed before, and now a bright blue fleur-de-lys is inked there. I meet his eyes and Will gives me a hesitant smile.

“Will, why did –”

Distracted by a passerby’s scrutiny, Tegan drops his hand and steps back. “Jesus, we need to go soon. Jax!”

He covers the mouthpiece. “Tony will be here in five.”

“Take those!” Tegan thrusts the bouquet into my hands. “Sorry, I mean, please, can you hold those; I need the Ladies before we go.”

The whirlwind continues and I grip the small bouquet, continuing to stare at Will’s wrist. “I want to go,” I say. “This is mad.”

“Good plan. The press will be here and chasing their car any minute and I’m not hanging round for that fun and games.” Will grabs my hand and marches us to the front of the building.

A group of photographers hang outside and Will mutters ‘too late’ under his breath as we take the steps two at time, toward the street.

A camera flashes in my face, and I blink through the bright light.

“Why photograph us?” I ask, as I’m half-dragged down the street by Will.

“Fuck knows. Maybe me and you back together is newsworthy.”

“It was them!” calls a girl.

“No, it was Jax and Tegan!” yells another. “Wasn’t it?”

“What do they mean...” I’m suddenly aware of the bouquet in my hand. “Crap! Will!”

“What?”

I shake the flowers at him. “They think it was us!”

“What was us?”

“Getting married.”

Will grinds to a halt. “Holy shit!”

****

I perch on the edge of the bed in Will’s large hotel room in the centre of the city. I’m dizzied by the chase halfway across York and at the pictures of us online already. Will, me, a bouquet, and a headline flew across the internet in less than an hour. Jax and Tegan snuck out with Tony, and we haven’t managed to contact them since.