Becca.
I don’t know what it was I was expecting when Neal said he had an island ho, but it definitely wasn’t a small remote island just off the coast of New Zealand, cut off completely from the outside world.
Though that would have been the common sense thing.
The mont we’d arrived here, I found myself a little taken aback by exactly how remote this place was. Crystal-clear blue water surrounded the island, and with all the lush greenery around, it added a calming atmosphere.
“This is beautiful,” I muttered softly before turning my gaze to Neal, who stood behind . “How the hell did you find this place?”
Shrugging his shoulders, he glanced around at the small wooden ho with large windows overlooking the ocean only a hundred feet away. It wasn’t the biggest of hos, and in fact, it reminded of the small apartnt I shared with Tally once upon a ti.
“It was for sale, and I bought it,” he muttered before turning and walking back outside.
His behavior was weirder than usual, and before I could say anything, Layla ca prancing around the corner with a smile on her face. “Hey, I managed to get the kids’ rooms set up.”
“Oh, that’s great. Thanks.” The girl had been overly excited about coming here, and honestly, I found it quite odd considering normal people would be freaking out right now. Yet, here she was, just as happy as could be about being in this house on this damn island.
Overwheld and unsure of what to do, I made my way out the front door where Neal and Allegra stood talking to the multiple guards on the island with us.
Allegra’s soft blue eyes were the first to et mine, and as they did, I could tell she was upset. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a bun on her head, and with a chunky sweater wrapped around her to take the cool breeze chill off her skin, she sighed before walking over to .
“What’s wrong? I know that look, and I don’t like it.” I groaned not wanting to hear any more bad news from her.
“It’s nothing, just so things that were left at the house that I needed. Neal doesn’t want to let go back, but Sam, the head of security, said he had no problem taking .” I wasn’t sure what she forgot, but I didn’t really like the idea of her going back either.
“That doesn’t sound safe. I an, wasn’t the whole idea of coming here to lay low? If people are seen constantly going back and forth, isn’t that going to draw a lot of attention?”
The n all turned to look at after my comnt as if what I said surprised them. I was only pointing out the obvious, and as Neal looked to Allegra, the glance he gave was almost to say I had a point.
“Look, I won’t take long, and I’ll just stay overnight there and co back in the morning. It’s important that I get this.” Allegra was adamant, and I could see whatever it was she wanted to get was extrely important to her.
Deciding not to pry, I gave Neal a motherly look to say let her go. He must have realized what I was doing, and with a heavy sigh, he nodded. “Fine. You leave in twenty minutes, Allegra.”
I was pleased he was willing to allow her to go, and the joy in her eyes made smile more. Brushing past , she quickly made her way into the house, and as she did, I was left alone with Neal while the other n went back to what they had been doing.
“That was kind of you to let her go,” I breathed out as he stared at .
“Well, it seed like it was important to her. So, who was I to honestly tell her no?”
I knew damn well the only reason why he agreed was because I had basically told him to do it. He had been trying so hard to stay on my good side the last two days, I could have told him to buy another island, and he probably would have.
“It was kind of you. I’m sure everything will be fine, and honestly, she can grab sothing for while she is there as well. I left my knitting kit there, and I figured since I’m going to be here for a while, I could finish the blanket I started knitting for Dahlia I never finished.”
Laughter escaped us both, thinking back to when I had started the damn thing. I had been so adamant I was going to knit all her blankets and make all of her clothes, but the dream quickly died when I realized it was a lot harder than I’d expected.
In fact, it was so hard, after watching multiple online videos and tutorials, I ended up in tears in a pile of yarn on my bedroom floor no closer to completing it than when I had started it.
“Yeah, let’s not have another ltdown over it.”
Neal’s muttered response made smack his arm as he turned to walk down the steps. “How dare you! I’ll have you know I have gotten a hold of it rather well the past few months.”
“Uh, huh,” he smiled, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
The mont he was gone, I turned to make my way back into the house. I half expected to see Allegra with an overnight bag waiting to leave the house the mont I ca in the door, but instead, I found the space empty and confusion filled .
I had no clue where she was, and as I looked into the kitchen, I heard voices coming from down the hall.
“You can’t do this, Ali... you can’t leave.” The voice belonged to Layla, but I was confused as to who the hell Ali was. Did she have soone else in my ho?
Stopping just outside the door, I went to open it when I heard Allegra speak. “Layla, sweetie... I promise I’ll be okay. It’s just overnight, and then I’ll be back.”
“Ali, it’s not important enough. The necklace will be fine there... I’ll be okay.”
So the item Allegra was going to get was Layla’s necklace?
Why in the hell was she going to get it instead of Layla?
“Layla, your mother left that necklace to you, and I know how much it ans to you. The last thing I want is for you to be uncomfortable because you don’t have it.... Plus, I love how it looks against your skin.”
“The hell?” I whispered to myself as I continued to listen to their conversation. I was so f*cking confused, but more than anything, I wanted answers.
“Ali, you’re so good to ,” Layla breathed out before I heard kissing. “God, I love you.”
“Holy f*cking shit,” I gasped as I pushed the door open and watched as Allegra and Layla turned to with shock and confusion.
“Becca—” Allegra’s words were breathless as she ran her hand through her hair. “How long have you been standing there...?”
Coughing, I cleared my throat and started to laugh. “Oh, long enough, I can promise you that.”
The air in the room beca extrely quiet as the tension grew. I didn’t an to put them on the spot, and honestly, as long as they were happy, then I was happy for them.
“Hey, it’s okay.” The smile on my face seed to ease them a bit as Allegra pulled Layla closer.
“I don’t want there to be problems—” Layla admitted quickly. “Please, it won’t affect my job–”
“Layla, it’s okay. I swear.” I smirked. I couldn’t believe after all this ti, they had been seeing each other, and I had never even noticed the attraction that they had for each other. “I will admit I figured you with the wrong sibling.”
Allegra and Layla looked confused for a mont before Layla’s lips ford an ‘O’ shape as she began to laugh. “You an because I asked about Neal?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I crossed my arms over my chest and smiled. “Yeah, I an we had that whole conversation before, but I didn’t realize you didn’t like him like that.”
“It isn’t that I don’t. He is good-looking, yes, but he isn’t exactly my cup of tea.”
The smile forming on Allegra’s face at Layla’s words was priceless. I could tell whatever emotions were held between them were genuine.
“Like I said, as long as you’re both happy, that’s all that matters.”
“Thanks, Becca.” Allegra let go of Layla for a mont before she ca to , wrapping her arms around . She was older than , and even though she was much older than Layla, I found the relationship between them to be enchanting.
To find love like that in the midst of all the chaos was sweet.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be out in the kitchen if you need .”
Turning from the room, I headed into the kitchen to try and find sothing to do. With so much packing, there were a multitude of things. Yet, as I opened the first box, I looked up to find Allegra standing there. “I need you to do sothing for .”
“Sure, what is it?”
She sighed before holding back her emotions as if she struggled to keep them in check. “If for so reason sothing happens to ... promise you will take her with you.”
Narrowing my gaze, I tried to understand where she was coming from to make a request like that. I wouldn’t have left her anyways, but her comnt made it sound like she was trying to say goodbye.
“Of course, I’ll take her with . I love her to death, Allegra. But why are you acting like this?”
Allegra shook her head from side to side while giving a small frown. “With tis like these, you never know what could happen, and I don’t want to go knowing she may be waiting for here if sothing happens. I don’t want her alone.”
The tenderness in those few words touched , and nodding my head, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her once more.
“I’ll keep her safe, but promise you will keep yourself safe. Don’t be stupid.”
As much as I knew she was only going for a night, I couldn’t help but feel like I was saying goodbye to her permanently. As if this would be the last ti I’d wrap my arms around her, and I’d never see her smiling face again.
The idea caused small trails of tears to fall down my face as she gave a small nod.
“I’ll be back soon, Becca, don’t wait up.”
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