Alfie apparently kept his word. Fancy that.
I looked up in the mirror with a grimace. My hair was a tangled mess while the remaining makeup from yesterday had smudged itself underneath my eyes. Combing my fingers through the tangles in my hair, I worked the knots out as best as I could before pulling it up into a bun. I turned the cold water to splash it across my cheeks in hope that it would wash away the sleep lingering there.
Pillow marks covered my right cheek from when I had gotten out of bed quickly at the sound of someone knocking and ringing the doorbell. I rubbed at the creases in my skin with a scowl. Great look, Molly. You look like a hung over rag doll tossed in the gutter.
“This is the best as it is going to get,” I said, shaking my head at the reflection of myself in the mirror. Creased right cheek, pink tinge to my skin from splashing myself with icy water, and red eyes from scrubbing at the makeup underneath of them. I looked like a mess, but given the situation I was in with Harry cheating on me, I doubted that Alfie would judge my appearance too horribly. He knew I’d been through hell.
I didn’t even know what brought me to take Alfie’s keys to his estate and car. It was sheer impulse to get away from Harry as quickly as I possibly could. I had to get away from him. I would’ve taken anyone’s keys if offered.
It had nothing to do with the fact that I found Alfie rather attractive. He was tall, handsome, clean cut, and in shape. His dark brown hair framed his strong features and accentuated the warmth in his eyes. His life was in order too. He had built up his own phone business in London before branching out to the United States with little help from anyone.
I found a pair of leggings and a sweater in my suitcase. I didn’t have time to shower with Alfie waiting for me downstairs with lunch, so I changed quickly, a ball of nerves growing in my stomach.
Alfie looked up from one of the sandwiches he was cutting neatly when I walked in a few minutes later. His eyes flicked over me before focusing back on the sandwich on the cutting board.
“You look good,” he said. “I know you’re probably still dealing with the emotions of everything that’s been going on, but I figured some food could do you good.”
“More like alcohol,” I said, tiredly, and smiled gratefully at him when he pushed a sandwich over to me. My stomach did grumble for the first time since landing in England. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Alfie gave a nod.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Any word from Harry?”
The question nearly squashed my appetite as I took a bite of the cilantro and chicken sandwich. I took in Alfie’s expression as he stared across the kitchen counter at me with unchecked curiosity. I swallowed hard, taking down more than just my bite of sandwich.
“He texted me,” I said, slowly. “That’s about it. Why?”
“You didn’t mention that you were staying here with me, did you?”
“No. I never replied to him.”
“Good,” Alfie said, sighing in visible relief. “I told him back at the church that you were boarding a plane with Peyton to go back to America. I figured you could use the quiet to think without him bombarding you with excuses and false promises.”
Touched by the sincerity of that, I offered him a small smile. “Thank you. I appreciate that, and everything else too.”
“You’re welcome. Tea?”
“Sure,” I said. I watched Alfie as he moved about the kitchen with familiarity and grace. “I promise that I’ll be out of your hair though as soon as I can find a hotel to stay in. Do you have any suggestions?”
“None that Harry isn’t checking,” he replied, coolly. He turned around to give me a long look before setting the black kettle on the stove. “Don’t think I’m kicking you out here. You can stay here for free until you figure out what you want to do.”
I hesitated in accepting the offer. Spending any more time in Alfie’s company after what happened with Harry didn’t sit well in my morals. Something felt dirty or maybe wrong about it. I would have come unglued if Harry stayed a few weeks with Peyton after we parted ways, right? I thought I might, but who knew. I was in no place to figure anything out other than what my next move might be.
The issue of staying with Alfie left one more very real problem… I would never hear the end of it if Harry found out somehow. Knowing my luck, he would.
“If you’re sure—” I started.
“I’m sure; trust me,” he cut in, wryly. “I wouldn’t have let you borrow my car, or house, if I wasn’t sure about it. You can just tell with some people. I’ve been in business for quite some time. It’s part of the job, you know?”
“I guess.” I smiled. “I thought I knew Harry, but I was completely off there.”
“People change, and sometimes it’s for the worst.” He shook his head, looking a little bewildered. “I’m just honestly taken aback by everything that’s happened. I wish I could make it up to you.”
“Thank you,” I whispered softly as the air suddenly felt so hard to breathe. I refused to break down. Harry was an asshole, and I was an idiot. I had to keep those type of thoughts at arm’s length, or I would spend a week crying over the shitty decisions I’d made that led me up to that point.
Maybe staying with Alfie wasn’t the smartest choice. It was better than having to check into a hotel for the next two weeks while hiding out from Harry or anyone who knew them. Still, a part of me cautioned that Alfie had been Harry’s best man in the wedding. Even if he seemed appalled by Harry’s recent behavior, they were still friends to a certain degree.
“I don’t have any motives out of this,” Alfie stated then, as if he could read my mind. “If you’re thinking I have some sort of idea in the back of my head, I can promise you that I don’t.”