Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 156029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156029 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 780(@200wpm)___ 624(@250wpm)___ 520(@300wpm)
Charlotte’s step falters.
“Keep walking!” Wyatt snaps.
Charlotte puts her head down, and I drag her by the hand as Wyatt approaches the photographer.
“Get the fuck off!” the photographer cries out when Wyatt tries to take the camera from him. They get into a struggle, leaving Charlotte and me to head to the car as quickly as we possibly can.
“Meet us at home!” Anthony yells, turning and running back to help Wyatt confiscate the camera.
I open the car door and Charlotte slides in. I run around to my side and, once secured in, we take off quickly.
I look out through the rearview mirror to see the two guards in a full-on scuffle with two photographers now.
“Oh my God,” Charlotte whispers, dropping her head into her hands.
I grip the steering wheel with white knuckle force, trying to concentrate on the road ahead.
Looks like the war is about to begin.
13
Spencer
We drive in silence, but my eyes keep drifting back to the road behind us to make sure we aren’t being followed. Charlotte sits in the passenger seat, staring through the windscreen.
I pick up her hand and kiss her fingertips. “We have four or five days before those pictures go live and that’s if we’re lucky.”
She glances over to me. “How do you know that?”
I clench my jaw. “I just know. If they want top dollar, then they’ll have to approach several tabloids to sell the images.”
She pulls her hand from my grip and gives a subtle shake of her head, somewhat annoyed that I’ve been through this before.
I hate that I have, too.
I exhale heavily as my eyes drift to the road behind us, once again. They can’t find out where she’s staying or her job is gone.
Great. It’s just my luck that a photographer who recognised her was outside my place of work. What are the chances? Nobody even knows who she is in London.
“You’ll need to tell your father that you went out with me,” I say. “Warn him of the images that could be coming out.”
She runs her hands through her hair. “It’s not that easy, Spencer.”
My eyes flicker over to her. “It is actually. You are allowed to see people.”
“You don’t understand.” She rolls her eyes.
“Then why don’t you help me to.”
“Don’t get snappy with me. You think I like this drama?”
“All I’m saying is that you are an adult, and you’re doing nothing wrong. If they can’t be happy with our relationship than it’s too bad for them.”
She folds her arms over her chest.
“Am I right?” I snap as my eyes flick between the road and her.
She stays silent.
“You tell me right fucking now, Charlotte. What are you going to do when they find out?”
She shrugs.
“I’m waiting.”
“I don’t know how to handle them.” She gets teary and shakes her head. “It’s overbearing, Spence, and I hate that they’re going to judge you without even knowing you.”
I screw up my face in disgust. “I don’t give a fuck whether they judge me or not. But they will not judge you. I won’t have it.”
She stares at me blankly. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you’re an adult, and if they try to stop me from seeing you—”
“Which they will,” she interrupts.
“What are you going to do about it?”
She shrugs, her face sad.
It’s obvious that this is too much for her to take on by herself.
“I’ll take care of it,” I tell her.
“Meaning what?” She frowns.
“I’ll take care of Edward and your father for you.”
She huffs. “You haven’t met them, Spencer. They don’t get taken care of.”
I glance over at her. “It’s taken me thirty-seven years to find you, Charlotte. I won’t be forced out of your life by your family.”
“I don’t want you to be.” She softens and reaches over to raise and kiss my hand. “They’ll push you away, though. I know they will. They’ll make it so difficult for you that you’ll eventually leave.” Her voice cracks on the last word.
I pull the car over to the side of the road and turn to her. “Angel…” I smile softly and cup her face in my hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes search mine. “Promise me that they won’t come between us.”
“I’m the one asking you to promise me that.”
“What do you mean?” She frowns, confused.
“We’ll go to Nottingham together and tell them you are moving to London. Then you’ll leave with me, with or without their permission.”
Her face falls and she shakes her head. “Spencer, they’ll go insane if I do that. I can’t do it that way. They’ll come after me with guns blazing.”
My eyes hold hers. “Charlotte...”
She stares at me through her unshed tears, already terrified of their reaction.
“It’s time,” I say calmly.
She drops her head and stares at her hands in her lap.
“You are not a child. You are not a possession to be owned. Stop allowing them this control over you. You’re with me now. We’re happy, and we’re not hurting anyone.”