Chapter Twelve
Molly
Alfie was gone shortly before 8:00, and I’d gone back upstairs for a while. I wasn’t sure how I felt about everything, but I’d given him my word that I would stay, and I wasn’t straying from that. When I ventured down to the kitchen a little later that morning, I found a full pot of coffee along with a note.
Do some shopping today. It’ll make you feel better.
Alfie.
A grin tugged at my lips as I gazed down at the neatly scrawled handwritten note. Even if I still had my reservations about staying, especially after what had happened, the thought of shopping did cheer me up.
I still had time left in England that I could use up. Devon was a beautiful little town with unique shops that I had barely noticed the other day due to having drinks with Alfie.
Pouring myself a cup of coffee, I went back upstairs to shower and get ready before the rest of the staff arrived. They were pleasant people who seemed to enjoy working for Alfie. I never heard a malicious whisper behind his back.
I took the small black car Alfie agreed to let me use until I figured out what I was going to do. I frowned at the green acres that stretched out in front of me. I had no idea what I was going to do or where I was going to go.
In a matter of two weeks, I had gone from planning a wedding to calling one off, and then sleeping with my ex-fiancé’s former best friend. My head spun just thinking about the complicated mess my life was at the moment.
A light rain splattered on the windshield by the time I reached the outskirts of Devon. I found a parking spot in front of a quaint little bookstore on the corner of a wet gravel road. The smell of wet grass and bread baking filled my nose pleasantly when I stepped out of the car. While I loved the hustle of New York City, nothing could ever replace how peaceful it felt in Devon.
Peaceful was something I most certainly needed more of.
I walked along the sidewalks, occasionally strolling into a little shop to browse through at a leisurely pace. The cheerful conversation from the shop owners paired with the lazy and rainy day chased away the lingering apprehension I had in the back of my mind over what to do with the situation with Alfie. While he had insisted that I stay for free, I couldn’t get the night before out of my head.
A hot night filled with the best sex of my damn life.
I couldn’t help the wicked thought of rubbing that into Harry’s face. He had never been much of a man of foreplay or anything like that. There were only a few times that I could ever recall feeling close to an orgasm, but with Alfie, it had been almost instant. Every little grab, touch, and suck drove me over the edge to a sweet release. And part of the reason why I felt the need to pack up and leave was because, if I were being completely honest, I wanted another night. And another.
“Good morning, love.” An older woman with a white apron and her hair in a bun glanced up from the counter of the next stop I ventured into. “Not sure I’ve seen you around before. You visiting someone?” Her question was prying, but her voice was filled with warmth.
“Good morning.” I offered her a smile as I walked toward the counter. The bakery was filled with various pasties and homemade jams. I breathed in deeply and let out a content sigh. “I’m in town for a few weeks. I’m staying with Alfie—”
“Oh, I love that man.” Her voice filled the room around us. “He’s a great businessman and so good to us here in Devon. Are you family or a friend?” Her prying went deeper, it would seem.
I laughed. “Just a friend of a friend. He’s been very good to me, for sure.” I moved up to the counter and pointed to a loaf of white bread. “I’d love to get that country loaf.”
“You want it sliced, love?” She glanced beyond me as the bell behind me rang. Someone else had walked in, but not wanting to be rude, I kept my eyes on her. The downturn of her lips had me wondering who the hell it was.
“Sliced would be great.” I nodded and clasped my hands in front of me as a pretty blonde moved up to my right.
“Morning!” She bubbled enthusiasm, but the older woman wasn’t having it.
“I’ll be back.” The shop owner turned and walked into the back of the bakery, not at all impressed with the girl to my right.
I almost felt bad for her. I glanced over. “Good morning.”
“It’s beautiful out today, right?” She gave me the once-over.
“It’s raining and gloomy, but I guess. If you like that sort of thing.”
“It’s very much England.” She tilted her head and turned to face me. “You look familiar. Wait! Were you with Alfie at Albert’s last night?”
A strange sensation raced through me. “Um, yeah. He’s a friend of mine.”
“He used to be my lover.” She leaned closer. “Best lover I’ve ever had, if we’re being real.” She wagged her eyebrows, and though she was beautiful on the outside, I sensed she was a devious bitch just below the surface.
“Oh. That’s great to hear.” I shrugged and turned back to the counter. “He’s just a friend of my former fiancé.”
“Oh, yeah? It wouldn’t be his pal, Harry, right?”
That got my attention. I turned to face her again. “Wait. You know Alfie and Harry?”
Her smile wasn’t necessarily friendly, but more smug in nature. “Oh, yeah. I was in University with them both. We had some experimental fun, but then Harry got serious and popped the question.”
My mouth went dry. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hear the rest of her story. Harry had asked her to marry him? She was the polar opposite to me.
“Like he asked you to marry him?” I stood there, stunned.
“Yeah.” She shook her head and glanced down to the bread counter as the owner came back with a smile on her face. “We tried for a while, but it just didn’t pan out. His loss.”
“Here you go, love. Thanks for coming in. Tell Alfie that Matilda says hello and to come by and see me. I’ll bake him some of his favorite cinnamon rolls with extra pecans in them.” She nodded my way and turned to face the other woman. “Priscilla. What can I get for you today, Lass?”
“Thank you.” I turned and walked out of the stop, a little confused about the whole encounter. Did Harry and Alfie share the blonde bimbo back in college? That’s honestly what it sounded like, but surely not. If so, then Alfie was far more like Harry than I imagined possible.
Fuck. Maybe Peyton was right. Birds of a feather do flock together.
I got home and fixed dinner only to receive a text from Alfie that he was stuck at the office until late. I fell asleep on the couch in the living room, but sometime during the night, strong arms picked me up and tucked me into bed.