Kane Richards Must Die (20 page)

“Will you just
spit it out
already?”

“It’s nothing,” he sighed and turned to walk away, but stopped himself short to face me again, his face determined. “I just wanted to say . . . Good luck, y’know. With everything, and whatever you decide to do after . . .
this
.” He waved his hand around us, and I followed it, noticing my Mom watching me warily from her seat.

I nodded and sighed, turning to walk away towards Mom, but he stopped me again.

“Kane, also . . . I’m sorry.” He looked at me firmly; his apology was genuine and I knew he was apologizing for everything with her.

“Thanks,” I muttered, nodding my head again. He gave a small smile and turned, walking towards the girl waiting for him by the chairs. I watched her curiously, noticed how her face brightened and a smile graced her lips as she saw him approaching her.

“Lawrence!” I called out to him, and he paused, turning around with a curious expression on his face.

“Congratulations,” I nodded my head towards the girl, admitting to actually being happy that he had found someone. His face morphed into a grin, and he nodded back at me before going back to his girl.

I wished I could go back to mine.

Graduation thankfully passed fairly quickly. Girls were crying and hugging each other, guys were clapping each other’s shoulders in congratulations while their parents mingled and gushed about how proud they were of their kids.

My mom being one of them.

I watched her silently, focusing on her reactions and facial expressions. She talked with a bright glint in her eyes, and her soft feminine laugh carried out into the hall and warmed me every time. I could feel my resolve hardening, solidifying in my brain and putting itself into action.

I carried on watching her silently, until my eyes found Ashley. She lifted her head and looked at me, her gaze warming as her face split into the wide grin that I loved, her eyes bright and gleaming. I savored her smile, keeping it firmly locking in my memory as I slipped out of the hall. An eerie calm washed over my body, flowing through my blood as it began repairing my heart and gearing it back into action. I drove home in silence, watching the road thoughtfully, studying each line of the pavement and other cars as they passed me and turned off onto different roads, wondering where they would take them.

I turned into my driveway and entered the living area. As I approached the stairs, I brushed my hand along the soft wood of the railings before walking into my room and sitting on my bed. I looked at the piano thoughtfully, admiring the sleek black exterior and the gold-outlined planes.

The next hour passed in a blur, my body so calm and my movements so fluid that I hardly registered what I was doing before I finished. I walked to the door of my room and turned, remembering the space. I continued to smile as I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, placing the necessary things on the table for when Mom got home. A short time later, I walked out the front door and settled into the smooth leather seat of my car. I sighed at the purr of the engine and drove, my lips still turned upward into that calm smile, my body completely relaxed and at ease with acceptance.

And then I was there, walking into the building with all those memories, I squinted at the bright lights but carried on walking, never wavering till I reached the appropriate area.

I stopped, my body at a standstill, as a woman watched me curiously, her eyebrow quirked and her lips set into a tight line. I felt a flicker of hesitation, but it passed quickly and I was flooded once again with unwavering calmness as I carried on moving forward. The woman’s face changed into the polite smile required to greet everyone. That was, after all, her job.

“Good afternoon, Sir. What can I help you with today?”

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath, nodding to myself, knowing this was the right thing to do.

Because after two months of pain, I still loved Suranne more than ever. And because wherever the hell she went, I would damn well make sure that I would follow.

Opening my eyes, I gazed at the woman and smiled politely back at her, opening my mouth and giving the one sentence that would change my future entirely.

“First class, one-way ticket to Gatwick, London.”