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I lit up my first Djaru fairly ith the cutting back Brynne helped s were rocky with us, it was chain-s

I resolved to enjoyweekend Our first trip together I’d irl up to the Somerset coast to stay at h-end bed-and-breakfast and I ell aware of the fact I’d never askedwith one there before

Brynne was different for so many reasons and if I wasn’t quite ready to own up to those feelings publically, I did recognize them for what they were I wanted to talk to her about where ere heading, and ask her what she wanted The only reason I hadn’t already was because her potential answernervous What if she didn’t hat I wanted? What if I was just her first real relationship that she could test the waters with? What if she o on and on I just had to keep re myself that Brynne was a very honest person and when she told irl was no liar She told you she loves you

The plan was to leave early in the ht to avoid traffic, and I couldn’t wait to get Brynne up there I wanted soet out of the city and into the fresh air of the country I loved London, but even so, the desire to have time away froularly

A call ca ent present situation of my job responsibilities The day flew and before I knew, it was ti the office to tell her I was onthat needed to be done before the thing tonight and our iot voice mail instead So I sent her a short text: I’ot no response

I didn’t like it and realized right then and there, I would alorry about her The worry would never go away I’d heard people say such things about their children That they didn’t knohat real worry was until they had soh in their lives that measured the true essence of what it meant to love another person With that love came the burden of potential loss--a prospect too unco about the envelope from the stack of newspapers, I headed over to Muriel’s newsstand onand tracked ht have had a hard life and rough existence, but those truths didn’t alter the fact she was very intelligent Her sharp eyes uv What canna do for ye? I’ve every Aood" I sh, Muriel" I observed her body language as I spoke, searching for clues to see if she knehat I was asking or not I pulled out the envelope with the photos of Ivan and held it up "What do you know about this being placed inside the stack of papers from today?"

"Nothin" She didn’t look to the left She didn’t lose eye contact either Those two things were supportive of her giving uess and usewith

I set a tenner on the counter "I need your help, Muriel If you see anyone or anything suspicious I want you to tell me about it It’s iave her a nod "Will you keep an eye out?"

She looked down at the ten pound note and then back up to enuine smile and said, "For ye, handsome, I will" Muriel snatched up the ten pounds and put it in her pocket

"Ethan Blackstone, forty-fourth floor," I said, pointing to uessed we had as good a deal as was possible considering who I was et hoirl

I dialed Brynne a second ti I was onnot to answer and tried to i out with headphones in, or having her phone set to silent

I struggled with my worries Foremost, the emotion was still unfa I could set aside either I worried about Brynne constantly And just because this was all new to me sure as hell didn’t make it any easier to understand I was a total novice learning rave when I stepped in I felt my anxiety spike to very unpleasant levels and started searching "Brynne?"

Onlyout and she definitely wasn’t in my office Not outside on the balcony The bathroom was my last hope My heart pounded in my chest as I opened the door And crashed when she wasn’t in there either

Fuck! Brynne, where are you?

Her beautiful dress was hanging on a hook though The periwinkle one she’d bought in the vintage shop with Gabrielle on the day wetoo--cos halfway done So she had been here getting ready for tonight and our weekend away

I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, but she’d gone off alone before and what if she had again? After those lunatic photos from today, my stomach was in knots and I just needed to knohere in the fk she was!

I went in through to the bedroo a call to Neil in my half-panicked state when I saw Theof clothes and half packed bags was Brynne, curled up in the bed…asleep

"Yeah?" Neil answered I was so frozen, I still had the mobile up at my ear

"Umm…false alarm Sorry We’ll see you at the National in a few hours" I hung up before he could respond Poor matevery quietly, I shrugged out of my jacket, ditched my shoes, and crawled carefully onto the bed and curled around her sleeping forrance and letwas intense but I focused on her warured my addiction to the smokes would have to lessen eventually