No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

47 - It's Been So Long

My hands trembled as I fumbled with my phone to get Harry's name on the screen. I could barely see, thanks to the tears in my eyes. I left Sarah squealing with Gary and walked out into Reception while I waited as it rang. Harry picked up a few moments later.

"Hi." He sounded nervous.

"Hi." I sounded like a wreck.

"Are you alright?" he asked, uncertainly.

"No," I choked. "I'm a fucķing mess! That song..."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone, and I sniffed.

"Was it - is it about me? Perfect, I mean?" I asked, my voice wobbling.

"Yeah," he said softly, as I let out a sob. He sounded unsure. "Is that OK?" he asked.

"OK?" I echoed. "OK?! It's the most... the most... amazing thing anyone has ever done for me! And those flowers! It's... it's beyond romantic! It's - it's..."

"Perfect?" he asked shyly, and I let out a laugh.

"Yeah," I chuckled, through my tears. "It's perfect. Thank you. For all of it."

He let out a large breath. "Thank God for that. When I heard you crying I thought you were upset. I was shıtting myself."

"No, I'm just overwhelmed," I said shakily. "But in the best possible way."

He chuckled. "OK, good."

"Who else knows it's about me?" I asked, wiping my face.

"Um, pretty much everyone who had anything to do with it," he said shyly. "And my family, obviously. I've been dying to tell you for so long, but I didn't want you to think I was trying to manipulate you with it. I wanted you to hear it and understand it without my intervention. And I wanted you to love it."

"I do love it!" I cried, feeling fresh tears burning in my eyes again. "I think it's my new favourite. It's brilliant."

"Even more than Little White Lies?" he asked, sounding taken aback.

I thought for a moment. "OK, maybe not more than Little White Lies," I conceded. "But a very close second."

"You've only heard it once," he reminded me.

"I've lived it for the past eight months," I reminded him, smiling again. "We both have."

"That's true," he replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice too. It made my stomach flip.

"I wish I could hug you right now," I whispered.

"I wish I could kiss you right now," he whispered back, and my stomach somersaulted sharply. "I miss you," he added, so quietly it was barely audible.

"I miss you too," I said, in the same tone.

"I could maybe try and fly back on the nineteenth, between the Irish shows..," he began.

"I'm working," I sighed. "And I don't want us to have to rush anything, do you? It's only a few more days. You're home on the twenty-third aren't you? That's next Friday and I've booked it off work, because I've got an accounting conference on that Saturday and Sunday, so I won't be around then."

"Seriously?" He sounded so disappointed I wanted even more to throw my arms around him.

"Yeah," I said, glumly. "But we've got all day Friday to talk about... everything. Unless you'd rather wait until the tour is over and your diary is clear?"

"No," he answered quickly. "I think we've left it long enough."

"Me too," I agreed.

So the date was set for Friday the twenty-third. I couldn't wait to see him.