This Can't Be Real

Chapter 26

"Leigh, I'm coming home."

I shake my head numerous times at the laptop screen later that night. "You don't need to do that. It was just some flowers from a random guy. It's nothing to worry about."

Saying the words out loud is my way of trying to reassure not only Joe but myself too. I want to believe that everything's alright and to know it is will put my mind at ease.

"I don't care. I'm coming home." His adamant voice has me rolling my eyes and readjusting my sitting position in bed. "I knew something like this would happen and it's funny how nothing's happened for weeks and the one day I'm not there, this happen. Who even likes red roses that are close to being black? No one I know of."

"Jess does," I mutter. She loves the dark red roses but she's only ever bought them twice in her life from what I know of. She said they were too dark for her house no matter where she put them, so always kept away from buying them.

"Yeah, but even she stays away from buying them."

"I'll be fine, Joe. Nothing-"

"Don't you dare say what I know you're going to say because every time someone says that, something bad ends up happening."

"Okay," I laugh. He's such an idiot, but he's my idiot.

"Have you heard from Jess?" I shake my head. "Have you tried to contact her?"

"You know I haven't," I sigh. "What would be the point? Plus, it's only been a few hours since you've left, so I doubt it highly that things would have change that much."

"Yeah, but look what happened with the flowers," he points out.

"That may be but you had an even better and more beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to me."

"I'm glad you liked them," he smiles.

"I'll admit, I was kinda hoping for white roses but the kitchen did need a dash of colour," I joke.

"I'll keep that in mind for when I get home in a few weeks."

I raise a brow and eye him closely. "So you're not coming home?"

"No," he sighs, "I'm not."

I can't hold in the smile that's bursting to reach the surface.

"Okay, stop acting cocky. But if anything else happens between now and the end of preseason, I'm most definitely coming home."

"Okay, that seems fair."

"Of course it's fair. Now go to bed and I'll speak to you tomorrow."

"Night, Joe."

"Night."

* * *

I'm almost hyperventilating at the sight of my new car sitting neatly parked up in between Joe's cars. The white Audi Q5 is a big difference to Joe's dark coloured cars which is something I can't help but smile at. I don't know if Joe planned on leaving a space for in between two of his cars for my car, but that's where it's parked and it's staying there until I decide to move it.

"Zachary, do you want to go for a small drive in mummy's new car?" I ask my son who's practically hugging the new vehicle before me.

"Yes!" He shouts, jumping up and down as he moves round to the passenger side.

I follow him round the front of the car, unlock it, and help him get into the back of it.

"The windows are black," he mentions as I fasten his seatbelt.