Designing Abigail Kilton's Dress - #1 The Wedding Dress

Chapter 16 - Look Right!

The road back to Oxford Street was even longer than their trip out of the city. Kayleigh and Marcus didn't utter a word and even the loud rock music Marcus put on wasn't enough to drown out the thick silence.

He pulled over right opposite KHF and put his SUV in park, but even then, neither of them moved. Their thoughts zipped about dangerously in their brains, desperately trying to make it out of their taut jaws and tight lips, and yet, everything else was completely static.

Kayleigh was almost shaking with tension and only remembered to breathe systematically when Marcus finally moved and placed a steady hand on her knee. His little finger accidentally brushed hers and she watched as their fingers wound their way around each other's slowly, until their hands were completely intertwined.

Kay's pounding heart drowned out everything else. And then, Marcus whispered the one thing she was fighting so hard not to say herself.

"I don't know if I can go back."

Her body shut down completely.

Of course, they couldn't go back! How could they possibly go back?

She wanted to run. Run, run, run as fast as she could until she reached Southwold. And if she could remember a day when Marcus Burrows was not a part of her life, she wanted to run back to then. But that day did not exist. So really, it didn't matter what they knew or what they thought. What mattered was what they did.

But what choice did they have? Kay thought. They had to go back. They had to forget everything that ever happened between them.

Kayleigh tried to tell him all this, but when her eyes met his, she couldn't. She froze for the longest time. Then, her gaze fell to his lips and his grip on her hand tightened. His breath caressed her skin, warm and minty, and their lips made contact just as a loud ringing filled the car.

She jumped backwards but Marcus held her hand still, her gaze, and fired a command for his hands-free to take the call.

"Yes?"

"Darling, how's it going?"

Abi's voice, so bright and clear as though she was in the car with them, made Kayleigh want to throw up. The world around her started spinning around in circles as images of the blonde's pretty face filled her head. She counted her shaky breaths and focused on exhaling, but it was no use. The car was getting smaller. Everything was closing in on her.

"Good," Marcus answered steadily, wrapping his free hand around Kayleigh's cheek. He forced her to look into his eyes again, giving her a fixed point to focus on. His hazel eyes, bright under his furrowed brows. Clear, determined, meaningful.

"So? Can Liu do chocolate orange for us?"

Breathe, Marcus mouthed before answering his fiancée.

"Yes. It's sorted."

How was he so good at this? Kayleigh thought, doing exactly as he said. One breath. Hold. Release. Another breath. Hold. Release.

Slowly, the spinning slowed down.

"What about the design? Does Kayleigh approve? Is she still with you?"

Kayleigh wrenched her fingers out of his palm at the sound of her name and Marcus closed his eyes for a few seconds. "Yes. She's here." His right hand fell from Kay's cheek. "We're right outside."

"Fantastic!" Abi cheered. "Tell her to hurry to the lobby. There's a hot surprise waiting for her and he brought goodies!"

Without waiting for a reply, Abigail Kilton disconnected the line, but Marcus and Kayleigh were still linked, like a tattered rope being pulled at opposite ends.