Racing For Love

Chapter Fifty Seven

Frozen to the spot, I blink several times as if I am not really seeing Jono in front of me. His face looks pale, his eyes dark as if he has not slept much. Since I don't move, he gets up and walks towards me.

"Annie...can I give you a hug?"

I nod and feel his arms envelop me. It feels like home and I take a deep breath in, inhaling his scent that has come to be so familiar to me.

"You're ok. Thank God, you're ok. I'm coming back; I've just got to call Kate. Don't leave. Please don't leave." He says quickly before running his hand through his hair and heading outside with his phone to his ear. I finally move to sit in my usual spot - my eyes staring ahead as I try and process what's happening, and why Jono is here? Reality comes crashing through the bubble I have created. I put my head in my hands and sigh - I knew I would see Jono again and we would have to address our issues, but I had thought it would be on my terms, when I was ready to do so. I certainly didn't expect to see him here.

"Annie?" I hear Jono's voice from behind me. "Is it ok if I join you?" he asks, his voice uncertain.

I try to speak, but my words seem to be stuck, so I nod again and he pulls up the chair opposite me. On closer inspection, he looks dreadful - his eyes are tinged with red, and he has a grey pallor. I reach out across the table and he grabs my hand.

"We've been so worried about you, Ace. You literally disappeared. You spoke to Kate, told her you were going away and then nothing. Your phone does. not. fucking. work. You didn't tell anyone where you would be. Thank God you went to some cafe yesterday and paid with your card because we were finally able to track you down." He runs his hand through his hair and sighs before placing it back on mine.

"We didn't know, Annie. I didn't...I was so...Fuck. Thank God we've found you." he finishes and looks across at me, where I am taking his comments in, and realising that I have really messed up. A feeling of guilt overcomes me as I realise how much my actions have affected those around me, and I finally speak.

"Jono, I'm- I'm so sorry. I didn't even think. I just...after everything, I needed to get away. I didn't mean to disappear like that, I just smashed up my phone and then I sort of didn't want it to work because I needed this time to process everything on my own without any distractions. I should have realised that someone might wonder where I was."

Jono's grip on my hand tightens, his gaze locked onto mine. "Annie, I get that you needed space, but you have to understand how worried we all were. We care about you. We wanted to make sure you were safe."

Tears well up in my eyes, and I struggle to keep my voice steady. "I know. It was selfish of me to disappear like I did. I'm so sorry."

Jono's expression softens, and he reaches across to me, wiping away a tear that has escaped my eye. "Annie, you don't have to apologise for wanting to be alone, but I wish you'd have just told someone and we wouldn't have worried."

I nod again as I take in Jono's comments. "Thank you. And to the others. I'll speak to them later...Oh Fuck - my phone. I need to get it fixed!" At the thought of my phone, I realise that I left my number on the note for Giovanni - he won't be able to contact me if I can't even turn it on. I feel so stupid that it's taken me this long to work that out. I feel a panic rise in me as I think about the opportunity I might have messed up.

"Hey, we can get it fixed later - I've got a car, I'll drive you into the city. Let's just enjoy lunch for now? If it's ok that I join you?"

"Of course. Jono - I'm really sorry."

"I know. Now, what are we having?"

*

Over lunch, Jono filled me in on some details I've missed over the last few weeks. Kate frantically rang Jono when she was unable to call me back, and he enlisted James, Max, Matt and Faye to call too, until my mailbox was full and they still had no idea where I was. They rang to register me as a missing person, but had to wait for an allotted amount of time before the police offered any help, and then it was made all the more complicated because they knew I was out of the country, but no idea where. They tried to pinpoint where I had flown to based on the time that I spoke to Kate, but it was almost impossible until I bought that coffee and the alert on my bank card pinged. Then it was a case of calling all the hotels in the area (which was quite a few since we are in Tuscany) and eventually they found me at the Naturi Hotel.