More Of You - One for the Ages // Book Two

Chapter 14

HARRY

Getting out of bed was getting harder as the days went on, not easier. Since landing in London and holing up at my mother's house I felt like I was losing my grip on everything that made me...me.

My mother was wondering. I hadn't found the words yet to tell her Elizabeth and I had broken up. I suspected she already knew. I didn't even know where to begin. And besides, speaking the words out loud...to another person...made it more real and I wasn't ready to face that yet.

Thankfully it seemed as though the house was quiet which meant I was alone. I would be able to eat my breakfast in peace and probably get out of the house before my mother returned and I'd have to deal with her worried glances.

I quickly showered, grabbed a muffin and a bottle of water and I left. I actually did have things I needed to get done today.

I walked into my Business Manager's office a few minutes after nine in the morning. He'd called me to tell me about a property he'd found for me. I wasn't necessarily interested in buying any more property, but he swore this was a steal and I needed to see what he had.

Floyd Bolton was a man twice my age but I trusted him with everything I had. And for the last ten years he'd done nothing but protect my money with the same type of vigor I was sure he reserved for his own.

He stood up from his desk when I walked in,

"Good to see you." He said as he reached out for my hand to shake.

I sat down as he did,

"What do you have?"

Floyd tapped on a few keys on his keyboard before he turned the screen of his computer towards me,

"Just came on the market. It's exactly what you asked for. Tons of land, close to London, built in the 20s..."

I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. It was the most beautiful home I'd ever seen. However when he tapped the arrow to scroll through the pictures, my excitement quickly dissipated. The place looked like it hadn't been updated since the 20s...and by that I mean, after a tornado had gone through the joint. I frowned.

"Looks...like it needs some work."

He nodded as he turned his screen back,

"Yes. But imagine the possibilities. You could renovate it to its original glory." He pulled up the listing, "And its being sold for a tenth of its value."

The eyebrow raise that caused was all Floyd needed to know I was interested. Should I have taken on such a project right now when all I wanted to do was bury myself under a building? Probably not but at least it was something I could use to distract from the near constant ache in my chest.

I signed on the dotted line and left his office on the hunt for a contractor and an interior designer. Before the afternoon was out I had a contractor meeting me at the house in a couple days to get my final requirements for construction...or destruction.

I stared down at the paper in my hand, reading over the address again and again. The deal wasn't finalized yet but I found myself on the highway headed to go see my new purchase. Now seemed as good a time as any.

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The house was set back off the street in the middle of a grove of big, mature, green trees that had probably been around since the days of Henry VIII. The house looked like something out of Downton Abbey but I couldn't deny it was beautiful.

It had, however, definitely seen better days. It was obvious it hadn't been inhabited in at least the last decade. I could see through the wide open front door that there were quite a few collapsed beams inside.