Never the Same

Chapter 35

"Thank you but you shouldn't have done that. I could have bought one for myself," I sigh.

"I know but I just wanted to get you something so you can get back to some form of normality. I'm sure your family, friends, and work colleagues would like it if they could get in touch with you again."

I tap the box with my finger and nod with my lips pressed firmly together. "You're right. I'm sorry. Thank you."

"Not a problem. I need to go and get changed." He walks around the couch, placing a kiss to the top of my head as he passes me, and walks out the room. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

"Kaylee," he calls back to me moments later.

"Yes?"

"I don't forget about meetings," he says with a hint of laughter in his voice.

"You nearly did," I call back, matching his tone.

His laughter slowly fades out as he goes up the stairs to get changed.

I spend the next hour setting up my new phone, doing what I can with the battery life it has. Lyla offered to put it on charge but I declined the offer. I need something to occupy myself with since I can't go far and even if I do try to do something, I don't want to risk getting told off by the boss of the house.

I only stop messing with things on my phone when I hear the front door open and close, and I focus my eyes on the opened living room doors. Carlo comes into view and stands off to the side, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Miss. Fletcher, Miss. Nash is here to see you." He tells me. Allison moves from behind him and limps into the living room to sit on one of the chairs to my left. "Mr. Madden thought you could do with the company as he'll be in his meeting for longer than expected."

"Thank you, Carlo."

He nods and walks away. I turn myself as best as I can to face my best friend.

"I was actually going to come anyway to see you but my dad had to work and my mum is out with her sister today," she says. She nods to where Carlo was standing. "I was surprised to have him come and get me. It's normally been Jones."

I shrug. "I haven't actually seen him since the day Luca found us."

I haven't asked Luca about where Jones is because I've had other things on my mind. It hasn't even crossed my mind until now and that's only because Allison has pointed it out. I didn't see him once at the hospital, nor have I seen his car sitting parked up outside like I'd expect it to be. His name hasn't even been said in conversations regarding security that I've overheard Luca talk to Carlo about.

He wasn't even at the hospital today like the rest of Luca's security team were. Carlo was the one to drive us home, me taking up all three seats in the back of the car while Luca sat in the passenger seat. Honestly, it's like he's disappeared from working with Luca but everything that happened wasn't his fault. He couldn't have predicted any of this to happen and I hope Luca isn't blaming him for everything that's happened. It wasn't his fault and I'll tell him that if and when I get the chance to.

"You don't think he sacked him, do you?" Allison whispers.

"I don't know," I respond, not bothering to whisper back my response. "I can't see him doing that. It wasn't his fault. No one knew what was going to happen."

Allison scoffs. "Tell me about it. I've had to get in the painters and decorators again because seeing my flat the way it was bringing back memories I wish to forget."

"Trying to get a fresh start?"

"I had one!" She snaps. "I had a fresh start away from that creep and now I feel like I'm starting all over again."

"I'm sorry, Allison."

I don't know what else I can say to her. She had a new job she was happy with. She had a new place to stay. She was in a good place since the break-up and now it's like she's back to square one with everything. She's not having a good time with things of late and I feel so bad for her. She's only ever done good things in her – minus always going for the bad boys. She deserves good things but in order to get the good, you need to go through the bad.

"I just need something to go right for me but I don't think I'll be able to get over everything that's happened until the trial starts. I know for sure then that I'll be free from all the pain that that dick has put everyone I love and care about through."

"I think that's what Luca is talking to his lawyers about the now. He's been in a meeting with them and his dad for the past hour."

"Well, I hope his lawyers make sure the three of them get the book thrown at them. The three of them are twisted and people you'd only expect to read about in books or somewhere else in the world."

"I know but they'll also need some concrete evidence to the plan they made." I run a hand through my hair and rest my head back against the back of the couch, my eyes focused on the ceiling. "Shame there wasn't a voicemail on my old phone that proves Nadia's spitefulness to do something like this."

"I wouldn't be so sure of there not being one," Allison says with certainty. I glance at her as she rummages in her bag and pulls out a USB stick. She hands it to me and I look at it in confusion. "When I got home from the hospital, I thought it'd be nice to give you that voicemail I told you about that Luca left you."

"What voicemail?"

"The one on your old phone. I didn't tell you about it when I first found it but I kept a copy of it so I could give it to you on your wedding day to listen to. Or so that was my plan. Now I need to actually get you a proper gift."

"Allison," I say loudly, "you're rambling."

"Sorry. Anyway, after I got home, I was so angry and I wanted to look for evidence of my own to try and make sure Nadia will get what she's owed. I got my mum to take me to your gran's so I could go through the voicemails on your old phone to see if there was anything we missed. There wasn't but imagine my surprise when I hear that there are two new voicemails on that phone for some reason."

I sit up straighter, wincing when I push myself too far as the pain shoots through me. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. And you can take one guess as to who they were from."

"No."

She raises her brows and puckers her lips with a tight nod. "Yes."

"But why to that number?"

"Isn't it obvious? So they can't be traced or found."

"That sneaky bitch." I hold my free hand out for Allison to hold. She takes it in hers and gives it a small squeeze. "I would hug you but I'm in no fit state to move freely."

"A good handhold is the next best thing," she says with a small smile.

"Thank you, Allison."

"It was nothing," she brushes off, letting my hand go. "Plus, everything else that's on that stick is joyful things. I think both you and Luca will enjoy what's on it. The voicemail Luca left for you, though, I would listen to without him. Everything else, I'd wait for him."

I nod and grip the USB stick tighter. "I will. Thank you."