Page 98 of All For You

As we sped along, forest on one side, pastures on the other, Jane leaned toward Wills in the driver’s seat. “What about your family’s reputation? Aren’t you worried about being involved in all this?”

He glanced at her. “I only care about you,” he said simply.

I felt my sister’s love for Wills as she gazed back at him. My own feelings for Darcy were growing by the second. His face came to mind, tender and kind. As the countryside whipped by, the truth settled quietly, softly in my chest. I was so in love with him. He had become everything to me, and I couldn’t do without him in my life now.

Soon, the London suburbs were in the rearview mirror, and we were traveling through old London, cobbled streets, grand bridges, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the law firm near the RoyalCourts of Justice on the Strand. I clutched my seat belt. We couldn’t go fast enough for me. Finally, Wills turned into a car park.

Clicking out of my seat belt, I lurched toward the front seat. “I’m getting out here and taking the Central Line to West City,” I said. “I need to thank Darcy in person.”

“We can drive there afterward.” Wills took the parking ticket out of the slot and turned to me. “Thank Darcy for me too.”

“And me,” Jane said, her eyes soft with gratitude.

“I will. Good luck, Jane.” I gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze. Truthfully, I didn’t know how Sebastian was going to get her out of this mess, but he seemed our best chance. “Thank you, Wills. See you both later.”

I leaped out of the car and ran for the tube station. I didn’t even know why I was running, but seeing Darcy felt urgent. Our time at Pemberley had shown me how sweet and funny and clever he was, and how fascinated and invested he was in my work. Now, he was trying to save Jane and my family untold pain, at great cost to himself.

Giving him a second chance was the best decision I’d ever made.

Old spires and gray Gothic buildings flashed past me as my chest burned. He deserved to know people cared about him and appreciated him.

That must be why I was sprinting. As though this were life-and-death.

CHAPTER 44

Darcy

The ref blew the whistle, and my team ran to the sidelines, where I was waiting. My middle school soccer team was squabbling—mostly Lashana and Otis. Because of it, they were losing to another team that wasn’t as good as them. This was the first soccer tournament on the new West City grounds, and I’d spent months organizing this event. I’d been looking forward to it even longer.

But I wished I were somewhere else. Beside a woman with curls and curves and enough edge to keep me in place. She was across town in an office I vowed never to enter, but right now, I’d have given anything to be at that meeting.

“Whose mother is that?” Otis pointed to the sidelines, where parents were lined up. “She’s looking for someone.”

I glanced up, wishing he would focus on the game, and my heart stuttered. The woman’s curly hair was whipping around her head in the afternoon wind. She was wearing a white shirt and jeans, searching around or lost. Based on her curly hair and her long strides, she looked suspiciously like Lizzy, but it couldn’t be her. I’d certainly imagined her, because I was obsessively thinking about her day and night.

She curved a hand over her eyes. Now, she was looking down the sidelines at all the parents, as though searching for someone. Me? The wind blew her hair over her face again, and impatiently, she took a scrunchie off her wrist and thrust her hair into a messy bun.

I knew that gesture. She was definitely Lizzy.

That awareness of her struck my heart, swift and urgent. I hadn’t told her yet about Seb taking on Jane’s case. I was worried Seb would mess up or quit out of spite, and I didn’t want to get her family’s hopes up. Maybe Sebhad alreadybotched things for us and Lizzy was here to tell me off. Or she was upset I didn’t fill her in on my plans. Come to think of it, I hadn’t said much of anything to her about Jane’s turmoil. I’d been so focused on helping her, on facing Seb in the process, that I’d kept quiet. Probably the wrong choice, and she needed to know that.

I took a step toward her. Then I looked at the kids and reminded myself I couldn’t run to her right now.

She strode behind the lineup of parents, still searching.

I’m right here, Lizzy.Can’t you see me?I raised my hand, but she was looking in the other direction.

I turned to the two parents who were deputy coaches.

“Have you got this?” I pointed in Lizzy’s direction. “I can see my, um, friend is lost. I’m going to tell her I’m here.”

Lashana peered in the direction of where I was pointing. “Your friend who you want to be more?” she asked.

A faint prickle of embarrassment crept along the back of my neck. I was pretty sure Lizzy and I were a lot more than friends at this stage, as long as she wasn’t angry with how I’d behaved since Jane’s incident. “I?—”

“We’re coming too,” Lashana said.

“No, no. You have a game to play. You stay here with the refs.”