He Promised Me Every Flight, Gave Her Every One Chapter 08

He Promised Me Every Flight, Gave Her Every One Chapter 08

After the demand letter was delivered, the Sterlings finally left me alone for two days.

On the third night, Vows & Orchids Events called.

The planner sounded uneasy.

“Ms. Miller, Mr. Sterling said the wedding isn’t canceled. Tomorrow’s rehearsal will go ahead as planned.”

I held the phone and looked out the window. “I won’t be there.”

She sighed. “Emily already notified the guests. She also said Lydia would stand in for you during the rehearsal if you didn’t come.”

Lydia rehearsing my wedding in my place.

It was so absurd that I laughed.

After hearing everything, Sophie grabbed the phone from me. “Let her do it. Make sure she wears the gown and records it. We’ll need the evidence.”

The next day, Emily sent me photos.

White roses lined the aisle inside the hotel ballroom.

Lydia stood at the end of the steps in my wedding gown.

It was the same gown she’d tried on before.

Grant stood beside her, looking grim.

A voice message from Emily followed: “If you don’t show up, someone else will take your place. Eleanor, once you push things too far, there’s no graceful way back.”

I didn’t respond.

At ten that morning, Sophie went with me to retrieve my mother’s vintage pearl headpiece.

It was the only thing I’d insisted on wearing at the wedding.

The hotel manager looked awkward when he saw me.

“Ms. Miller, the headpiece is in the bridal suite.”

The door wasn’t fully closed.

Lydia’s voice drifted from inside. “Grant, do I look strange in this? Will Ms. Miller hate me even more if she sees me?”

Grant’s voice was low. “Don’t worry about her.”

Lydia spoke softly, “I still feel guilty. She has loved you for years. I was only back for seven days, and now she’s giving you up.”

A chair scraped across the floor.

Grant replied, “She can’t leave me.”

My chest didn’t hurt.

It only felt empty.

Lydia asked again, “What if she really doesn’t come back?”

Grant stayed silent for a long time.

“Then let her cool off until she’s ready.”

Sophie angrily reached for the door.

I stopped her.

Inside, the makeup artist flattered Lydia. “You look gorgeous in that gown, Ms. Vance. You and Mr. Sterling look perfect together.”

Lydia gave a shy laugh. “Don’t say that. Grant will get mad.”

Grant didn’t get mad.

He only said, “Don’t wear the pearl headpiece. It belonged to Eleanor’s mother.”

It was the only thing he’d protected for me in days.

Then Lydia spoke in a small voice, “I just want to see how it looks. I won’t damage it.”

The box opened with a soft click.

Grant didn’t stop her.

When I pushed open the door, Lydia was pinning the vintage pearl headpiece into her hair.

Her hand jerked when she saw me.

The headpiece slipped from her hair and struck the floor.

A pearl rolled to my feet.

The world seemed to go silent.

My mother had given it to me before she died.

She’d said, “Ellie, wear this when you get married. Then it’ll feel like Mom is still there with you.”

I bent down to pick it up.

Lydia was already crying. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drop it. I only wanted to try it on for you.”

Grant stepped in front of her. “I’ll have it repaired.”

I cradled the broken headpiece.

My fingertips went numb. “Get away.”

Grant frowned. “Eleanor, it’s already broken. Getting angry won’t fix it.”

Sophie cursed at him, “That was the last thing her mother left her!”

Discomfort flickered across Grant’s face.

Lydia cried harder. “This is all my fault. I never should’ve touched it. Grant, don’t blame Ms. Miller. She can yell at me or hit me if she wants.”

Grant immediately looked at me.

The warning in his eyes was clear.

“Don’t touch her.”

Those words brought me back to my mother’s funeral.

Grant had arrived with his tie crooked.

He’d held me when I could barely stand from crying.

“Ellie, I’ll protect you from now on. No one will ever hurt you again.”

The way he protected someone hadn’t changed.

Only the person had.

I placed the broken headpiece back inside its box.

Footsteps approached from the hotel ballroom.

A wedding emcee spoke into a microphone during rehearsal. “Now, the groom will take the bride’s hand.”

Grant instinctively looked back.

The stage lights came on.

Lydia was still wearing the wedding gown.

Holding the box against my chest, I turned and walked away.

Grant called after me. “Eleanor, stop.”

I kept walking.

As my heels crossed the edge of the red carpet, a pearl slipped through the gap in the box.

It rolled to a stop in front of Grant’s dress shoe.