She Took My Hearing, He Took Her Side Chapter 08

She Took My Hearing, He Took Her Side Chapter 08

Two years later, I was promoted to Lead Project Curator.

The team threw me a small dinner to celebrate.

Someone popped a bottle of champagne, the cork firing off like a gunshot.

I instinctively flinched, tilting my head.

My right ear still ached at sudden, sharp sounds.

But the old, paralyzing fear was gone.

Adrian stood beside me and handed me a glass of sparkling cider.

“Congratulations.”

I took it.

“Thank you.”

He smiled.

“Can you hear me right now?”

I read the shape of his lips.

And caught half the spoken words along with them.

“Yes.”

It wasn’t perfect.

But I could hear.

That was enough.

After the dinner, an invitation arrived from back home.

A charity music program for deaf and hard-of-hearing children wanted me as their Lead Curator.

It was in the city I’d left behind.

I stared at the invitation for a long while.

Adrian said, “You don’t have to go back. You can turn it down.”

I shook my head.

“It’s just work.

He looked at me.

“Are you sure?”

I smiled.

“I can’t avoid one city for the rest of my life.”

The airport was packed the day I flew back.

I dragged my suitcase through the terminal.

The air hit me first. That same humid weight I remembered.

I thought I would feel sad.

But I didn’t.

The city hadn’t changed.

I was the one who’d changed.

The day of the project’s kickoff meeting, I saw the Whitaker Group on the sponsor list.

Graham’s name didn’t surprise me.

My assistant asked if I wanted someone else to take the meeting.

I said no.

“Treat him like any other sponsor.”

Graham arrived at three.

He was thinner than I remembered.

His suit was still immaculate.

But the dark circles under his eyes told a different story. He looked hollowed out, like a ghost of himself.

He stood at the conference room door.

The moment he saw me, he went still.

“Tessa.”

My name in his mouth sounded far away. Like it was reaching me through fog.

I closed the file.

“Mr. Whitaker, please come in.”

The color completely left his face.

Like he’d never imagined I’d address him that way.

The meeting went well.

I walked him through the budget, the timeline, licensing rights, and the hearing protection protocols for the

kids.

Graham watched me the whole time.

I didn’t avoid his eyes.

But I didn’t linger on them, either.

After the meeting, he stopped me.

“Your ear…”

I interrupted him.

“I’m not here to answer personal questions.”

His fingertips curled.

“I just wanted to know if you’ve been okay.”

I looked at him.

“I’ve been great.”

His eyes reddened slowly, a helpless reaction he couldn’t control.

“I haven’t been doing well.”

I nodded.

“That’s not my problem.”

Those words pinned him to the spot.

He couldn’t move.

I walked right past him and headed for the door.

His voice followed me out, barely above a whisper.

“Tessa, I’m sorry.”

1 paused.

I didn’t turn around.

“You should have said that eight years ago.”

“Your apology expired a long time ago.’