The Tickets He Gave Me Became My Best Friend’s Trip Instead Chapter 06

The Tickets He Gave Me Became My Best Friend’s Trip Instead Chapter 06

A sudden stretch of rain lasted an entire week, leaving Magnolia House much quieter than usual.

One afternoon, I was working through the month’s accounts when the bell above the front door chimed.

“Welcome to Magnolia House. Do you have a reservation?”

No one answered. Heavy footsteps crossed the lobby and stopped at the desk.

When I looked up, my pen dragged a line across the ledger.

Julian stood in front of me.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and mud stained the hem of his familiar overcoat. He looked utterly worn

down.

“Nora. I finally found you.”

He reached across the desk for my wrist, but I stepped back.

“Can I help you with a room, sir?”

His hand froze in midair, and he stared at me.

“Nora, enough.”

He took a breath, trying to recover the authority that had always worked on me before.

“You sold the necklace to my assistant. You wanted the return address to lead me here.”

He set the jewelry box on the counter.

“Well, I’m here. Are you done punishing me?”

For a moment, I almost laughed. Julian had always found a way to make himself the explanation for

everything I did.

“Mr. Mercer, I sold a necklace. I didn’t know who bought it, and I didn’t care.”

I closed the ledger.

“If you don’t need a room, please step away from the desk.”

His palms struck the counter.

“Nora Bennett, how long are you going to keep torturing me? Do you have any idea what the past month has

been like?”

His eyes reddened.

“Everything that belonged to you is gone. You didn’t even leave a single strand of hair behind.”

He searched my eyes for any sign that I might soften.

“I’m sorry for what Mom did. She was wrong. And after the garbage Megan said to you, I cut her off.”

“Come home. Our engagement party is next month. I had the dress remade and put a rush on it.”

I looked at his anguished face and felt nothing.

“I’m not throwing a tantrum, Julian.”

“I don’t want you anymore.”

Julian stared at me in disbelief, his lips trembling.

“No.”

His jaw tightened.

“You loved me for three years. You can’t just stop.”

He pulled the scrapbook from beneath his coat.

Every torn page had been awkwardly taped together. He had matched the tickets along their jagged edges

and pressed clear strips over the drawings.

“Look. I fixed it.”

“I put every ticket back where it belonged. You wanted to come to Williamsburg, and now I’m here. Wherever

you want to go next, I’ll take you.”

I studied the cracked drawings beneath the tape.

“It was already ruined, Julian.”

“Taping it back together doesn’t change anything. It’s still trash.”