He Promised Me Every Flight, Gave Her Every One Chapter 06

He Promised Me Every Flight, Gave Her Every One Chapter 06

Grant didn’t return to the States until the third day.

By then, I’d moved into the apartment Sophie had rented for me.

The place was small.

A stretch of the airport freeway was visible outside my window.

The distant roar of planes taking off and landing no longer made my heart race.

At ten that morning, my lawyer texted.

[Grant refused to sign. He claimed the wedding was already underway and that unilaterally canceling it would damage his reputation.]

Sophie read it and laughed in disbelief.

“He didn’t care about his reputation while flying around with Lydia for seven days. Now he does?”

The doorbell rang the next second.

I opened the door.

Grant stood outside.

He was still in uniform, with his white sleeves rolled to his forearms.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes.

The car I’d ridden in countless times waited behind him.

Lydia sat in the passenger seat.

Her window was partly open.

She looked pale, innocent, and tired.

Grant stared at me, his brows drawn low. “Come home with me.”

A breakfast to-go bag hung from his hand.

It came from the airport café.

He’d brought me the same steel-cut oatmeal with honey after every flight.

But I’d never loved the oatmeal.

I’d loved that he remembered me.

I didn’t take it. “Did you sign the agreement?”

Grant held the bag out to me. “Eat first.”

“I’m not hungry.”

He stared as if he’d just realized I wouldn’t let him smooth this over.

Lydia got out of the car with my scarf in her hands.

The cream cashmere scarf was the first gift Grant had ever given me.

She held it out, her voice soft. “Ms. Miller, you left this in Grant’s car that day. I washed it for you.”

The scarf carried a faint lily-of-the-valley scent.

Grant explained, “She was cold that day, so I let her wear it.”

Silence settled around us.

Sophie stood inside and swallowed whatever curse had reached her lips.

I took the scarf.

Grant’s expression eased.

He probably thought I’d treat the old gift as another chance to reconcile.

The next moment, I dropped it into the clothing donation bag by the door.

Lydia’s eyes immediately turned red. “Ms. Miller, do you think I’m dirty?”

Grant’s face darkened. “Eleanor, she brought it back to be nice. Did you have to do that?”

I met his eyes.

“I don’t want things other people have used.”

His jaw tightened.

Lydia’s tears fell quickly. “Grant, I honestly didn’t mean anything by it. It was freezing on the plane. I was just shivering.”

Grant instinctively caught her by the shoulder. The familiar ease of the gesture stung.

“Get back in the car.”

Lydia shook her head. “I don’t want to be the reason you two fight.”

His voice softened. “Listen to me.”

He’d once said those same words to me.

The night my fever hit 102, I called him.

He was outside Lydia’s building because she was having chest pains.

I told him I felt awful.

He replied, “Listen to me. Call a cab and go to the hospital.”

Later, I sat alone in the emergency room with an IV in my arm.

The nurse asked if anyone was coming.

I stared at the message Grant had sent: [Stop faking sick just to get my attention.]

The needle pierced my vein.

Tears streamed down my face from the pain.

Grant saw my silence and softened his tone. “Ellie, enough. The wedding is still happening. I promise I’ll see Lydia less after we’re married.”

Less.

Not never.

I looked into his eyes. “Grant, do you really think I’m that easy to take for granted?”

He frowned. “Do you have to talk like that?”

“Sign the agreement.”

“I won’t.” Grant reached for me.

I stepped back.

His hand froze in midair.

A neighbor passed through the hallway and glanced between us.

Grant cared more than anything about appearances.

Sure enough, he lowered his voice. “What exactly do you want me to do?”

The elevator chimed.

My lawyer, Julian Thorne, stepped out with a briefcase in hand. “Mr. Sterling, since you’re here, let’s discuss the canceled wedding and the related financial settlement.”

Grant’s gaze landed on Julian.

His face turned completely cold. “Eleanor, you’re really doing this?”

I stepped aside and let Julian enter.

Just as the door was about to close, Lydia clutched her chest beside the car.

Her body went limp.

Grant spun around and ran toward her.