He Promised To Be My Right Ear But Failed Chapter 06

He Promised To Be My Right Ear But Failed Chapter 06

It took Miles three days to call.

I didn’t pick up.

He texted instead.

[I’ve damage-controlled the wedding situation for now. When are you coming back? We need to talk.]

I typed back.

[There’s nothing to talk about.]

A few minutes later, another text.

[Audrey, enough is enough.]

I stared at the screen and laughed.

My mom walked in with a bowl of soup, took one look at my face, and didn’t ask.

She just set it down in front of me.

“Have some. How’s your ear doing?”

I shook my head.

“It’s fine.”

It wasn’t.

Miles used to know that. He’d keep his voice down.

The house had been quiet the last few days.

Quiet enough that I could finally hear myself.

That afternoon, I went to Crestview Medical for a checkup.

The doctor looked over the results and said everything was stable.

“We can recalibrate the hearing aid. Have you been under a lot of stress?”

I didn’t have to think about it.

“I used to be.”

The doctor glanced up.

“And now?”

I thought about it.

“Getting better.”

I ran into Blair on my way out.

She had a pharmacy bag and froze when she saw me, but the smile came back fast.

“Audrey, what a coincidence.”

I didn’t slow down.

But she followed.

No one at the office dares to go near him.

I pressed the elevator button.

Blair moved to my right, my bad ear, and dropped her voice.

“Don’t be too hard on him. He’s been looking after you for so long. After a while, anyone would be worn down.”

I watched the floor numbers tick down.

She kept going.

“You know what he said? After he walked me downstairs that day, he told me you always hide behind your hearing. That he’s exhausted by it.”

The elevator doors opened.

I stepped in and hit the lobby button.

Blair followed.

“Audrey, you heard all that, right? You didn’t miss it?”

I turned to face her.

“I heard it.”

Blair’s smile faltered.

“I heard you. Every word.”

She blinked, and the innocent look slid back into place.

The elevator hit the lobby.

The doors opened, and Miles was standing right there.

He must have come looking for me. He was holding a paper bag.

Seeing Blair, he frowned.

“Why are you here?”

Blair’s face crumpled on cue.

“I was just picking up a prescription and ran into Audrey. Miles, I swear, I didn’t say anything to upset her.”

Miles looked at me.

“What did she say?”

I kept my face blank.

“Nothing.”

Something smug flickered behind Blair’s eyes.

Miles stepped closer and held out the bag.

“For you. A new umbrella.”

I didn’t take it. A designer logo was printed on the bag.

That was always his fix. Break something, replace it with something more expensive.

But some things were never about the price tag.

“The old one can’t be fixed. I had someone look at it.”

“Audrey, what I said that day… I went too far.”

Blair hovered nearby, her smile slipping.

“Miles, aren’t you driving me back to the office?”

Miles didn’t even look at her.

“Take a cab.”

Blair froze.

“What did you say?”

Miles pressed the bag into my hands.

“Audrey, let’s talk.”

I pushed the bag back against his chest.

“Miles, I’ve got somewhere to be.”

“Where?”

“I have an appointment for my hearing aid.”

He didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll go with you.”

I shook my head.

“You don’t have to.”

“I’ve always been the one to go with you.”

I looked at him.

“That’s why you don’t need to anymore.”

The color left Miles’s face.

Blair smiled.

“Audrey, that’s cruel. He’s already trying to make things right.”

I turned and walked out.

Miles started after me, then stopped.

Someone was calling my name at the entrance.

Nolan Brooks was standing by the doors, holding my appointment slip.

My hearing rehab specialist, someone the doctor had introduced me to recently.

He smiled at me.

“Let’s go. You’re going to be late.”

Miles stared at him. The paper bag crumpled in his fist.