I Don’t Want the Reunion Voucher You Never Meant to Give Me Chapter 07

I Don’t Want the Reunion Voucher You Never Meant to Give Me Chapter 07

I moved south, to Cedar Harbor.

The new office wasn’t big-right along the river, and the pay was worse than before.

Adrian found me while I was picking up dinner at the corner store downstairs.

He was leaning against his car door, the same way he used to wait for me after work.

“That’s all you’re eating?”

I stopped. “How did you even find me?”

“You really thought a new city would keep me from finding you?”

He pulled a thermal container from the car.

“Get in. I brought you dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Elise, don’t make me stand here going in circles with you.”

Same tone as always. As if his showing up was a gift I was obligated to accept.

I looked at him for a few seconds, then turned toward the office.

Adrian caught my arm.

“I flew three hours for this. Not to hear you say you’re not hungry.”

“That’s your problem.”

“I came to make things right. Is that my problem too?”

He pushed the container into my arms, holding his temper.

“It’s from the place you love. I had it flown in. Eat it while it’s warm.”

I looked down.

Chocolate hazelnut cake. Sea-salt caramel. A hot oat-milk latte.

Everything I used to love.

But I had zero appetite.

Seeing my silence, Adrian must have assumed I was softening, because his expression eased.

“Ivy’s been transferred to another branch. The launch photos are gone. The ring’s with me,”

“And-the wedding doesn’t have to be rushed. If you want to keep working out here, I’ll fly in every

week.”

He said it like he was offering me something enormous.

I asked, “You think I left because of Ivy?”

“Wasn’t it?”

“She was just the last straw.”

Adrian frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, without her, there’d have been someone else.”

I handed the container back to him.

“There’s always going to be someone who needs you more than I do, and then I’m the one who has

to be mature about it.”

“If you don’t like it, I won’t manage anyone else anymore.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is?”

Adrian finally lost his patience.

“Elise. I flew all the way here. I dealt with Ivy. What more do you want from me?”

I looked at him and suddenly felt exhausted.

“You’re not asking me what I need.”

“You’re only asking why I still won’t accept what you’re handing me.

Adrian froze.

I turned to walk away. He caught me from behind.

His breath fell against my ear, still the same familiar scent.

“Elise.”

His voice softened for the first time.

“Come home. The apartment’s too empty. I can’t sleep.”

My heart still ached, hearing that.

Seven years.

I’d loved him so much once that a single moment of weakness from him could make me invent a

hundred excuses on his behalf.

Adrian felt me hesitate and tightened his arms.

“I know you still love me. Let’s stop fighting, okay?”

He pulled out his phone, opened a new mystery box page.

One prize on it.

[Adrian Cole’s Unconditional Reunion-Redeemable Once.]

Odds of winning: 100%.

He held the phone up to my face.

“This time it can’t land on anything else.”

I stared at it for a long moment.

Adrian, thinking I’d finally caved, felt his mouth start to lift-and I reached out and closed the page.

“I’m done playing.”

His expression froze.

“Elise!”

“You still don’t get it.”

I pulled out of his arms.

“Every time I opened one of those boxes before, I never actually wanted the voucher.”

“I wanted you to be afraid of losing me.”

Adrian’s throat moved.

I said, quietly;

“But you never were.”

“You were just sure I’d come back.”

I turned and walked into the building.

Adrian stood there, still holding the mystery box with its hundred-percent odds.

For the first time, he understood that no matter how high the odds, they can’t force someone unwilling to reach out their hand.