I Stepped Out of the Shadow of His Favor Chapter 03

I Stepped Out of the Shadow of His Favor Chapter 03

Lane Wilson had promised to go wedding gown shopping with me today. I’d booked the appointment two weeks in advance, carefully choosing a day that avoided Chloe’s rehab schedule. I even asked him three times if he had any other plans, and each time he said he was free.

Yet at three o’clock in the afternoon, he called and asked if we could reschedule. I sat at my desk with wedding gown design sketches spread out beside me and asked him why.

“Mark and the crew threw a last-minute gathering, and I can’t bail on them,” he said. “Why don’t you come along too? It’s just a quick dinner. It’ll only take a minute.”

I stayed silent. He softened his tone and coaxed me over the line. “We can go dress shopping another time. I can’t ditch the guys now. C’mon, don’t be upset with me.”

My plans always took a backseat to everything else.

In the end, I decided to go. I had to see what mattered enough to override our wedding plans.

When I pushed open the private dining room door at Harvest Bistro, Chloe Harper was the first person I saw. She sat right next to Lane, with a cushion propped behind her back. His jacket was draped over the back of her chair, keeping the AC breeze off her.

Someone called out for me to take a seat, gesturing toward the spot furthest from Lane. As I sat down, Lane frowned, clearly sensing how awkward the arrangement was. Before he could say a word, Chloe let out a soft cough.

He turned to her at once. “Is the draft bothering you?”

Chloe shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Still, Lane stood up and turned the air conditioning up two degrees.

The others at the table teased him, saying he acted like her personal driver and caretaker all rolled into one. Then one man glanced over at me. “You don’t mind, right Ella? Chloe’s been feeling pretty run down lately, everyone knows that.”

I forced a smile. “Not at all.”

In that moment, I realized everyone had long since accepted their dynamic as normal.

A server set an icy drink down in front of me. My fingers recoiled at the icy glass. Lane didn’t notice, but Chloe frowned slightly. Instantly, he asked if her bad back was bothering her again.

He quickly asked the server for another cushion, then poured a cup of warm water and set it within her reach. His movements were practiced and familiar.

I stared at him, and my mind drifted back to the night before. I’d been burning up with fever in the backseat, my vision growing blurry. Had he even glanced back at me once?

Halfway through the meal, someone asked if we had set a date for our wedding photos.

“We haven’t locked in a date yet,” Lane replied. “Ella’s buried in work, so we’re taking things slow.”

I tightened my grip on my fork. It wasn’t my busy schedule that had ruined our plans. He had canceled our wedding gown appointment on a whim.

Chloe spoke up gently. “Wedding prep is such a handful. Ella’s totally got this covered.”

Her gentle tone felt razor-sharp to me.

So I was expected to pick out gowns, tour venues, and work out budgets all on my own. Then he would simply pat me on the back and say I’d done a great job once everything was arranged.

When the dinner ended, Chloe answered a phone call and said a family member needed her help. Without a moment’s hesitation, Lane grabbed his car keys. “I’ll drive you.”

He only turned to look at me after speaking to her.

“I’ve still got work to finish up,” I said first. “I’ll make my own way home.”

Relief flashed across his face. “Text me when you get home safe, okay?”

I stepped outside into the night breeze and started coughing so hard I had to bend over. Just then, the bank called. The representative went over what I’d need to pay off my auto loan early: my driver’s license, the loan account number, and a way to pay. She also told me they’d mail me the lien release paperwork once the loan was settled, which I’d need to transfer the title.

I stood on the sidewalk and jotted every item down. In the distance, Lane held open the passenger door for Chloe. The car pulled out of the parking lot soon after, its taillights fading down the street.

I told the bank representative calmly that I would come in to complete the process the next morning.

Back home, I canceled my appointment at the bridal shop. I opened my laptop and moved all the travel bookings and wedding inspiration photos out of my pinned folders. A buyer messaged me on the used car platform to ask about the vehicle, and I replied that we could finalize the deal the following afternoon.

After sending the message, I booked an interior deep clean at the auto detailing shop. It was time to clear out all traces of someone who didn’t belong in my car.