The Grand Pact (The Grand Men #1)(61)

The minute I set foot in my hotel room from work, I start to pack up all my things, stuffing everything I brought to New York into the boxes I had sent over from home. They’re mostly full, but because I didn’t have time to get more boxes, and the suitcase I arrived with doesn’t seem to go back together the same way, I have to improvise.

Elliot calls me at six p.m., and I’m a wild mess of panic.

“I shouldn’t have said yes to tomorrow. I’m so stupid. I still have your flowers here.”

“Luce, breathe. I have people in the area who can come and help you.”

“No. I will get it done.” I can’t think of anything worse than having someone I don’t know moving me into a new home. It would be awkward. I’d waste more time trying to not do or say embarrassing shit. “I could give Maxwell a call. He said he’d be happy to help.”

“The dick who left you on Friday night?” Elliot questions, his voice full of displeasure. “No. I don’t like him.”

“He’s a nice guy, Elliot. He called on Saturday morning to apologise.”

“Let me call my friend. He and his wife would be happy to help.”

“I’d rather call Maxwell. Don’t be annoyed, please. I just want to get this day over with.”

I hear him huff, and I roll my lips.

“You’re jealous?” A slow grin masks my face.

“Jealous, princess?” His voice grows raspy with the deep rumbling laugh that comes from deep in his chest. It rolls right through me and into my bones. “You’d know it if I was jealous.”

“So you don’t mind?”

“Call whoever you want.”

My shoulders slump. “You sound annoyed.”

There’s a pause. “I’m not annoyed, but I told you I’d come over and help. I don’t know why you have to be so stubborn.”

“Because that’s completely irrational. Why would I have you fly thousands of miles to help me move a dozen boxes?” I go to the bathroom and grab my toiletries. “Come on, you know it’s ridiculous.”

“Yeah, because I’d move a dozen boxes then leave, Luce….”

My brows jump in realisation. “Oh.” I giggle. “Ohhhhh.”

“Fucking oh.” He tuts, and I continue to laugh.

“Elliot,” I drawl, fanning myself.

Thankfully he can’t see me.

“If I let this conversation continue, I won’t get anything moved tonight.”

“There was a reason I called,” he carries on.

“What’s that?” I ask, a smile creeping onto my face, even though I have no idea what he has to say.

“Charlie has a charity dinner. It’s on the twenty-eighth of the month. He got you a ticket.”

I watch in the mirror as my features tighten. “In London?”

He hesitates. “Yeah.”

“I can’t come home,” I tell him, feeling bad when I shouldn’t. “At least not that soon? I’ve just got here.”

I’m still trying to find my feet, and if I go home now, I’ll never want to leave. I know me. I’m not ready to go home. Not yet.

“Why don’t you wait. See how you feel after you’ve moved. You might need the break.”

I drop my head, running my finger across the cool ceramic tile. “Ell, I won’t come back. Not yet, it feels too soon. I’m sorry.”

He huffs in annoyance. “Don’t apologise.”

What I would give to see him. Mum and Dad. Ellis and Ave. The girls. But the other side of that is the painstaking task of leaving them all again. It was hard enough the first time.

“It’s not that I don’t want to come home, and with everything that has happened since I left, I want to see you especially.” I bite my lip, my cheeks growing flush as I open up a little for him, hoping it will pacify him. “I’m nervous, excited about how it will be when I see you in person.”

“You worried you’ll jump me?”

“Or that you’ll jump me,” I accuse. “You were just as invested on Friday night, Mr Montgomery.”

“What? No, I wasn’t,” he says sarcastically.

“Uh-huh, don’t bullshit me. I heard you getting all hot for me.”

He chuckles. “I know exactly how it will go when I see you.”

“You do?” I grin.

“I do. I won’t be waiting long either,” he trails off, not finishing fully, and I know he’s pushing for me to come home still.

“I’ll come back, I promise. Just not as soon as this month.”

“Alright.” he sighs, and we both fall silent.

I feel sad that I can’t see him, that he isn’t here helping me move. The same as Mum and Dad. It’s things I’ve always had help with. The big things. But this is exactly what I wanted, and it’s giving me my independence. It’s all I’ve wanted for years. Oddly, it’s brought me closer to Elliot in what feels like the most incredible way, and I think the reason I’m so hesitant about going home, or having him here now as easily as he could be, is because he will have to leave.

We can’t do this like we want to right now, and that makes this whole situation really difficult.