The Grand Pact (The Grand Men #1)(62)

“Outta your head,” he mutters, sounding deep in his own thoughts.

“I should get packing. I’m going to give Maxwell a call, okay?”

“You’re not asking me, are you, Luce?”

“No?” I say, lacking all the sincerity he had.

“I need you safe and your things over in that house before it’s too dark out. Can you do that for me?”

My chest warms, and I smile sadly at myself in the mirror. “Yeah, I can do that.”

“Alright.” I hear him shuffle around. “I’m getting some sleep. Call me if you need me, yeah? I’m here.”

“Good night, Elliot.”

“Good night, Luce.”

I stand for a solid five minutes, wasting time I don’t have while I try not to get upset. I don’t want to call Maxwell. He will help me, he said he would, but it’s not who I want to unpack this new chapter of my life with. It feels personal. It’s a memory that will belong to someone else now, and it makes me doubt my decision to ask for help at all.

Unfortunately, I know I can’t do this alone tonight.

Lucy: Hey, Max. I got a house! Could really use a hand moving if you’re around? Please.

Maxwell: On my way.

On my way, just like that. No questions asked.

I’ve never known anyone to be as straight to the point as he is. I call down to reception and let them know that Maxwell will be coming up. He arrives twenty minutes later.

“You don’t have much stuff,” Maxwell notes, picking up the first lot of boxes. “We can probably get these in a taxi. I can ride over and drop them off while you pack the rest?”

“Yeah?” I smile. “I still haven’t hailed a taxi. It’s the stationary ones I jump in.”

He smiles at that before turning to walk towards the door. “We can practice tonight.”

“Thank you so much for coming over. I know I told you I could do it myself, but then everything happened so fast with Ralph, and I had to pack up fast.”

“I don’t mind. Can I tape this one?” he asks, closing up one of the boxes.

“Yes, that one is ready.” I throw him the tape, and he makes quick work of sealing the box. “You said you work late. I didn’t pull you away from anything important, did I?”

“I’m always working on something important,” he tells me with a smile. “Alec said he and Polly would come and help, too. I told him I’d let him know, but I don’t think you’ll need any help, to be honest.” He scratches his brow as he looks around my room.

“That’s so lovely of them! Do you have Polly’s number? I’d love to meet up with her.”

Maxwell looks across at me, the skin on his forehead bunched up until he catches me watching him. “No, I don’t actually have it. I’ve only actually met her a couple of times.”

“That’s okay,” I tell him, “I will get it the next time I see them.”

He nods his head. “I’m sorry about Friday night, Lucy. One minute you were there on the dance floor, and the next minute you were gone. You shouldn’t be walking home on your own.”

“I know, but Polly left, and when I came to find you and Alec, you weren’t there. It felt like I was waiting at the table for a while, but obviously not. I feel silly thinking about it now.”

“Don’t. Just know that I wouldn’t leave you in the club on your own.”

“Okay.” I smile, picking up a box at my feet and following him out the door.

“Let’s get these moved, and then we can call up the others and get a beer.”

“It’s a Monday!” I proclaim. “I have work in the morning.”

“You have to celebrate, and it’s not like you can unpack until the old guy leaves tomorrow.” He looks over at me as we wait for the lift, taking in my pensive look.

“Don’t tell me you can’t hack it, Luce.”

I smile and roll my eyes, knowing I could use the drink to settle this nervous energy hanging over my head.

We load the taxi with as many boxes as we can fit in, then Maxwell heads off with them to Ralph’s while I go back upstairs and pack up the rest of my things.





Polly and Alec couldn’t come out with us tonight. Which makes sense considering it’s a Monday, and we all have work in the morning.

“It’s okay for you!” I groan, walking from the hotel elevator and into the corridor. “You get to sit at a desk all day tomorrow. I have to look at designs, patterns, and people. Ugh, Chelsea. It’s going to be awful.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. You needed to chill out.” Maxwell laughs, pushing on my back and steering me in the direction of my door. “Do you feel chilled?”

“I feel drunk.”

“Just as good in my book.”

I have to say it was nice to go out this evening. It was much quieter than Friday, and I would’ve only sat in my hotel room and felt lonely with how empty it now is. Once Maxwell got back from the first trip, he loaded up the last of the boxes and made me take a shower and get ready to go out. It meant I didn’t get to go to the new house yet, but Maxwell assured me it would be a nice surprise when I finish work tomorrow. He promised me it would be worth it.

So, I stayed behind and laid out my work clothes, had a super quick shower, and then we headed out for dinner, and I did my absolute best not to think about all the clustered thoughts plaguing my mind about the next day.