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“Kind of, but also because I feel sick every time I think about Beck.”
I nodded. There was no news when I’d checked with Carter as we’d gotten ready, but I knew he would’ve called if they found Beck or knew anything concrete.
“How long is the flight to New York?” Laurie asked.
“Six to six and a half hours.”
Laurie frowned. “All that time and we won’t know what’s going on?”
“We have Wi-Fi. We’ll still get updates.”
“This all just seems like a dream, and I keep thinking I’m going to wake up.”
“Lying next to me in our sunny bed in Aruba? We’ll return eventually. You’re still owed some time in paradise.”
Laurie frowned. “That is definitely not necessary.”
“I love Aruba, and I was counting on that time with you. I want to be there with you.”
He looked away and didn’t say anything else I reached for his hand. “Laurie?”
“I just…I can’t talk about this right now.”
“All right.” Now wasn’t the time to push. He was with me, and he was going to stay with me once we were back home. We’d figure it out from there.
“What I actually meant was that I’m afraid I’ll wake up in St. Louis with Tommy.”
“No. This is all real. You never have to go back there. You’re my princess and I’m taking you to my castle.”
“Worth….”
“We don’t have to talk about details right now. Do you want something to help you sleep?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to be groggy when we get there.”
“What would help you?”
“I think if I put on my headphones and kind of zone out that would be best, but I still want you right here holding my hand.”
“Of course.”
When the plane began to make its way down the runway, he squeezed my hand tight as he reclined against the seat and closed his eyes.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” I told him and prayed I was right.
26
LAURIE
Iended up falling asleep on the plane after all. Maybe all the stress made my body retreat into the escape of sleep. I woke up long before we were due in New York, so Worth chatted about his family’s company, his apartment in New York, and his other properties; I just listened.
As soon as we landed, a car came right out onto the tarmac to pick us up, yet another privilege I never even imagined. We were dropped off at Worth’s apartment building along with the two security guards who’d come to get us in Aruba. I marveled at the front of the building and the lobby, which felt too fancy for me to walk through in the clothes I had worn on the plane. They were nice, but now they were wrinkled and all askew. I was sure my hair looked frightening as well, but Worth took my hand and walked in like he was proud to be with me.
We crossed to the elevator with one of the security guards following behind us, the other man remained in the lobby. The guard who accompanied us initially followed us inside to sweep the apartment, but once he declared it safe, he took up position just outside the door.
I’d been tense, waiting for someone to jump out at us, so it wasn’t until the door had closed behind the guard that I really began to take in the high ceilings, the natural light filling the room from the large windows, and the sense of everything being white, clean, and airy with accents of blue and plants everywhere to add in color.
“Did you create this yourself, or did you have a designer?”
