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His mind scrambled as the lights melted outside the glass. He tried to plan what he’d say, but nothing had gone to plan. He’d wanted it to be so different. He should have told her so many times before. The trip to Paris, after the explosion, in Maine. He’d blown every opportunity he’d had. No wonder she’d left.
He shook his head. It didn’t matter now. No matter how much the words terrified him, he had to say them. If he wanted her back, he had to tell her what he felt.
His chest tightened as James eased to a stop outside of the Magnolia’s quiet, unimposing facade. Its white columns cast long shadows, creating an air of solemnity. Leave it to Julia to pick something this understated.
“Good luck, sir,” James said with a nod as he climbed the stairs to the front door.
He nodded, suddenly feeling less sure of himself. The dimly lit lobby, with its long shadows, mirrored Grant’s turbulent emotions. He crossed to the elevator like a zombie and pressed the call button for the elevator with a trembling hand. As he waited, he studied his distorted features in the gold doors.
The doors slid away, ripping his image from him. He stepped inside and pressed the button for the third floor as a lump formed in his throat. His palms turned sweaty as he arrived on the third floor.
His heart thudded against his ribs when her room came into view. He swallowed hard. It was now or never. His future depended on it. Their future, he reminded himself.
He lifted a fist, his hand hovering in the air before he knocked on the door. Hope mixed with fear as he imagined the conversation unfolding. Would he leave here with a wife or a broken heart?
CHAPTER 28
JULIA
Julia blew out a long breath as she leaned back against the pillows on the too-soft bed. She stared down at her phone before she tossed it away.
Sierra had demanded to see her. She wasn’t surprised, but she’d hoped to avoid a long goodbye. It would be hard to see her in person. And even harder when they parted, but she’d told her she was just a phone call away.
She sucked in a breath, her emotions still all over the place. Walking out of Harrington House had been hard, but she stood by her decision to leave before the long weekend. She couldn’t imagine pretending nothing was wrong as she counted the hours before he sent her on her way with a set of divorce papers.
She flicked her gaze out her window, staring at the glowing city lights as she waited for Sierra to arrive.
A knock at her door pulled her from her musing. She climbed off the bed and crossed to the door. As she tugged it open, she said, “Well, that didn’t last long–”
Her words cut off, her jaw agape as she stared at the figure in her door. “Grant.”
His features pinched as he stared at her. “You’re a hard woman to get a hold of, Julia.”
She winced at the words. He’d said them to her when he’d tracked her down with her missing purse. “I’m sorry. I thought it would be best–”
“Can I come in?” The gravel in his voice suggested an underlying emotion that she couldn’t read. Was he angry?
She stepped back, motioning for him to enter. “If this is about the divorce papers–”
“It’s not,” he said as he scanned the room.
She let the door swing shut behind her, her heart speeding up. Was there some problem? Maybe a nondisclosure agreement that he wanted her to sign about the entire ordeal. “Okay.”
He spun to face her, his features still carrying a weight she didn’t comprehend. “Julia…”
She lowered her chin to her chest. “Yes?”
He shifted his gaze sideways as he shook his head. “This isn’t the way I wanted to do this…”
“If there’s some problem, I’m sure we can work it out.”
“There is,” he said with a nod. “A very big problem.”
She arched an eyebrow at the words, swallowing hard. What had happened? What was the problem? She ran her sweaty palms down her pants as she waited for him to speak again.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said.
Her eyebrows pinched at the words.
