Chapter 32

Skylar

Greyson’s plane was quite extravagant. I should have expected the tan leather seats and plush carpets. The cabin was wide and comfortable with ice buckets placed near the seats full of bottles of orange juice, champagne, and water. Blankets were folded neatly on all the seats, and all three of us had draped them over our laps and were currently sipping mimosas as we chatted about the trip.

It was hard at first for me to participate in the conversation. I had chosen a window seat so that when we took off, I would be able to peer down at Greyson’s estate. I didn’t plan on ever coming back to Las Vegas, and the view of his sprawling property as we ascended was quite wonderful. I could even see him, standing with his hands in his pockets, gazing up at the plane as we left him behind.

My heart was still crying.

I had somehow managed to stop my tears about fifteen minutes after taking off. Nikki and Renee were kind and gave me the time I needed to calm myself down without them asking me what I needed or if I was okay. I was the kind of person who wanted to be left alone when I was emotional. I didn’t like the prying eyes or comforting hands. I just wanted to be left alone.

When the tears stopped, I was willing to sit with Renee and Nikki and drink the mimosas they had made. They were cool and refreshing, and I made myself comfortable in my seat and listened to the girls talk.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever tell anyone about what happened,” Renee said. “I don’t think anyone would ever understand.”

Nikki shrugged and took a sip of her drink. She smacked her lips. “I was thinking about that, too. I won’t be telling my family. That’s for sure. They’d never let me travel anywhere again.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” I said. The girls looked at me. This was the first thing I had said since we took flight. “I don’t want Greyson to be in trouble. I also don’t want it to sound like he was the bad guy.”

“Me neither,” Renee said softly.

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” Nikki said deviously.

I surprised myself by giggling. It seemed to surprise Nikki, too, because she blinked at me with wide eyes for a moment before submitting to giggles of her own.

I gazed out the window and watched as we cut through fluffy white clouds. “This will definitely be a trip none of us are likely to ever forget.”

“I’d say,” Renee said, lifting her glass in a toast. We all tapped our glasses together and drank. “To an exciting adventure.”

“And new friends,” I said, looking at Nikki.

Nikki beamed. “And love,” she said.

I drank and so did the others. Then I rested my drink in my lap and sighed. Love. She was right, of course. I did love Greyson. Leaving him behind and watching him disappear into a miniscule speck had been the most agonizing thing I had ever felt. It had been worse than being locked in that room at the Bravo mansion. Much worse.

“Will you stay in touch with him?” Nikki asked after a couple minutes of silence.

I shrugged. “No, probably not. It would be too hard. We didn’t exchange any information. I thought it would be best if we both just returned to our normal lives and kept this week as a memory.”

“I sure didn’t get the feeling that’s what he wanted,” Nikki said. “From the way he looked at you, I think he saw a long-term thing.”

I bit my bottom lip and stared at my drink in my lap. “If we didn’t live in different cities and lead completely different lives, maybe it would have worked. But that’s not the case. He’s a wealthy businessman. He owns the most successful hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. I’m a nurse, and Houston is my home. I’m not willing to give that up. And I could never ask him to give up his career and his life for me.”

“Why would he have to?” Renee asked.

“Because there’s no way I would ever live in Las Vegas,” I said, polishing off the rest of my mimosa. “The trip was great, minus the kidnapping, but Vegas still isn’t my cup of tea. The best attraction it offers is Greyson himself, in my opinion.”

“He could fly you out on his private jet on weekends,” Nikki suggested. “You could take us with you sometimes so Renee and I could tan by his pool. How wonderful would that be?” She nudged Renee with her elbow playfully.

“It would be fun,” I admitted. “But unrealistic. We made the choice we had to make. That’s all there is to it.”

“But won’t you miss him?” Renee asked.

“Of course, I’ll miss him,” I said. “But I miss my patients, too. I miss my job. I miss my apartment and the weather in Houston. I miss the fresh air. I miss the breeze. My foundation is there. I’m not going to throw it away.”

Renee shrugged. “Suit yourself. I just think the two of you made a really nice couple. You never know what he’d be willing to give up or change in order to be with you. You never asked him.”

“Because that would be wrong. I couldn’t ask him to choose between me and his business. He loves his job.”

“Sure, he does,” Renee said. “But I think he loves you, too. He would choose the one that made him happier. Even a dog could tell which one that would be.”

“Okay,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I made the right choice. I want to go home. I want everything to go back to the way it was before I ever met him.”

Before I stared into those wonderful blue eyes of his. Before I felt the pressure of his lips on mine the first time he kissed me. I wanted to forget the way he made me feel when I was around him. Whole. Happy. Full. I could be content when I was alone again, couldn’t I?

After three hours in the air, we started descending into Houston. The clouds parted, and all three of us peered down as the ground rose to meet us. The greenery below was a refreshing sight, and it appealed to me much more than the dry tones of brown that Vegas offered.

When the plane door opened, I inhaled a deep breath of air. “I had no idea how much fresher the air was here,” I said.

“Yeah,” Renee agreed. “And keep in mind, we’re at an airport. It’s even fresher when you get away from all the jet fuel.”

Greyson had hired a car for us to bring each of us back home. I lived the farthest from the airport, so after saying goodbye to Renee and Nikki and promising to meet up with them in a few days for lunch, I was left in the back of the car by myself.

The loneliness was crippling. And it startled me.

I was an introvert. I loved my alone time. In fact, I needed it like I needed air. After long shifts at the hospital, my favorite thing to do was come home and enjoy my little apartment all by my lonesome. I loved running a bath and reading a book. I could do the same thing every night for weeks or months on end without feeling the slightest inclination to go out and socialize.

Now though, in the back of the luxury sedan, I found myself missing the heat of Greyson’s thigh pressed against mine. I missed the warmth of his fingers around mine as we held hands.

The loneliness grew more intense when I let myself into my apartment half an hour later. It smelled musky from being closed up for the week. I set to opening windows and lighting a lavender scented candle.

Then, in complete silence, I unpacked my suitcase and started a load of laundry. I boiled some water to make a pot of tea, and as it was steeped in my floral-patterned teapot, I sat down at my kitchen island and watched it steam.

I missed Greyson.

My eyes started to water as I did my best to try to think of something besides him. Something besides his dark hair, sharp jaw, bruised ribs, broad shoulders, abs, lean frame, bright eyes—Damn.

It was impossible.

I needed a distraction.

So I picked up my phone and called Renee. She answered, her voice a little hesitant. “Sky, is everything okay? Did you get home all right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m home. I’ve got my laundry going and stuff.”

“Oh, good.” She paused on the other end. I imagined she was sitting on her sofa, watching television or maybe preparing something to eat. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering what you were doing,” I said.

“Nothing, just making some soup. All my cupboards are empty so all I have is this tomato basil soup. Smells all right. I’ll have to go get some groceries tomorrow.”

“Do you want to come over?”

Renee paused again. “Hell yes, I want to come over.”

I exhaled with relief. “Okay. Come any time. Actually, sooner is better than later. Forget the soup. We’ll order takeout and throw on a movie.”

“I’m bringing nail polish,” Renee said happily. “My toes are all chipped and faded from the pool. Mani pedis?”

I glanced at the pink polish on my toes. “Yes, do you have black?”

“You know who you’re talking to, right? I literally have every shade imaginable. I’ll bring my collection. You can pick whatever you like. I’ll stop at the store on my way over and grab some snacks for later. Popcorn? Chocolate? What are you feeling?”

“Chocolate,” I said instantly. There was nothing better for a broken heart than chocolate. “Preferably mint chocolate.”

“Ew,” Renee said.

“Hey. Don’t judge. Mint and chocolate is the best combination since bacon and maple syrup.”

Renee laughed. “That’s also gross.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I said. “I’ll see you soon. Drive safe.”

After getting off the phone with my sister, I was already feeling better. That soul-consuming loneliness was beginning to fade away, and I knew it would only get better as soon as my sister arrived. I needed her company, and I knew a call like that was exactly what Renee had been wanting from me for the last couple of years.

I was going to make a point to see her a lot more often. It was good for both of us. We were the only family we had left, and my trip to Vegas had taught me that I needed to cherish the special people in my life. There was no one more precious to me than my little sister.

Besides maybe a tall handsome stranger who had somehow managed to completely unravel me in seven days.