Chapter 273 Chapter 273

Chapter 273 Chapter 273

Kate

The car pulls to a halt on the tarmac and I look over at Elliot. He’s pensive and staring out of the window. A million miles away.

He’s been quiet for the last few days; it must be hard for him to leave his family.

The driver takes our luggage from the trunk and carries it onto the plane.

“You ready?” Elliot asks, his voice quiet and monotone.

I smile with a nod. “I guess.”

I lean up to kiss him and he pecks me quickly and opens the door.

“They’re waiting.”

Oh. I exhale; since when does he care if people are waiting for him? I take it he’s not in the mood for kissing, then.

He takes my hand and helps me out of the car and then leads me up the stairs and onto the plane. We take our seats and he stares out of the window, deep in thought.

“I’m going to watch my favorite movie today on the flight.”

He smiles.

“What’s that?” he asks.

“The Greatest Showman.”

He smiles as if amused and he watches me as he leans back on the headrest.

“Why is that your favorite movie?” he asks.

“I don’t know.” I shrug with a smile. “It’s about dreams coming true for the dreamers.”

A frown flashes across his face before he quickly covers it.

“Sounds boring.”

“It’s not, you’ll see.”

“I’ll be moving to my desk after takeoff, I have work to do.”

“Oh.”

He takes my hand in his as the plane begins to take off down the runway.

“You’ll have to watch it alone.”

I pick up his hand and kiss the back of it.

“One day, I’ll strap you down to watch it.”

He chuckles.

“Not if I strap you down first.”

I put my head on his shoulder.

“El.”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Thank you for taking me to meet your family, they’re more wonderful than I ever expected.”

He nods.

“They are.”

He falls deep into thought for a moment.

“Although if I hear any of them knock twice on anything once more, I may strangle someone.”

I giggle.

“Can you believe that—that’s how I met your mother?”

“A lot of unbelievable things have happened this week.”

He stares straight ahead, seemingly falling serious.

The plane takes off into the sky and I smile as I stare out of the window. I can’t wait to message Ed and discuss the week.

I get 10 percent of my information from Elliot, and the other 90 percent of his feelings from Ed.

Although, I have to admit, the last two weeks have been a dream come true in Elliot’s arms. I couldn’t ask for a more adoring, tender lover.

Fun, too.

“I wonder how the girls are?” I ask.

A broad smile crosses his face, the first one of the day.

“I hope they’ve been guarding the lake as instructed.”

My heart swells.

“What is that look?” He raises an eyebrow. “What do you think about when you look at me like that?”

I drop my head and smile shyly.

“It’s not so much a look, as a feeling.”

He stares at me.

“When you’re happy, it makes me happy,” I whisper. “When you smile, really smile, I feel it all the way to my bones.”

He frowns and drops his head and stares at his shoes.

I kiss his shoulder.

“You’re very special to me, Elliot,” I whisper. “You know that, don’t you?”

He inhales sharply and sits forward in his seat.

“I have to work.”

He gets up and takes his briefcase out of the overhead and moves his things to the desk a few rows behind us.

I lean around the chairs.

“Last call to watch The Greatest Showman.”

I bat my eyelashes to try and make myself look cute.

“It’s a hard pass,” he says flatly as he falls into his seat.

I chuckle and put my headphones on and click the screen.

Mr. Boring Businessman is in town.

The plane comes to a halt on the tarmac and I frown: Elliot is still back at his desk working. He hasn’t come near me for the entire flight.

I mean, I know he had to work, but . . . it was unlike him.

He appears beside me and opens the overhead.

“How was your movie?” he asks.

“Good, great.”

I smile.

“Did you get your work done?”

“No. Not all of it.”

He seems stressed.

“Anything I can help with?”

“No.”

He holds his hand out for me.

“Come.”

He thanks the cabin crew and we make our way down the stairs; Andrew and the Bentley are waiting.

“Hello, Kate.”

He smiles as he puts our things into the trunk.

“I trust you had a good week away?”

“Hi, Andrew.”

I beam.

“We had the best week.”

Elliot gets into the car and slams the door.

“Dropping Kate home at her house please, Andrew.”

Andrew’s eyes flick up to him in the rearview mirror.

“Yes, sir.”

I frown over at Elliot.

“I have work to do, sweetheart,” he whispers.

“I don’t mind.”

He picks up my hand and kisses my fingertips.

“I’m not having you sit there alone while I work. Go home and see your friends.”

I stare at him: something’s wrong.

“Is everything alright?” I whisper.

He stares at me as he presses his lips together, as if he’s stopping himself from saying something.

My heart drops.

If there’s one thing I do know about Elliot Miles it’s that he can’t lie.

His inability to answer that question just cemented my concerns.

Something is wrong.

What is it?

Elliot’s gaze goes outside and with his elbow on the window he watches the world go by. My hand is held tight inside his hand but he’s not here with me, he’s miles away.

I just don’t know where.

We arrive at my house and Elliot climbs out and retrieves my suitcase.

I don’t want to be here, I want to go to Enchanted to see the girls and check on Gretel the goat.

“I’ll carry your suitcase up the stairs—” he says.

“I’ve got it,” I cut him off.

He stares down at me, and I don’t know why but I get the feeling he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Goodbye, darling.”

He kisses me softly.

I lean into the kiss and he pulls out of it.

“See you tomorrow.”

I nod, and before I can answer he’s back in the car and the door slams shut.