Chapter 83 Chapter eighty four

Chapter 83 Chapter eighty four
I pulled my jacket closer, shivering as I stepped out of the dorm building, my luggage wheels scraping behind me on the salted sidewalk. 
A single snowflake drifted down and landed squarely on the bridge of my nose. I sneezed loudly, the sound echoing.
“You know, in some places that’s considered good luck,” a warm voice called.
I smiled before I even looked up. 
Jace broke into a light jog, his scarf fluttering behind him. He reached me in seconds, unwinding the soft wool from his neck and wrapping it snugly around mine. The scent of his cologne enveloped me as he took my cold hands and slid them into his coat pockets, his fingers interlacing with mine.
“You need to stay warm, Grace Thompson,” he scolded. “I don’t want your mom blaming me for letting you catch a cold on my watch.”
“She’s—” Another sneeze exploded out of me, louder than the first. Jace clicked his tongue, already taking out a handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped my nose with care, folded it into another square, and tucked it away. 
Then he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the tip of my nose. “You’re so adorable,” he murmured, his eyes crinkling.
I sniffed, my voice hoarse. “Nobody looks adorable when they’re sneezing everywhere.”
“Well, now you know someone who disagrees.” He took my arm and my luggage handle in one smooth motion, urging me along. 
“Come on. Seraphine and Jackson left an hour ago. Nicholas is staying back to help Sophie with some last-minute things—they’ll head out tomorrow.”
He gave me a sideways wink. “You and I get the next two weeks mostly to ourselves.”
The winter party had passed. The weeks had flown by. The holiday season was finally here. 
“That’s if I don’t get bored of you after the first day,” I mumbled, knowing full well he’d hear it.
“Impossible. I’m the best company anyone could ever ask for, remember?”
I snorted. “That’s what you tell yourself, Hunter. But people who brag usually aren’t what they claim.”
He shook his head, undeterred, and leaned close enough that his lips brushed my ear. “Big words for someone I distinctly remember curling into bed last night and nudging me awake because I’d fallen asleep like she asked—even though I offered multiple times to stay up and help her pack.”
“It was my bed,” I protested, tilting my chin.
“And you said I could sleep there.”
“You knew I didn’t mean it.”
“But you also said—and I quote—” he raised a finger dramatically, “‘Why would I claim to want one thing and then tell you another?’”
Ugh. He was too quick for his own good. I jabbed my elbow into his stomach, hard enough to hurt, but it barely registered. He just laughed and pulled me closer, refusing to let go of my hand as he loaded my luggage into the trunk. 
The very empty trunk.
“Wait,” I said, turning to him. “Where’s your stuff?”
He frowned, genuinely puzzled. “What stuff?”
I opened my mouth to answer and sneezed all over his shoulder instead. “See? That’s why you shouldn’t stand so close. You’re going to catch whatever this is.”
“And I’ll happily take the bed next to you in the hospital,” he replied without missing a beat. “Or better yet, I’ll request the VVIP suite. They let you make special requests. I’ll ask for a bed big enough for both of us.”
It was ridiculously cheesy, but it worked. I laughed despite myself.
Jace opened the passenger door for me, waited until I was settled, then closed it gently before circling to the driver’s side. The car smelled like him—leather seats, faint cologne, and the crisp winter air that had followed us inside.
“We’re heading to the private heliport about thirty minutes from here,” he said, starting the engine. “The helicopter will take us straight to—”
“Wait.” I tilted my head, staring at him. “Two things. Why don’t you have any luggage, and what do you mean by helicopter?”
He blinked. “School stuff belongs at school. House stuff belongs at home. And I wasn’t about to make you sit in traffic for hours when we can fly instead.”
I had always packed everything up and hauled it home during breaks because I didn’t have enough money to get house stuff and school stuff. 
Apparently, I’d been doing it differently this whole time. 
“I’ve never been in a helicopter,” I admitted, pushing away the feeling of insecurity that threatened to creep in. 
Jace had never made me feel like I was in a lesser class than he was—and I knew if I told him why I had my luggage packed, he’d cancel the drive home and we’d spend the entire day shopping.  
“Not once?” He teased. 
I shook my head. 
He reached over, patted my head affectionately, then cupped my face and kissed me slowly and reassuringly, and just long enough to make my pulse skip. 
When he pulled back, I caught the sneaky gleam in his eyes. “It’s scary at first,” he murmured close to my ear. “You can hold my hand the whole time. Jump into my lap if you need to. I’ll be your knight in shining armor.”
I scoffed under my breath and reached for the door handle in mock protest. He promptly locked it from the central panel.
“I’m done,” I declared as I turned back, folding my arms. “I’ve thought about it. I’m taking the bus home.”
“Your house is hours away,” he pointed out, his lips twitching.
I shrugged. “I don’t care. I’ll take as many buses as it takes. There’s even a train—” I widened my eyes with exaggerated excitement. “Did I tell you about the train? It—”
“I forgot you’re the Grace Thompson,” he said solemnly, pressing his palms together and lowering his gaze in fake reverence. “You don’t need anybody. You don’t need me. I’m the one who needs you.”
I couldn’t hold back the laugh. “Actually…I’m scared of heights.”
“Perfect,” he said, threading his fingers through mine again. “You can start practicing now. I don’t mind.”
I leaned across the console and kissed his cheek. “How about this? Do I get to practice this too?”
His eyes darkened as his gaze dropped to my mouth. “How does your mom feel about us taking a little detour to my parents’ beach house? There’s a private hangar an hour from here. We’d be there in no time—though I was planning to break a few traffic laws if necessary.”
I laughed for a bit, snorting at the end. “You’ll get into trouble. And I’ll be in trouble too, since I was in the car with you.”
He placed a hand to his chest, looking almost serious. “I’ll tell them I took you hostage. You don’t have to worry about a thing.” 
Because he was so adorable when he was willing to commit an offense for me—and because he’d committed several offenses for me, I kissed him properly this time. 
I cupped the back of his neck, tilting my head to block out the snow view beyond the windows. His hand slid to my waist, pulling me closer. Eventually, we pulled apart, both a little breathless. 
“You sure you’re okay with the helicopter?” He murmured, stroking my cheek. “I know I said I’d hold your hand, but we can drive if you really want.”
I shook my head. “No. I trust you.”
“You shouldn’t trust anybody, Thompson. Except…me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Just drive.” 

The drive to the heliport passed in comfortable conversation, and snow fell steadily, turning the world soft and quiet. When we arrived, Jace handled everything, signing the papers, securing my bag, while I stood beside him, trying not to look as nervous and as out of place as I felt. 
He helped me into the seat, buckled me in with careful hands, then took the spot beside me. He slipped noise-canceling headphones over my ears and adjusted the mic.
“Ready?” his voice came through clearly.
I gripped his hand like it was a lifeline. “No. But let’s go anyway.”
The engine roared to life. The helicopter lifted smoothly, and the ground fell away beneath us, snow-covered fields and trees shrinking rapidly. My free hand clutched the seat belt as my stomach dropped into a churning pit of doom and gloom.
“Hey,” Jace said softly, squeezing my fingers. “Look at me.”
I turned, staring into eyes that held warmth and were completely unafraid. He lifted our joined hands and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. “Breathe with me. In…out. That’s it. You’re doing great, Thompson.”
Gradually, the panic eased, and I could look through the window. 
The view outside was incredible, despite the thick blanket of snow that covered almost everything in sight. I managed a shaky laugh when Jace pointed out a frozen lake that looked like a silver coin from up here.
By the time we began our descent toward the landing pad on top of a skyscraper somewhere in my mom’s neighborhood, I was leaning into him, my head on his shoulder.
“See?” he murmured, his lips brushing my temple. “You survived. My brave girl.”
“I almost threw up all over you,” I confessed. 
“And I would’ve worn it like a badge of honor to meet your mom.”
I made a stink face. “Ew.” 
The helicopter touched down gently. Jace helped me out, keeping an arm around my waist until my legs stopped feeling like jelly. The earmuffs helped to mask the noise as the helicopter slowly came to a stop. 
A door opened just to the rear, and a man in a black suit came rushing out, bowing slightly when he stopped in front of Jace. 
I turned to my beloved boyfriend.  
He looked like he’d be avoiding this specific moment, glancing away and rubbing a hand across his chin. “My grandfather owns the building,” he mumbled. “I sorta had to ask him so we could use the helicopter and his landing pad.”
My jaw dipped a bit. His grandfather? This towering scraper? What next, he was going to tell me he came from a long line of royalty? 
“And,” Jace coughed, still mumbling his words. “He said he wanted to meet you.”