33. Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Three
I ended up working for Sam on both Saturday and Sunday in exchange for her covering my shifts while I was in New York. I agreed to tell her everything, sparing absolutely no detail, to bribe her into working for me.
Her response was a simple: “You make me proud, Miller.”
Today had been spent trying to figure out what the hell I was going to pack. It was mid-July, and I had no idea what we’d be doing or where we’d be going. I was lost, and after a few social media searches, I was stressed.
The women were posh, their outfits plucked straight from the latest fashion week. And Grey had proved on more than one occasion that he was a man with style, something I very much enjoyed about him. However, now that same trait had me feeling a little anxious and unprepared for this trip.
My phone pinged on my nightstand.
Grey:
I’ll be there in 10.
My stomach sank.
“Shit.”
The open suitcase lying in front of me was loaded with a plethora of shit, none that I was sure even matched. Nonetheless, I zipped it up and hoped for the best. I was only going for forty-eight hours, this should suffice.
I heard a knock on the front door and yelled, “Come in!”
“You ready?” Grey asked, gliding through my bedroom door. “Oh, damn. You are ready. Look at you.”
I was sporting what I hoped looked like a trendy, slicked-back bun that I had paired with loose-fitted tan trousers, a white tank top, and a pair of sneakers.
I blushed. “Stop. You’re ridiculous.”
“I can’t argue with that, but I’m serious. You look beautiful.”
I took a minute to admire him. In a pair of chocolate brown loafers, dark navy trousers that accentuated his… everywhere , and a cream-colored light sweater, Grey Prescott, per usual, looked delectable.
He was grinning at me, his hand subtly rubbing up and down where it always did right on his chest.
“Can I ask you something and you promise you won’t take it the wrong way?”
“Of course, you can always ask me anything.”
“Why is that you always rub your chest, right there?” I pressed at the spot on myself. “I’ve noticed you doing it a few times.”
While I was still very much curious about his scar, I didn’t want to bring it up, at least not directly. Not after he so clearly avoided the subject the other night. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t pry just a tiny bit.
Furrowing his brows, he glanced down, seeing his hand was still there. “I don’t know. I’ve never even realized I was doing it.”
His soft grip raised my chin, just enough so those copper-colored eyes could penetrate mine. “But if I had to guess, it’s probably because the only time my heart ever differs in beat is when I’m around you.”
I could’ve melted right there, but instead I pressed my mouth to his, tasting a wave of minty freshness as my tongue entangled with his.
“Now, I’m ready,” I said, pulling back.
“Good.” He winked. “Let me have your suitcase.”
Pushing it in front of him, I froze as he carried it through my door. Despite the massive amount of excitement that swam through me, somewhere, deep inside, there was still anxiety too.
“Are you okay?” he asked when he noticed I was lagging behind. “Do you not want to go anymore?” Uncertainty dashed through his voice, his eyes showing disappointment.
“Grey, it’s not that… I promise,” I said. “New York City has always been a pipe dream of mine—well, actually of ours. My best friend and me. Before the accident, we were going to finish high school, graduate, and move to New York together. Go to NYU, where she’d study architecture and I’d study creative writing. And then the accident happened, and neither of us ever made it there.”
Each time I released a piece of my story to Grey, I felt lighter. Almost as if when I shared these things with him, I no longer had to endure the painful memories by myself.
I could see his brain working through the new information.
“So that’s why you darted to the bathroom when I asked you to come to New York with me, isn’t it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“You could’ve just told me all of this then.”
“I know, it just felt really hard in the moment. I’m not great at opening up about anything related to Liv.”
Leaving the suitcase, Grey was by my side within two strides, embracing me in hug. “I can only imagine how hard it is, but I never want you to feel like you can’t talk to me. Life is already hard enough, you can’t keep all that shit bottled up. Trust me, it will eat you alive. And I’m really sorry you never got to experience New York the way the two of you had planned.”
“It’s okay. She’d want me to do this—better yet, she’d make me do this. And on top of that, she’d probably be yelling at me for not telling you sooner.”
“She sounds like the girl you want as your best friend.”
“She was.”
“She may be gone, but I bet she’ll always be right here,” he said, his finger tapping just above my heart.
I couldn’t help but smile before leaning in to kiss him.
“Wait. Hold on. Does that mean you’ve never been to New York City?”
“This does in fact mean that I’ve never been to New York City.”
Winking, he tantalized me. “Well, then aren’t you in for a treat.”
He ushered me down the steps, following closely behind with my suitcase.
“Good evening, Miller. Good to see you again,” Daniel said as he opened the car door for me.
“Hi, Daniel. You too.”
I stepped into the back of the SUV and was immediately transported to that night a few weeks ago. A flame sparked inside of me as I recounted the events that took place in this back seat, feeling the heat rush to my head.
Grey’s voice cut the memory short. “Comfortable?”
“Very.”
He scooted closer to me, placing his hand on my left thigh. The warmth travelled through my pants and onto my skin.
“Ready, sir?” Daniel popped in from the front seat.
Grey looked at me. Realizing he was waiting for my response, I quickly nodded. “We are,” he responded.
Only now did it hit me that we would be spending the next two and half hours in the car. With the anticipation of the trip, I’d completely forgotten about us having to actually get to the city, and now that reality was digging a pit at the bottom of my stomach.
My muscles tensed as I intuitively reached for Grey’s hand on my leg. My abrupt move must’ve sent a warning signal to him because he immediately leaned in. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah. It just sort of slipped my mind that we’d be in the car for a while. My anxiety is definitely subdued when you’re with me, but usually that’s in five-mile spurts, not full-blown road trips.” A nervous laugh slipped through my lips.
His low chuckle vibrated through the back seat.
“What’s so funny?” I asked, thrown off by his lack of sympathy.
“We’re not driving to Manhattan.”
“Huh?”
“You thought after everything you’ve told me that I was going to make you sit in a car for more than two hours?”
“I mean, I just didn’t think there was any other option…”
He took my face into his palms. “One thing you should know about me, MJ, is that I’m always going to find another option when it comes to your fears. I want to do everything in my power to take care of you. That I’m sure of.”
“Grey—” I broke off and cleared the emotion from my throat. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me for wanting to take care of you. You deserve that much. You’ve experienced so much hurt in your life, the least I can do is never let you feel that kind of pain again.”
His words were so genuine. I wanted to take them, bottle them up, and save them for a day when the emotions felt big and things felt hard.
I squeezed his hand as tight as possible before pushing my lips to his.
A sinister grin rolled across his face. “You don’t have a fear of airplanes, right?”
“Airplanes?”
“Airplanes,” he said, opening the car door.
Grey got out first before helping me do the same. The outside air was loud, intense, and whooshing around us.
I followed Grey as he led me to a smaller-than-normal airplane. There, at the bottom of a flight of stairs, was an older man in a black suit and a pilot’s hat, waiting to greet us.
“Good evening, Mr. Prescott,” he said, extending his hand to Grey.
“Hey, Jason. This is Miller Morgan.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Morgan.”
“Please. It’s MJ.”
“MJ,” he said, nodding his head.
“And she’s never been to New York City before,” Grey offered.
“Is that so?” Jason asked.
I shifted closer to Grey and shook my head.
His sweet smile was so big, I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Well, let’s see what we can do about that,” he responded before gesturing up the stairs. “After you two.”
Grey’s hands rested on my hips as he walked behind me. Gripping the metal rail, I took one last step before landing on the pristine, sand-colored carpet. The interior was obviously smaller than a typical plane, but it smelled of luxury.
The plane was equipped with four large captain seats up front, facing each other in rows of two. Toward the back, there was a set of four large leather seats, these a bit closer than the ones up front. On the left side, there was a leather couch—yes, an actual fucking couch —that extended all the way to the back.
“Oh my god,” I whispered.
“Sit wherever your heart desires,” Grey joked.
I immediately sat in one of the four seats up front, nervous that if I didn’t choose quickly, this all might melt away like a dream.
Grey took the seat to my right, both of us facing the cockpit.
Unlike a commercial flight, there was no safety protocol, so we were ready for take-off within minutes. Jason’s booming voice came over the speaker as he said, “Good evening, tonight you’ll be flying with myself and my co-pilot Harry. From wheels up to wheels down, we’re looking at about twenty-seven minutes, give or take. Sit back and enjoy the flight and the views. We’ll be in New York City shortly.”
“This is wild,” I muttered under my breath.
“Wild in a bad way or wild in a good way?”
“Wild in a different way. This lifestyle is so… different. I’m not sure I know how to behave in a world where there are twenty-seven minutes flights,” I admitted.
“By all means, please do not behave.” Grey smirked.
Giggling, I smacked his shoulder. “Grey, I’m serious.”
“Don’t think about all that, just enjoy it. Enjoy the moment and be sure to keep your window shade up, you’re not gonna want to miss the views.”
I knew what he meant, but still. This all seemed a little too picturesque. His world was glamorous and flashy, and I wasn’t sure I belonged.
I shushed my inner thoughts, staring at him. His thick brown hair was pressed up against the leather seat and his eyes were shut.
“ I wasn’t the view I was talking about,” he said, peeking at me with only one eye. “That is.” His hand lifted from mine and directed my attention to the tiny oval window next to me.
An audible gasp left my mouth. “Holy shit.”
“I told you.”
There wasn’t a cloud in sight, giving the city full permission to look absolutely breathtaking. The number of lights below us was almost unbelievable. It was like I was staring at a real-life postcard of the New York City skyline from 30,000 feet. The tiny lights twinkled in sync, as if they were being controlled by a remote.
“I could stay up here forever.” My forehead was so close to touching the window, I could feel the cold air radiating from it.
“You say that now, but the city is even more magical when you’re experiencing it right in front of you, trust me.”
I repositioned myself so my entire frame was facing him. “You haven’t steered me wrong yet.”
“And I have no intention of starting now,” he said, planting a soft kiss on my temple.
In a matter of minutes, the plane was touching down.
“Hungry?”
“Incredibly so,” I responded.
“Good. I have the perfect spot. It’s only about a twenty-minute drive from here.”
The warm air whipped across my face as I walked off the plane and stepped into another black SUV that was waiting for us. I gave myself a once-over and turned to look at Grey.
“Wait, I can’t wear this out to dinner. You must let me change.”
“You look perfect. Trust me.”
Finding my seat, the anxiety flushed through me as I imagined myself walking into some fancy restaurant and feeling completely out of place.
“MJ, I’m serious. Don’t stress.” He squeezed my thigh. “Trust me, no other woman can hold a candle to you. You could be wearing a robe and you’d still outshine every single one of them.”
A grin crawled across my face.
“And don’t forget it.” His voice was slightly demanding, and I kind of liked it.
He rolled the window down a little bit, letting in a whooshing wind that kept the rest of my unwanted thoughts at bay for now. The buildings, the lights, and the people all blurred into one chaotic beautiful mess as we drove past them.
Liv would’ve adored this place. She would’ve thrived in this madness. The sights, the sounds, the smells… She would’ve instantly morphed into this city, becoming one with it. The simple thought of her being here brought a smile to my face and a single tear to my eye.
The emotions were overwhelming, but somehow, they seemed manageable. Like I needed to feel all of them in order to fully grasp this experience for all that it was. The excitement, the sadness, the anger, the wonder, and even the sting of guilt.
I heard Grey’s voice, once again saving me from my own thoughts as his fingers laced with mine. “I’m sure there is a lot to unpack here. Just know I’m always here to listen, and even more importantly, that plane can be fired up and ready to take us back to Montauk in ten minutes. You say the word and we’re gone.”
“I don’t know how I stumbled upon someone as kind as you, but damn am I glad I did. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to let you go if you keep treating me like this,” I said.
“Then my plan is working,” he said, his eyes lighting up. Not from the city skyline, but from me.
And in that second, I realized I was falling for him. Completely and utterly falling.
“Mr. Prescott, we’re here.”
“Thank you.”
Grey opened the door, stepping out before helping me to do the same. The calmness that lived in the car was gone, replaced instead with electrifying chaos.
“Times Square?” I asked. “I didn’t picture you as the tourist type,” I said. But then again, I didn’t imagine we’d be taking a private plane to get here either.
“This way,” he said, gripping my hand.
Every single inch of this city was beaming with life. There was chatter, car horns, and street music piercing the air. The buildings were all lined with lights and screens, so tall that I was convinced they touched the stars.
“Grey, this city is magical. It makes you feel alive .”
He nodded. “It’s difficult to understand until you’re standing right in the middle of it. And now, I’m about to give you one of the best and most authentic New York City dining experiences you’ve ever had.” His raised eyebrow and cheeky expression made me a little uncertain.
“Oh god. Now I’m worried.”
“I haven’t led you astray yet, have I?” he asked.
“No, no you haven’t.”
“I don’t plan on starting tonight. Down here.” He tugged on my hand, pulling me toward the steps and leading me into the… subway?
“What the hell? We’re eating in the subway?”
Impatiently waiting for his answer, I took a breath to say something but got interrupted. The most magnificent smell wafted through my nose and into my stomach, sending my hunger pangs into a feeding frenzy.
“Pizza?”
“Only the best in the entire city. Maybe even in the entire continental US.”
A few steps ahead of us sat the most quaint and impromptu restaurant, right there in the underground of the belly of Times Square. Painted the purest black with a white sign that read See No Evil in red block letters was the entrance. As we stepped inside, the smell only got more inviting. The black-and-white-checkered tile floors led way to the only about ten two-top tables and a row of six chairs that faced the kitchen.
The restaurant appeared almost full, with only a single table open and at least twenty people hovering outside.
“Grey, my man, what’s up?”
“Dawson, hey! Did you get my text?”
“Sure did. I’ll get you two right over here.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Anytime. Enjoy.”
Good food, great sex, and a big heart.
This man was just begging me to fall in love with him.