44. Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Four
I had four hours to prepare for the event, and three of them were spent contemplating exactly what I was going to say to this man. I ran through every single possible scenario, including the most ridiculous and outrageous ones, because, well, that was how my brain worked and I wanted to be prepared for anything.
The last hour was spent getting ready. I curled my hair before loosely pinning it back into a messy low bun with a few chunky pieces left out to accentuate my face. I looked at the dress, imprinted with a floral pattern, and the familiarity made me smile. The same dress I wore to Grey’s party the first night I experienced the feeling of his body on mine. I shuddered at the thought, the slightest hint of anticipation blooming inside of me.
I grabbed my gold clutch, a faux fur jacket, and confirmed I had my phone, wallet, and keys before heading out the door.
The night air was crisp and the streets were still showing signs of the last snowfall, making me second-guess my decision to wear heels.
“Screw it, I’m getting a cab,” I called out.
“Ms. Morgan, that won’t be necessary.”
My hand shot to my chest. “Daniel! You scared the shit out of me.”
“My apologies, Ms. Morgan.”
“It’s okay. But how did Grey know that I was going to accept the invitation?”
“He didn’t, but he sent me anyway. Asked that I wait outside your building until at least eight o’clock. Dare I say I’m grateful I didn’t have to stand out here that long,” he admitted, opening the door to the back seat of the SUV.
“Dare I say I’m grateful that you’re here,” I said, smiling.
“Happy to be here.”
The drive, while short, still gave my anxiety plenty of type to rev up.
“Enjoy your evening, Ms. Morgan,” Daniel said, pulling me from my thoughts and back to reality. I glanced outside and noticed we’d already arrived.
“Thanks again, Daniel.”
He smiled and tipped his black wool cap toward me.
The library was even more magnificent up close. The mixed metals and materials meshed together perfectly. The sign reading A Second Page could probably be seen from miles away. I climbed the steps quickly but carefully, eager to get inside and see every inch of his design.
The entry doors stood tall, at least twelve feet of solid wood, decorated with two black modern-looking door handles. Pulling on the right one, a gust of warm air blew past me from the inside.
“Good evening, ma’am, can I take your jacket?”
“Oh, yes. Thank you so much.”
“You can make your way through there,” he said, motioning his hand to another set of doors.
A woman in an all-black pantsuit and an important-looking earpiece waited for me. “Hi. Can I get your name?” she whispered.
“Miller Morgan.”
“Ms. Morgan, I have you at one of the front tables. I’d suggest waiting until Mr. Prescott finishes speaking before making your way up there.”
Peeking at my phone, the numbers reflecting back at me read 7:22. I was late.
“Perfect. Thank you.”
Quietly stepping through the doors, I registered Grey’s voice immediately. I stood in the back of the room, waiting until he was finished.
Looking up, my eyes latched onto Grey. His black suit was tailored precisely for his body, and the classic stark-white shirt and black bowtie made it a timeless look. Best of all was the lilac pocket square poking out of his front pocket. I couldn’t help but smile. His hair, styled with what appeared to be a little more product than normal, looked longer than I remembered, but there were no complaints from me.
“I have a few more things to say before I promise to stop talking and let everyone enjoy the night.” The crowd’s laugh was synchronized, and even Grey let out a chuckle. Then, almost like a switch, his smile was gone and his tone turned serious.
“When I was twenty years old, I had a heart transplant. A lifesaving one. At the time, I didn’t know where the heart was coming from or who it belonged to. I just knew that I was getting it, which meant that I was getting a second chance. Years passed, and I continued on with my life. There was always a little voice in the back of my mind telling me that I owed it to the family to pay my condolences and say thank-you, but as time went on, I found it harder to do. Then, this past summer, something drew me back to Montauk, the place I once loved but struggled to return to because my donor’s parents still lived there. I promised myself that I would meet them face-to-face and thank them for everything. And then, like life does, it threw a curveball my way,” he said.
His smile returned as he paused to fidget with the pocket square that coincidently hovered over the famous spot on his chest, his eyes simultaneously scanning the room. I wanted them to land on mine, but they didn’t.
“A curveball that appeared in the form of a beautiful but headstrong woman. This woman walked into my life and flung my world completely out of orbit. She and I spent the entire summer getting to know each other, and each day I grew more and more fond of who she was. She continued to amaze me with her determination and her love for others.” His voice drifted, and this time, his gaze met mine almost immediately.
The fire in the pits of my belly roared alive. His hand tightened around the podium and his chiseled jaw tensed while both of us held our stare, neither wanting to be the first to look away.
“I know, I know. You’re wondering how my romantic endeavors have anything to do with this story, but I’m getting there, I promise.” The crowd softly chuckled again. “As our summer progressed, I finally dredged up enough courage to meet with my donor’s parents, and it went better than I could’ve ever imagined. While heartbreaking, I felt a sense of connection that I will cling to for the rest of my life. My donor, Olivia Mitchell, died on her eighteenth birthday, when she and her best friend were hit by an oncoming driver.” He fumbled on his words, pausing to check his emotions.
This time when his eyes met mine, they were filled with emotion.
“From what I’ve learned, Olivia Mitchell was an incredible young woman, one I wish I would’ve had the opportunity to meet. But then I guess in some weird, twisted way, I have. Here comes another one of those curveballs.” He paused before continuing. “The woman I spent my entire summer falling in love with was Olivia Mitchell’s best friend.
“I learned many things about Olivia, but by far the most kismet was that Olivia dreamed of being an architect too. Funny how things like that happen. And while she never got the chance to become one, I’m taking my second chance and becoming one for the both of us.” The applause from the crowd was so loud I could feel it booming in my chest.
“With all of that being said, I’m thrilled to share with you my pride and joy, A Second Page Library. All donations the library receives tonight and every day moving forward will be given to a local transplant network. Along with that, I’ve asked members of the network to be here tonight to assist anyone who would like to register to be a donor. Thank you, and please enjoy the rest of your night.”
The crowd cheered again, one by one moving to their feet as they applauded Grey.
I, on the other hand, was at a loss for words.
I watched Grey flow through the crowd, stopping every so often to talk to guests. He gave each one of them his undivided attention, smiling and laughing as though they were the first, but he never missed a chance to look over in my direction. I swore I smiled bigger with every glance.
I didn’t want to approach him while he was speaking to his guests and I was secretly hoping to admire this place in all its beauty, so I snuck off.
Between the number of towering wooden bookshelves and the natural scent of all the books, I could’ve gotten lost in this place for hours. Somehow, amongst my exploring, I came across a bathroom and ducked in for a quick break.
“My god,” I whispered. “Even the bathroom in this place is to die for.”
The golden mirrors hanging over each sink were massive. Said sinks, matte black in color, convened on top of the counter. The stalls were completely clear until you stepped inside and shut the door, at which point they immediately clouded over.
Leaving the bathroom with every intention of heading back to the main space, I somehow took a detour and found myself lost in between the romance and fantasy sections. Not a bad place to be, if you asked me.
My fingers traced the spines of the freshly placed books, eager to touch each one as I envisioned the day I’d be able to do the same to my own book in a place like this.
“Like what you see?”
Grey’s voice startled me back to reality, although this moment felt more like something out of a romance novel than reality. I spun on my heels and goddamn, he looked even more handsome up close.
“I sure do,” I said, nibbling my lower lip.
He walked closer to me, leaving only the breath between us.
“Since the first day I met you, Miller Morgan, I quickly discovered that this heart beats for no one the way it beats for you.” He guided my hand to his chest, resting it on top of that all too familiar rhythm. “And since that night on the beach, I’ve realized that without you in my life, my heart will never truly be whole. You’ll always hold a piece of me with you, whether you know it or not. And honestly, I’m not sure how I’d survive that, but I know I need to try, out of respect for both you and Olivia,” he said, squeezing my hand a little tighter as his smile spread.
“As I was speaking tonight though, there was a moment before I even saw you that I knew you were here. It was as if the missing piece had found its way back to me. And in that moment, it felt like for once in my life I’d done something worth being proud of, and I couldn’t help but feel like I was the luckiest man in the world. Like every dream I’d ever dreamt was coming true all at once.”
“Grey…” I paused, wanting to make sure I said everything perfectly, starting with my apology. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay and listen that day at your apartment. I—”
“Please don’t apologize. You couldn’t have known what they were going to say.”
“I know, but I just wish I would’ve given them a chance to finish, given you a chance to explain,” I admitted.
With hopeful eyes and a genuine smile, he said, “But then we wouldn’t have gotten this moment right here. And I have a feeling this moment is going to be one I want to remember forever.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I said, my expression giddy. “I want to say something, but it’s a lot, so you have to promise you’ll let me say it all before you respond.”
“I promise,” he said, peering down at mine.
“Olivia Mitchell was my best friend. When I lost her, I lost myself. The once lively young woman who had big dreams and aspirations was gone, just like that. For years, I just assumed that was my story, and I accepted that I’d never be her again. But then you roared through town, and everything changed,” I said, the adrenaline flowing like magic through my veins.
“Suddenly I was laughing again. I was writing again. But more than anything, I was dreaming again. Over the course of just one summer, you helped guide me back to the woman I was before the accident. And then a funny thing happened when I found her. Even though she was just how I remembered, she wasn’t me. That’s the thing about grief, it irreversibly changes you. But I learned that it’s not how you let the change bring you down, but rather how you let it raise you up that determines the trajectory of the rest of your life.” I let out a deep breath, giving myself time to make sure this last part was perfect.
“And while I miss her every single day, and there isn’t a moment that goes by that I don’t wish she were here, I’ve realized that I’m one of the lucky ones. I tragically lost my best friend, but each day I’m with you is a day that I’m with her too. And how incredible is it that my love for Liv lives on through you.” The words that I’d kept contained for so long were free, and just like that, so was I. The tears streamed down my cheeks. “Grey Prescott, I love you. I’m sorry it took me so long.”
Grey placed my chin between his thumb and pointer finger. “Miller Morgan, I would’ve waited my entire life for you to come back to me, because now I get to spend my days loving you and my nights dreaming about you.” His soft smile grew. “I think I knew I loved you from the second I laid eyes on you, and I don’t want waste another second not kissing you.”
Impatiently, he consumed my entire mouth in his. His tongue eagerly pushed past the entrance of my lips, and as soon as I tasted him, I realized how starved for him I’d been.
I dragged my mouth away, pulling a small moan of his with it.
“O.M. Architects?”
“For her, Olivia Mitchell . It was the least I could do to make sure her dream lived on.”
His confirmation had my heart swelling. I pushed my desperate mouth into his and within seconds, he’d pinned me up against one of the bookshelves and the air around us caught fire.
“Remember the last time you wore this dress?”
“Mmm,” I acknowledged.
“And my hand ended up crawling up your thigh like this?” The heat from his palm was electrifying. “You see, MJ… the difference between this time and last time is that now, you’re mine .”
“I’m yours. Completely and all-consumingly yours ,” I said, pulling him by his suit jacket until his soft lips were pressed together with mine again.
I drew away from his kisses. “As much as I’d love to continue making out with you in the stacks of this absolutely perfect library, I’d imagine there are people down there”—I motioned to the crowd of people below us—“who will be looking for you.”
He threw his head back in disappointment. “Even though I’d prefer to stay right here, you’re probably right.” His tongue traced his bottom lip. “But at least I’ll be returning with the most beautiful girl on my arm.” He winked, releasing a shiver through me.
I grinned, smooshing a kiss to his cheek, the manicured stubble tickling me.
Moving toward the music and chatter, Grey grabbed my hand, latching it onto his arm. As we took the steps that led to the party, what seemed like the entire crowd slowly began turning their heads, giving us their full attention. It was like we were in a movie and everyone was waiting anxiously to press play.
In that moment, I was sure there was no better feeling. I turned to look at Grey, but he was already grinning back at me.
I love you , he mouthed.
“I love you too.”
A single summer had changed the course of my entire life—all because I fell in love with the man who carried my best friend’s heart.