Chapter 61
Henry was completely speechless when he saw Kate. OMG! They’re so cute together. I wish a man would fight for me like Henry has fought for Kate. That’s what true love looks like.
Message from Grace to Rose
Kate
All my attention was focussed on Henry. I wasn’t aware of anything or anyone else around me—only him.
I didn’t feel the gaze of the crowd on me, and I didn’t hear what Tilly was saying, which led to me missing my cue.
She nudged me gently in the side, and I stepped up to the podium.
I would have been completely lost without the notes I’d made on Amy’s flashcards.
On autopilot, I delivered the speech I had prepared with Tilly over the past few days.
This was the condition of the job at Hope Harbour—I had to attend the Pearl Gala and share my experiences of life on the street, using my personal story to encourage people to donate more.
When Tilly had initially asked me in her office if I wanted to give a speech, I had declined because I had promised Henry to keep my past a secret.
But thanks to Randell, the cat was out of the bag.
I had nothing left to hide. Better yet, I could perhaps even correct some of the lies Randell had told about me.
The guests hung on to my every word, but my eyes were fixed on Henry.
He stood on the other side of the ballroom next to Grace.
The sight of him made my knees weak. In his three-piece suit, with his jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes, he looked devastatingly attractive.
Even from afar, his gaze was so intense that I could almost feel it on my skin. Every nerve in my body tingled.
Unlike Henry, I had been able to prepare myself to see him again, because I had known he would be here tonight.
And yet, I still wasn’t ready. Nothing could have prepared me for the massive storm that brewed inside me at the sight of him.
It was even more powerful than the one that had driven Henry to search for me in St. James’s Park that night.
It whipped at my thoughts—and even more so, my emotions—and left me reeling. Only Henry could catch me.
I spoke at double speed, just wanting to get it over with so I could go to Henry. I wanted to tell him how much his letters meant to me and that I had acted rashly, driven by fear.
Applause filled the ballroom. My speech was over, and I hadn’t been conscious of a single word that had come out of my mouth.
Tilly hooked her arm through mine and whispered, “Well done,” in my ear before we left the stage together to make way for the band.
I glanced over my shoulder at the donation display.
The total had risen from seven to eight million during Henry’s speech.
During mine, it had jumped to twelve million.
Twelve! Twelve million for the homeless in London.
That amount of money would make a huge difference. It would change lives—improve them.
People approached us, wanting to talk to Tilly and me, but I had to find Henry.
I slipped away from Tilly, who gave me an understanding look, and made my way across the hall.
A deep longing in my chest drew me towards Henry.
When I reached the spot where I had just seen him with Grace, I spotted her immediately—but Henry was nowhere to be found.
“Where’s Henry?” I asked Grace.
“He just left. I thought he was looking for you.”
Damn. Had we missed each other? I craned my neck, scanning the crowd towards the stage, but I was too short, and the sea of heads blocked my view. I had to find him. But just as I was about to walk away, I sensed movement beside me.
I turned—and there he was, cheeks flushed, eyes shining.
Suddenly, I could barely breathe. “Henry . . .”
My voice wavered, but before I could say another word, he rushed towards me and pulled me into a fierce embrace.
He practically squeezed the air out of my lungs, yet nothing had ever felt better.
Enveloped in his familiar scent, I felt the full weight of just how much I had missed him.
Tears welled in my eyes as I buried my face against his chest, holding him as tightly as I possibly could.
I had no intention of ever letting him go again.
“I’m so sorry,” Henry murmured in my ear, his voice so soft that only I could hear. “I’m so incredibly sorry for hurting you, angel. I hope you can forgive me.”
I lifted my head, resting my chin against his chest as I gazed up at him. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have just left. I was scared for you, and terrified that I’d have to relive all the awful things I went through with my mum. I didn’t mean to abandon you. I panicked.”
Henry gently stroked my hair. “If I’d been in your shoes, I would have reacted the same way. I should have told you about the Vitalyn much sooner. I swear this was the first and last time I ever keep anything from you.”
My heart pounded wildly. “Yes, you should have talked to me. But if you promise to stop, I’ll believe and support you.”
“I’ve already stopped. I’ve been clean for three weeks, and it’s going to stay that way,” Henry said firmly.
He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a black envelope with a gold seal.
Another letter. He handed it to me, and for a brief, electrifying moment, our fingertips touched.
“Have you been carrying this around with you the whole time?”
He laughed—god, how I’d missed that sound. “No, I just fetched it from my office. I was going to give it to Grace tomorrow, but now that you’re here . . . please, read it.”
With trembling fingers, I opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.