And why did he need that?
He didn’t want to examine the answer too closely. He worried about what he might find when he pulled back the layers. Because it wasn’t Annabelle who had the problems.
It was him.
As the airport came into sight, Grayson could no longer run from the truth. He had to accept that he was at fault here—not Annabelle. The moment of truth had arrived. He could either take the easy way out or he could do what was right.
The taxi pulled up to the curb outside the terminal. “Sir, we’re here.”
Grayson didn’t respond. Nor did he move.
By flying off into the night, he was doing what he’d accused Annabelle of doing—being reckless.
Not that he was being reckless with his safety, rather he was being reckless with his heart. True love didn’t come around all that often and for him to turn his back on it was wrong. Because whether it was convenient, sensible, or for that matter logical, he was in love with the duke’s daughter.
“Please take me back to the palace.”
Would it be too late?
Would she at least hear him out?
He had to hope so.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
ANNABELLE’S MIND WAS made up.
Now all there was to do was make her flight reservations and pack her bags.
There was no time to waste. Every moment that she knew Grayson was upset with her was torture. She didn’t even know if he’d open the door to her, but she had to try. She couldn’t live with the what-ifs.
Annabelle trudged through the sand toward the steps that climbed up the cliff behind the palace. As for her father and uncle, she’d have to tell them something, but she didn’t know exactly what to say or when to say it—
A movement caught her attention. She glanced up at the top of the steps. She could see the shadowed outline of a person. Who would be coming out here this evening? With her cousins and their families still off on their trips, it didn’t leave many people who frequented the beach.
As she studied the figure now moving down the steps at a rapid pace, she made out that it was a man. The breath caught in her throat. Was it possible that it was Grayson? Had he changed his mind? Had he come back for her?
Her heart swelled with hope. A part of her knew that if it was indeed him, then he could have come back for a number of reasons including cancelling his contract for the Fo Shizzle Café.
Please say it isn’t so.
Not about to wait, she started up the steps. The closer she got to him, the more certain she was that it was Grayson. This was her chance to fix things. Now she had to pray that she’d find the right words to convince him that they deserved another chance.
She moved up the steps as fast as her legs would allow. Breathless and nervous, she came face-to-face with Grayson on the middle landing. Her gaze met his, but she wasn’t able to read his thoughts.
“I’m sorry.” They both said in unison.
Had she heard him correctly? She wanted to rush into his arms, but she restrained herself. She had to be sure he wanted the same things as her.
“I never meant to scare you,” she said. “When I went to the landmark, I never imagined that anyone would find us there. I’m sorry.”
He continued to stare into her eyes. “And I overreacted. I was afraid that something would happen to you. And I just couldn’t handle that because...because I love you.”
Her heart swelled with joy. “You do?”
He nodded. “I do. I love you too much for you to take unnecessary chances with your safety.”
“I promise to be more cautious going forward because I always want to be able to go home to the man I love.”