Page 104 of Built to Fall
There’s a knock on my door. I don’t move. “Come in.” I sigh, running a hand through my still-damp hair.
The door opens slightly, and my Aunt Carrie’s head peeks in. “Lina, honey, someone’s here to see you,” she says quietly as she glances around the room.
“Huh?” I ask as she steps back and the door opens wider.
That’s when I see him.
“Grant?”
Standing in the hall behind my aunt is none other than Grant Vandenberg.
A smile cracks through his stern features when he sees me jolt into a sitting position in his presence. “Wow, pretty girl.” He scans my body, taking in my appearance.
“Shut up,” I grumble, pulling my quilted blanket further up my body.
He takes a step into the room, smirking even more as he approaches the edge of my bed. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You don’t have to,” I reply quickly, moving more towards the wall so there’s room for him to sit on the bed. “What are you even doing here?”
My grip tightens on the blanket as he sits on the edge of my bed and grabs its corner, trying to pull it off my legs.
“I came to see you.” He says it like it’s obvious.
“Are you being serious?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” His gravelly voice grips onto my attention span.
“I thought you were staying in Connecticut for Christmas.”
“I was,” he answers simply, scooting closer to me with every word he speaks.
“But you’re here?”
“Evangelina Everhart, don’t ever question my ability to get to you, wherever you may be.”
That didn’t answer my question, so I pry further. “Why are you here with me when you told me you were spending Christmas with your dad and sisters?”
“I did spend Christmas with my family, but I know you haven’t been looking forward to Christmas, so I called Eden and got your address.” He grabs my hand, pulling me closer to the edge of the bed. Then he stands up. “Now get up, you’re coming with me.”
I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that he skipped out on Christmas with his family to be here with me, for no apparent reason.
“How are you here if you spent Christmas with your family? You’re lying to me, Grant.”
He grabs both of my hands and pulls me roughly to my feet. “I’m not a liar, Lina.”
Even if he’s not lying, he’s avoiding my question.
“How are you here?” I ask in an accusing tone.
“I have a private jet at my disposal. The flight from Hartford to Boston is less than an hour.”
Oh.
Grant wraps a strong arm around my shoulders, pulling me further away from the bed.
I’m pretty sure that there will probably be a permanent indent in the mattress from how much moping I did in it. But hopefully I’m done now that Grant is here. Funny how that works.
“Get dressed, we’re leaving.” He picks my suitcase up from where it’s lying on the floor and sets it on top of the dresser that sits in front of me.
