way.”
“You will be. I want that for you.”
I worry my lower lip, almost afraid to say the next part. “And if I go away for med school? My dream is Harvard.”
He studies me for a long moment before squeezing me tight. “Then I’ll go with you.”
I push out of his arms and sit back in my seat. “What?”
“I’ll go with you,” he says loud and clear. I still can’t believe my ears.
“And do what?”
“I’ll look for a new job.”
My mind whirls. “You can’t abandon your family for me!”
“It’s not abandoning. It’s following my heart. You’re my heart, Chloe.”
I hold up a palm, refusing to be the reason he loses everything. “That doesn’t make sense.”
He places his palm against mine.
My voice chokes, my eyes hot. “You’re not making sense.” And then tears leak out, running down my cheeks. I’m crying. I never cry. I wipe the tears away, irritated by them.
His arm wraps around my shoulders, hauling me against his side. “Tell me why you’re crying. You, the woman who never cries.”
The tears just keep coming, spilling down my cheeks. I’m angry and confused and out of control. “I can’t trust love! It’s a cocktail of chemicals that fades in time.”
He wipes my tears away with his thumbs. “That made you cry? Because you’re afraid to love?”
I sniffle. “I didn’t say I was afraid.” Am I? “I said I don’t trust it.”
He signals to the flight attendant, Henry, who rushes over with a tissue box. It occurs to me they were expecting Brendan, and maybe he told them why. As fast as Henry arrived, he disappears toward the back of the jet, shutting a curtain behind him.
I clutch the tissue box, tears still flowing, my grasp on reality slipping. Nothing makes sense. I’m sitting on a private jet, having a private conversation with a discreet witness nearby, and the man I thought I’d never see again is promising to never leave.
Brendan grabs a tissue, hands it to me, and takes the box from my hands. I blow my nose and try to stop the waterworks. It’s impossible now that the dam has broken.
“Chloe.”
I peer at him through watery eyes. “What?”
“Here’s how it’s going to go. Part one of the plan, after Villroy, you’re going back to school. We’ll get together on weekends.”
“What if I need to study?” My voice is wobbly.
He gives me a gentle smile, causing a fresh bout of tears to spill out of my stinging eyes. “Then I’ll meet you after you’re done studying, or maybe I’ll help you study by quizzing you. You’ll graduate, and I’ll be there cheering you on. Good so far?”
I nod and gesture for another tissue. He gets it for me.
He continues. “Part two, you’re going to medical school. I’ll be there too. Part three, you’ll become a researcher and find a cure for cancer. And somewhere between part one and part three, you’ll marry me.”
I stare at him blankly, blinking the tears away, trying to focus on his face. He’s absolutely sincere. I never would’ve guessed he’d be willing to meet me more than halfway like this. It’s too good to be true.
“But your family—” I start.
“Will understand.” One corner of his mouth tilts up, revealing the dimple I know and love. I stroke it lightly through his beard, and he covers my hand with his, giving it a squeeze. “My dad gave up a kingdom for love, remember?”
I nod, trying to understand how this could work, so he doesn’t ultimately resent what he’s giving up. It’s not something I’d ever ask of him, but he’s offered and I don’t doubt his sincerity for a minute.
“Bren, that’s an awfully long plan. Are you sure you want to wait around for me?”
He strokes my cheek, his gaze tender. “If I married you today, I’d be with you for life. If I marry you after medical school, I’m still with you for life. I’m not going anywhere, Chloe. You’re stuck with me.”
I choke on a sob and finally admit my greatest fear. “Everyone close to me has been ripped away. What if you die?”
“Then I’ll haunt you.”
I scowl. “That’s not possible. Ghosts aren’t real.”
“I’ll love you in life and death.” He takes my hand and places it over his heart. “Our love will live on in our hearts.”
“But it didn’t with my parents. I barely remember them. Sara says they loved us very much, but it’s not in my heart.” He wipes more tears from my face. “I’ve got a hole in my heart