“When would I have to leave?” Hannah asked, thinking of the long weekend in the Hamptons, the Wilderness concert next week, and the zillion wedding tasks Madison had added to her calendar.
“If Nate had his way, you’d leave tonight,” she said. “But I know you’re not going to miss the Wilderness show, and I’m sure there are things to figure out. So, first thing Wednesday morning?”
It was Thursday. How could she move her whole life in six days? A promotion hadn’t even been on her radar, especially not one that included moving out of the state.
“Hannah?” Riley stared down at her with a pained expression. She knew the gravity of this news and the damage it could do—to both Deafening and Hannah’s marriage—if not handled properly.
“I don’t know, Riley.” Hannah clasped her hands together. “I have to talk to Will, and I just don’t know.”
Riley placed her hand on top of Hannah’s. “That’s a perfectly acceptable answer.”
Chapter 37Will
Will glared at the stack of reports littering the coffee table. He promised to be home for dinner, but he couldn’t drop everything either. He could’ve pawned all this off on the junior staff—that was literally why they existed. But after his misstep with his last big case, he needed to do his own work. That meant reading the reports and not just the note summaries.
He had a whole plan—champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a brand new pair of sneakers—but there’d been no time to find the perfect running shoes. He’d take her to the store another day and let her pick them out. It would be an experience that way, something she might remember longer than the life of the shoes. At least that was what Eddie was always telling him—make moments.
Will turned at the sound of the front door opening. Hannah entered, balancing a pizza box on one arm and holding several bags in the other. He followed her into the kitchen, his stomach growling as the scent of garlic, tomato, bread, and cheese hit him.
“It was like the entirety of the Upper East Side was at Frankie’s tonight,” she said, putting the box down on the kitchen table.
He waited until she dropped the rest of her stuff before sweeping her into a hug. “When is our first run?”
She laughed against him. “Probably Sunday morning. We can get in a workout instead of a workout.”
“I think we can work out and then work out.” He raised one eyebrow suggestively, which made her laugh harder.
“That kind of sweaty is not sexy,” she said, handing him a plate with a slice of pizza.
Will swallowed his retort. It would be better to prove her wrong and absolutely more fun.
They sat down to dinner, and for a few minutes, the only conversation centered around passing each other more pizza and refilling water glasses. Tonight, the silence felt heavy, and every time he tried to catch Hannah’s eye, she turned away. Had he not heard from Daniel about her knee looking better, he would’ve suspected she was lying about the outcome.
“Everything okay over there?” He let the tips of his fingers mingle with hers across the table.
She straightened and let her fingers slip out of his. “Riley offered me a promotion today.”
“What? Way to bury the lede—pun totally intended.”
She shook her head. “It’s interim editor in chief of Deafening Silence Boston.”
The words didn’t sink in at first. Not all of them. Interim editor in chief. Pride swelled in him. She’d made it. Her dreams were coming true. His wife was going to be editor in chief. Then the rest of her title hit. Boston. She couldn’t manage the Boston edition from New York.
“Whoa.”
“Yup.”
“When do you leave?” he asked, even though the last thing he wanted was to hear the answer. Because if she was telling him now, then the answer was soon, sooner than a year. Too soon for all the plans he’d started making.
“Will,” she said, reaching for his hand.
“Do you want out of the pact?” he asked, eyes trained on the table. He couldn’t watch her say she was leaving him.
“Come with me.” She scooted her chair closer to him, cupping his hands in hers. “It’s only for a few months until they hire a full-time editor. And I love you, so come with me.”
“You love me?”
She rested her forehead against his. “Yes, Will Thorne, I love you. I have always loved you.”
He’d been waiting a decade to hear those words. He kissed her, long and deep, putting every ounce of his love into it. “Me too,” he whispered against her lips.
“You too, what?” Hannah asked, her eyes locked on his, searching.
“I love you, Hannah Abbott-Thorne,” he said, cupping her face.
“Then come with me to Boston.”
Timing was such a bitch. Getting allowance to relocate, even temporarily, would’ve been difficult at any time. Wellington Thorne wasn’t exactly known for being up with the times.
He kissed the hand that still covered his. “I wish that was possible, Abbott, I do. But there’s no way my uncle’s going to let me move to Boston in the middle of this case.”
“Then I won’t go.” Hannah’s voice was steady and determined. Her eyes, glassy with unshed tears, bored into him.
“I can’t be the reason you turn this down,” he said, his voice cracking.
She pressed their entwined hands against his heart. “And I can’t do this without you.”
Chapter 38Will
Light snow dusted the ground, and the night sky twinkled. He hoped it wouldn’t stick, at least not until Hannah arrived safely in the Hamptons. She and the rest of her team were covering an indoor music festival on the Island all day. Will had dropped her off, and Daniel had agreed to drive her the rest of the way after his shift. Once Hannah was safely in his arms and he could smell the sweet scent of her skin, then bring on the snow. It would at least give him a solid block of time to convince her to take the Boston job. As of that morning, she was planning to turn it down, but she had agreed to wait to give Riley a final answer.
He stared down at the journal he kept in the Hamptons, sometimes in his room, sometimes in his mother’s room. For once, he didn’t feel like visiting with her. He lay back on his bed and sketched Hannah’s name into the margin. Hannah loved him. He’d hoped when he knocked on her door with that ridiculous ring that this would be the outcome. But the reality was better than his dreams. His wife was so much more than he could’ve imagined.
A knock at the door pulled him out of his reverie. Hannah wouldn’t knock, and his father had long since retired. Whoever was on the other side of that door was someone he didn’t want to see. Today had been better, but that didn’t mean he was up for late-night heart-to-hearts with either Jon or Madison. The knock came again, softly—Madison. He banged his head against the headboard twice. Why?
Against his better judgment, he made his way over to the door. He could feel Madison’s presence, thick and desperate. If they hadn’t been in the Hamptons, the date might have swept past him without consideration. His mind was knee-deep in reports and Hannah—always Hannah—but it was hard to forget their old anniversary when the person who’d shattered his heart had been sitting across the room all day and was knocking on his door.
He leaned against the doorframe and hid his face in his arm. He didn’t want to do this. She had chosen Jon over and over for months, and she chose him still. And Will’s heart belonged to Hannah. It always had. He chose Hannah. He would always choose Hannah.
“Will, please,” Madison said, so quietly it was like she knew he was standing on the other side of the door.
He took a breath. He could do this. Madison’s hold on him was gone. It was just another night. The knock came again, and he knew she wouldn’t leave until he opened the door. Hannah would find her crying outside his door, and then there would be questions. He pushed the image of Hannah to the forefront of his mind. Her eyes had been so full of love when she told him she was adding his last name to her own. They were perfect together, and nothing Madison said could ever change that. He pulled open the door.
Madison straightened, lifting her eyes to his. Tears stained her cheeks, and her eyes were filled with more unshed.
