“No need to be,” he told her.
“I’ll always cherish our day in London,” she whispered.
“So will I.”
“Goodbye, Flynn.”
“Bye.” He set the phone down on his desk and looked at his mostly cold dinner. Last night, they’d said goodnight. Tonight, they’d said goodbye.
9
Ruby set the phone on her nightstand and rolled over in bed, coughing. She wanted to call Flynn back, throw caution to the wind and invite him to Paris to spend another magical day together. She probably would have done it too, if she weren’t sick. She’d gone to a clinic that afternoon and gotten medicine for her cough. The doctor had listened to her lungs and told her to come back tomorrow if things had gotten any worse.
And they definitely hadn’t gotten any better. So, she’d probably wind up back at the clinic tomorrow, would probably leave with a pneumonia diagnosis and antibiotics, hopefully could avoid IVs and a hospital stay. Either way, a romantic day with Flynn wasn’t in the cards. And besides, she meant what she’d told him. If they spent any more time together, it would only make it harder the next time they had to say goodbye.
She’d quit being resentful of her faulty immune system years ago. This was just how her body worked. But damn, the timing really sucked this time. Of course, her whirlwind trip had probably caused her to get sick in the first place. At least she’d gotten in a sightseeing tour of Paris this afternoon, in case she spent the rest of her vacation in bed.
Her phone dinged with a text message.
Feeling any better?It was from Megan.
No worse, anyway.
Megan sent a sad-faced emoji.Come home tomorrow, please? I’m so worried about you being over there all by yourself.
Let’s see how I feel in the morning first, but I’m thinking about it.
It felt like a failure to end her trip early, to crawl home weak and sick. But, if it came to that, she’d do it. She wasn’t about to fool around with her health and wind up in the hospital.
Okay, sweetie. Call me tomorrow.
I will. Promise. xx
She put her phone down and measured out another dose of the cough syrup the doctor at the clinic had given her. It burned down her esophagus, making her grimace. It was ironic, given her condition, that she’d always been terrible at taking medicine.
She walked to the window and looked out, hugging herself against the chill in the air. Below, people strolled by on the street, so leisurely compared to the way Americans walked. No one rushed. Couples walked arm-in-arm, talking and gazing at each other affectionately. An elderly woman paused to wave to someone across the street before crossing to talk to them.
Please let me feel better tomorrow so I can go out and experience the rest of Paris.
The tour bus this afternoon had been a poor substitute for exploring the city on her own, but she’d needed to rest if she hoped to kick this thing before it kicked her, so she’d opted to sit idly in climate-controlled comfort while the bus took her around the city. She’d even worn a mask to protect herself from germs.
Tomorrow will be better.
She washed up for the night and climbed into bed, taking that sentiment with her as she drifted into a deep, drugged sleep.
Flynn spenta quiet day at his laptop, working on the blueprints for Aidan’s house. He sat at the desk in his hotel room, breaking only briefly for food and to stretch his legs. By dinnertime, the design was nearly complete. The house was sleek and modern, yet rustic enough to fit seamlessly into its surroundings. It had all come together nicely, and truth be told, he was feeling pretty damn good about what he’d created.
He ordered himself a sandwich from the restaurant downstairs and turned to his phone. After avoiding it for most of the day, he finally gave in to his curiosity. He wanted to see what Ruby was up to in Paris today, even if it hurt to know he wasn’t there with her. When he typed in her hashtag, though, nothing new popped up since her photos from the bus tour yesterday. That was unusual. She’d been photo-documenting every moment of her trip up until now. Why hadn’t she posted pictures of her adventures today?
He frowned, as the feeling that had been nagging at the back of his subconscious since their phone call last night finally broke through. She hadn’t sounded like herself. Something had felt…off. Combined with her lack of photos today, he couldn’t help the frisson of worry that snaked its way through him.
They’d said goodbye last night. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t contact her again. And he was going to honor that promise, just as soon as he made sure she was okay.
Missed seeing your photos today. Hope all’s well!He typed the message and sent it before he could change his mind. He expected Ruby shoot back a coy response about how she’d spent the day in bed reading or at the rooftop pool, maybe that she’d decided to take a break from social media.
Instead, he was met with silence.
That didn’t necessarily mean anything. At this time of night, she might be out to dinner with her phone at the bottom of her purse. Maybe she’d lost her phone. That wasn’t a comforting thought, but it wasn’t especially horrible, either. Ruby was a resourceful woman. She’d get herself set up with a new one in no time.
