“You told your father you were tired from the drive.”
She shrugged, but even that lacked energy. “Iamtired.”
“Yeah, but the drive was only a couple hours and neither of us were even behind the wheel.”
“That’s still a drive.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “Right. Of course. You’re right. It was devastatingly exhausting. I’m dead on my feet.”
The corners of her mouth twitched just slightly. I smiled and crossed the room, only stopping once I was a few feet away from her. “There’s something you should know before we leave here, Eliza.”
She looked up at me, wary but curious. “That I can go back anytime I please?”
“Sure, but also that going to Chicago and meeting my family, all of it, it’s not just because of some tradition Alex dreamed up.”
“Yes, I know. I need time to settle in before the wedding.”
“No, it’s not just that either,” I said. “It’s to give you a break, Eliza.”
She frowned. Deeply. “A break?”
“Yeah.”
She arched an eyebrow at me like the concept was wildly offensive. “Alright, well, thank you, but I don’t take breaks.”
“I noticed.” She opened her mouth, presumably to argue, but I cut her off before she could get there. “You’re exhausted.”
She scoffed softly. “I’m fine.”
“You’re exhausted,” I repeated. “You run that estate like a one-woman government. You manage absolutely everything all by yourself and you have for a long time.”
“Yes, but it’s my responsibility,” she said stiffly.
“No, it’s not,” I said, giving it to her straight. “It’s your dad’s responsibility that you’ve taken upon yourself.”
She crossed her arms, her chin coming up in defiance. “What’s your point?”
“My point is that while everyone else is obsessing over wedding details, you’ll get to breathe for a little while.” I paused for a beat, but when she didn’t say anything, I kept going. “Look, I’ll level with you here.”
“Level with me?”
“Yeah. It means?—”
“I know what it means, Jesse.”
“Fine.” I looked deep into her eyes, trying to remember that none of this was my role. None of these weremypromises to make, and yet, I was speaking to her right now as myself, as Will. “I want to take care of you for a bit.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “That’s not necessary.”
“It absolutely is.”
She looked back at me like she didn’t know whether to laugh, argue, slap me, or all three. “Where is this coming from?”
“From me,” I said, totally serious and completely honest. More so than I probably had been since that day I’d seen her again at my dad’s house. “When we get to Chicago, I’m going to send you to a day spa. A fancy one. The kind where they make you wear those ridiculous white robes and give you cucumber water.”
Her lips twitched again, but I wasn’t done yet. “I want you to be able sleep in and not have to worry about a to-do list a mile long that rests entirely on your shoulders. I want to take you out to dinner while you know that everything that needs to be done three thousand miles away is being done for you.”
“That sounds unlikely.”
