Saving Forever - Part 4 Read Online Free PDF Page B

to his place. He teased her in the car that they should both play hooky and hide out under the covers all afternoon and night, avoid phones and doorbells, or anything until hunger or something worse drove them out of bed.
    When she dropped him off at the hospital she had nearly opened her window and called out to him to come back. She didn’t like the sight of his retreating figure, it tore at her heart strings. It took every ounce of courage to pull away from the curb with just a smile and a wave when he turned around to look at her before stepping through the sliding doors.
    Her father had insisted she take her mother’s BMW. The car had sat in the garage the past six years. The day Elijah had taken her home from the hospital, the grey four-door had been sitting in the drive, clean and shiny, almost like new. When she called her father, he would barely talk about it, only saying that it was ridiculous to have the car in the garage and have her renting something to take her to physio. He refused to say anything else.
    Her mom had bought the car about nine months before she got really sick. Less than a thousand miles, the thing ran like brand new. Her father had brought it in yearly, but other than that, Charity doubted he had driven it. Sometimes she swore she could smell her mother’s perfume while she drove it.
    She left the car in Elijah’s garage and had taken a taxi to the airport. She justified it by saying it was cheaper than doing park and fly, but what she wouldn’t admit to Elijah was that she didn’t want anything to happen to the car. If someone broke into it or hit it, she would be devastated.
    Now in a taxi in Atlanta, she leaned back and closed her eyes enjoying the last few rays of sunlight shining through the window. If they were seriously planning on getting married in a month or less she had to start dress shopping. She had no idea what kind of wedding dress to buy. She had bought a bridal magazine at the airport and had skimmed a few pages. She figured she would look through it tonight and check more dresses out online at the same time.
    Her phone vibrated against her hand. She yawned and swiped the screen on.
    How you doin’? Have you landed yet?
    Elijah.
    She smiled. Good. Missin’ u. In cab to my place. How r u?
    A moment later the phone vibrated again.
    Bored. Hospital is crazy busy but I hate you being there and I’m stuck here. I think I’m going to have to take a job in Atlanta.
    She giggled. I can check if there’s a janitorial opening at the hospital.
    Not cool… but I’ll take it. I just have to ask your dad if it’s okay.
    She laughed at the picture in her head regarding that conversation. The taxi driver looked at her from the rearview mirror.
    Elijah sent another message. How long are you staying? I forgot to ask. Slightly sidetracked with the judge’s response.
    She leaned over the seat and spoke to the driver, “I’m about a block up on the right.” She gave him her address and reread Elijah’s message. She replied: Hopefully next Friday. Or Saturday at the latest. My return is open. I don’t know how far behind I am, and now I have to tell Malcolm I’ll be away two weeks to tie the knot with you, and I’m just back, I figured I should be here as much as possible.
    The driver pulled in front of her place. She paid and tipped the man after he helped get her suitcase. She hadn’t packed much because she’d been worried the weight might be too much after flying and she didn’t want to injure her side.
    She made her way into her house. It felt strange, like it didn’t belong to her anymore even though all her things were exactly where she had left them. The place needed a slight dusting but other than that, it was clean. She sat on the lounge sofa in the nearly empty living room, dropping her suitcase beside her. She gingerly laid back.
    It took everything to control the tears trying to escape. She wouldn’t admit it to Elijah, her father or anyone, but she worried she