Chapter 6
Brandon had been busy comforting Riley, who was getting trashed online, and because he was upset with Grace, he even skipped the farewell party.
But then he remembered how Grace had been harassed by a drunk after a dinner not long ago, and he couldn't stop worrying about her.
So he waited outside the restaurant where the party was happening, planning to quietly walk her home.
He waited from 7 PM all the way until midnight, but even after everyone else had left, Grace still didn't show up.
Finally, Brandon got out of his car and stopped the last student as he was leaving. "Where's Grace? Why didn't she come out with you guys? Did something happen?"
The student shook his head. "She didn't even come to the party. She left a day early."
"She left?" Brandon couldn't help but raise his voice. "Where did she go?"
The student gave an awkward smile. "It's graduation, so everyone's going home. Aren't you her boyfriend? Didn't she tell you?"
Brandon was stunned.
Grace had transferred to Kinsland for high school, and after she started college, her dad moved his business back to Yotatin.
It was such a long trip, and she didn't even bother to let Brandon know she was leaving.
They'd promised that after graduation, he'd personally take her home.
'I was blowing off steam the other day. Could she really still be mad about that?' Brandon wondered.
Thinking about that argument, Brandon felt a weird emptiness in his chest.
Once he'd calmed down, he knew he'd messed up. But he was too stubborn to admit it, and couldn't bring himself to apologize to Grace.
He thought, 'We are getting married someday. How could Grace change her mind and do something so big without even asking me first?
'I have to rein in her stubborn streak a bit. If we keep butting heads like this, how are we ever supposed to make it work?'
Brandon drove home alone, his emotions all bottled up and simmering beneath the surface.
He felt restless and troubled, tossing and turning the whole night without a wink of sleep.
*****
In the morning, he picked up his phone to message Grace, only to realize their chat was stuck at two weeks ago.
Grace had asked when he'd be back at school. She'd sent a caring emoji. He never replied.
At that time, he was busy helping Riley with her part-time work.
The market was buzzing with people, and Brandon was caught up helping Riley. He barely had a second to spare, let alone reply to Grace.
He was honestly shocked they'd gone so long without a real conversation.
Brandon felt a sudden, inexplicable nervousness wash over him. Now, he had no clue how to even start talking to her again.
After mulling it over, Brandon took the initiative and called Mila Hall, his college professor.
"Ms. Hall, my fiancée and I want to come back to campus in a few days to take our wedding photos. Could you help us coordinate with the school? I'm planning to donate 3 million dollars," Brandon said.
Mila sounded delighted. "Absolutely. You may have graduated, but you're still part of our alumni. Is your fiancée still Grace, the one you've been dating for three years?"
"Yes, it's Grace," Brandon confirmed. "I upset her a few days ago, so I'm hoping I can make it up to her with a proposal."
Mila smiled kindly, "With how genuine you are, Brandon, she'll definitely be touched."
After hanging up, Brandon felt a bit bashful after all that praise. But at the same time, he could barely contain his excitement.
If he made things right after what happened a couple of days ago, maybe Grace would finally forgive him.
Thinking about it, he went ahead and called the bridal shop. "The wedding dress and tuxedo are already ready, right? I was only kidding the other day.
"I know you guys reserve them for a week for customers, so no need to cancel. Keep everything as it is."
The clerk sounded genuinely shocked. "Mr. Murphy, that's not something you can joke about. We already sent the dresses off to be destroyed."
Brandon froze, completely taken aback. "It's in the contract. You guys are supposed to hold them for a week. I could sue you for breaking the agreement."
The clerk explained, "But your fiancée, Ms. Wright, canceled once a month ago. A few days ago, you made your second cancellation, so per the contract, we had to destroy the custom pieces immediately."
"Wait, what?" Brandon said.