Chapter 6

I sighed and headed out anyway.

Before I left, I told Grandma's caregiver to stick around until I got back.

The address Daniel gave was some tech company.

I got there, shot him a text saying I'd arrived.

It was a while before he messaged back: [Busy. Wait.]

It was brutal summer heat, the air practically cooking me.

I stood there, barely holding it together.

I texted him again, and he just said: [Busy. Hang tight.]

The ground was scorching, nowhere to sit. Around noon, thunder rumbled.

The sky turned dark fast—rain was coming.

My vision started to blur, my legs wobbled.

I decided to bail. No point coming back either.

I sent a text saying I was out, headed to the curb to grab a cab. Then he texted back: [Coming down.]

I glanced at the company entrance just as a fat raindrop splatted on my forehead.

Daniel strolled out, umbrella up, a woman at his side.

I froze for a second, thrown off.

Summer storms didn't mess around, and the rain came down in buckets.

It soaked me through before I snapped out of it, fumbling to hold my bag over my head.

The only dry spot was by the entrance, where Daniel stood.

My body was on its last legs. Screw pride—I wasn't about to make things harder on myself.

Head down, bag raised, I bolted over to them.

I was drenched, probably looking like a drowned rat.

Daniel stood there, dry under his umbrella, cool as a cucumber, watching me stumble through the downpour.

He glanced at me, at the water dripping from my hair onto the ground, and smirked. "What, you never heard of an umbrella, Ms. Collins?"

I wasn't clueless—I caught the dig in his tone.

My eyes burned, but I swallowed it down.

I pulled the contract from my bag and shoved it toward him. "I need to talk about the funeral arrangements, Mr. Brooks."

He looked down at me, his voice dripping with a nasty kind of amusement. "Just remembered I'm booked with my girl today. How about we talk later?"

I met his eyes. "When's later?"

He shrugged, clearly blowing me off. "Pretty slammed this month. Maybe next month?"

It was barely the start of the month.

I took a deep breath, looked away. "I won't make it to next month. If you're too busy, Mr. Brooks, let's just scrap the contract. I'll find someone else."

Silence hung heavy for a moment.

Finally, he spoke, his smug grin fading a bit. "Ran into your grandma the other day. Didn't seem as bad off as you let on."

I blinked, realizing he thought I was planning her funeral.

I never thought I'd go before Grandma.

Soaked, freezing, and bone-tired, I was done.

Honestly, it was just about getting my body to the crematorium after I was gone, turning me into ashes.

I could prepay the funeral home, give them my info, and have them pick me up from the hospital when the time came.

As for the ashes, they could scatter them wherever. All the usual funeral stuff? Not like I had to go through with it.

So, it didn't have to be Daniel.

I glanced at him, at the woman next to him, their hands locked together.

Truth was, I just… even with death knocking, I couldn't shake that stupid flicker of hope, that pathetic daydream.

But it was impossible. I knew it was impossible.

I sighed, barely audible.

Looking at Daniel, I said, "If you're not up for it, fine. Whatever."

No way was I gonna keep chasing him, begging for one last cold stare before I checked out.

That bank card I'd given him? He didn't even know the PIN. I'd just move the money out myself later.

I didn't even want the card back.

That was that. Done and dusted.

I turned and headed for the street.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Daniel's face—it froze for a second.

His eyes were unreadable, like a storm one couldn't pin down.

I hit the curb, and he didn't say a word.

Probably relieved I wasn't clinging to him anymore, digging up excuses to stick around.