Five Years Wasted Now They Beg Her Back novel Chapter 273

They had driven a long way before Grace finally dried her tears. She fished a handful of pills from her bag and swallowed them dry without even looking.

They were painkillers and antidepressants.

“Elliot.”

“I’m here.”

“Starting tomorrow, I’m going back to work.” Grace’s voice had returned to its calm state, but with a sharp edge. “Now that I know who the ghosts are, it’s time to go ghost hunting.”

Elliot’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “But your health…”

“I won’t die.” Grace stared at the blur of lights outside the window. “As long as the spirit isn’t dead, the body can’t die.”

It was three in the morning by the time she got back to Ivy’s apartment.

Grace refused Elliot’s offer to help her upstairs, insisting on going alone.

She didn’t want anyone to see her in this pathetic state, especially with her damn leg.

The elevator doors opened, and the motion-sensor lights in the hallway flickered on and off.

She took out her key, her hand shaking so much that it took her a few tries to get it into the lock.

Just as she was about to push the door open, she felt like someone was watching her.

The feeling was familiar.

She whipped her head around, her gaze snapping to the shadows at the end of the hall.

It was empty.

But she knew he was there.

Damien hadn’t left. He had followed her all the way back.

Grace pressed her lips together, said nothing, and went inside, shutting the door heavily behind her.

Leaning against the door, her body slid down until she was sitting on the cold floor.

She let go, and the blind snapped shut.

“If you want to stand guard, then stand guard,” she whispered to the empty room, as if speaking to him, and to herself.

This was their understanding now.

No contact, no words, not even seeing each other.

But he would be there, watching over her from a place she couldn’t see.

***

The next morning, when Ivy woke up, she found Grace already in the living room, sitting on the sofa and going through documents.

“Grace, what time did you get back last night?” Ivy yawned as she walked over, then jumped when she saw Grace’s face. “Holy crap, you look like a ghost. Were you out doing drugs last night?”

Grace was reviewing a financial report for Graceline Technologies. Without looking up, she replied, “Not drugs, just learning a hard lesson.”

Her face was covered in a layer of carefully applied makeup, the foundation caked on so thick you could scrape it off, but it still couldn’t hide the dark circles under her eyes. Her lips were painted a stark red, a desperate attempt to conceal some kind of sickness.