All Chapters of PerFecT LovE: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

~~~It took a full hour for Grace to pull herself together enough to switch the movie.Being alone in the house right now was a bad idea. Without anyone else around, her thoughts had too much room to turn restless.She ordered a pizza, pushed herself up, walked to the fridge, poured a mug of warm milk, and grabbed a small plate of chocolate. Then she swapped the old film for a romantic one. She wasn’t in the mood for anything lonely.That might have been a mistake.As the movie played, it reached a scene where the man pulled his lover close. The way he touched her, the low sound she made when his mouth found her neck… something twisted low in Grace’s stomach. She tried to ignore it and keep watching.Then the characters moved to the bed. Clothes came off. Hands slid over bare skin. The woman arched, breathless, and the man settled between her thighs.A sudden, sharp hunger hit Grace so hard she almost set the mug down too roughly. Heat spread through her in a slow, unfamiliar wave.Her

~~~Grace lay on the bed, panting, with Noah still inside her. He remained still, giving her a few seconds to catch her breath. She was grateful for it because that last thrust had pushed her over the edge.Her fingers slowly traced the patterns on the duvet as she tried to calm her racing heart.She had been ready for this. She had imagined this moment more times than she could count. But now that it was finally happening, she didn’t know what to do with all the feelings rushing through her.Every look from Noah had always affected her. Every accidental touch made her heart race. She had tried not to think too much about it, but the truth was simple.She had fallen in love with him from the moment she met him.Maybe it was stupid. He was her boss, and she had spent so long trying to hide how she felt about him. She had admired him from a distance, the way he could make her nervous with just one look.But now he was here.The scent of his cologne still filled the room, and suddenly eve

~~~Canada.Grace stared out the bus window without really seeing anything. The fields and houses she used to know passed by in a blur. She had been away so long that none of it felt familiar anymore.Coming home should have meant something. Instead, all she could feel was the tight, constant worry sitting in her chest. There was no time to feel anything else.The bus stopped. She got off and stood there for a second, looking around.No one was waiting for her.The quiet emptiness of it hurt her more than she expected, but she didn’t let herself stop.She raised her hand for a taxi, told the driver the name of the hospital, and sat with her hands locked together in her lap the whole way.There was no time to go anywhere else first. She pulled her suitcase through the hospital entrance, the wheels loud against the floor, and went straight to the front desk.A few nurses stood behind it, talking quietly among themselves.Grace stopped in front of them.“Excuse me.”The older one looked u

~~~Grace and Mrs. Hail spent the next few hours sorting out the discharge papers. When they were finally done, a nurse came to find Grace.“The doctor wants to see you.”Grace followed her into the office.“You asked for me?” she said as she stepped inside.Dr. Ron looked up from his desk and gestured to the chair across from him.“Sit down, Mrs. Bush.”She sat, watching him carefully. He still called her Mrs. Bush sometimes out of habit. She didn’t bother correcting him.“I’m guessing this is about my mother,” she said.“It is.” He glanced at the papers in his hand. “I know you’re wondering why we’re letting her go so soon after she woke up. Truth is, it wasn’t really our call. It was hers.”Grace stared at him.“What? Is that even safe?”Dr. Ron let out a slow breath.“Professionally? No. There are still tests we should be running. Her body and mind both need more time.”“Then why the hell did you agree to it?” Grace’s voice rose. “She just woke up. I can’t lose her again. Not after

~~~After a long second, Grace cleared her throat and forced a short laugh.“Lover? Where did you get that from?” She shook her head. “No. You’ve got it wrong. He’s just my boss in New York. That’s all.”The lie came out thinner than she wanted.Mary watched her closely.“Is that so?”“Yes.”“Then why did Mrs. Hail make it sound like there was something going on between you two?”Grace almost sighed out loud.Seriously?She was already tired of keeping Noah out of her head. If this conversation kept going, he was going to take over the whole night—and she couldn’t afford that.“Just ignore her,” Grace said, standing up too quickly. “Mrs. Hail likes running her mouth. She makes things up.” She picked up her glass. “I’m done. I’m going to freshen up.”Mary didn’t push. She only gave a small, knowing smile.“Okay.”That smile sat wrong in Grace’s stomach.She left the room with her heart beating too hard. Inside her bedroom, she shut the door and leaned against it.Noah Creed.Even the na