Playing Broke at My Reunion のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

When I got home, I dug an old high school yearbook out of storage. A decade of dust came off the cover.I flipped to the class photo and found her in the back row. Heavy bangs. Black-framed glasses.Grace Quinn.The memories came back all at once.On graduation day she'd stopped me outside school with a pink envelope clutched in both hands, her face bright red. Half our classmates were standing nearby, laughing and cheering her on.I was eighteen, arrogant and full of myself."I'm not interested in you."I said it in front of everyone, and then I walked away.Ten years later, she hadn't held it against me. The moment she thought I was ruined, she sent me everything she had.Guilt hit me hard enough to make my chest ache.I picked up my phone and called my executive assistant."Miles.""Yes, Mr. Hawthorne?""Look someone up for me. Grace Quinn. We went to high school together."Miles was efficient. Ten minutes later a file landed in my inbox.Grace Quinn. Twenty-eight. Ca

My expression went cold."Ignore him," Grace said immediately, her brows pulling together. "Daniel's trying to humiliate you. We don't have to go."I locked my phone. Then I looked at the worry in her eyes, and the anger drained out of me almost instantly.I was about to answer when another message came in. Daniel again."Oh, and Ryan, I hear you've got a girlfriend now. Bring her. Let everyone meet her."Sophia Cole, the girl every guy in our class had wanted, replied right underneath him."Definitely bring her. I want to see what kind of woman is brave enough to sign up for seven million dollars of debt."The mockery practically dripped off the screen.I was about to put the phone away when Grace caught my wrist."I'll go with you."I turned toward her. She looked completely serious."They're obviously planning to make a joke out of you. If you go alone they'll gang up on you. At least if I'm there, somebody's on your side."The night wind lifted a few loose strands of he

Around us, visitors and staff screamed."Grace!"I lunged forward and pulled her hard against me. At the same time I threw my right arm up into the path of the chair.The impact exploded through my forearm and a deep cut opened across the skin. Blood ran down my hand immediately."Ryan!"Grace's voice cracked behind me.I pushed her back until she was well out of reach.Then I stopped pretending. I looked at the drunk with no expression at all, and whatever he saw made his arms freeze in the air.Ignoring the blood, I pulled out my phone and called Miles."Metro General. Third-floor surgical nurses' station. Bring security and legal. Now."I hung up.The corridor had gone dead quiet. The drunk hefted the chair again, trying to talk himself back into courage."You— you can quit the act. Making a phone call, are you? Tonight I'm going to—""Move again." My voice was almost calm. "Try it."He met my eyes, and didn't take another step.Less than five minutes later, footsteps

Through the gap in the blinds I could see her crouched under a desk, arms wrapped around her knees, face buried in the crook of her elbow. Her shoulders were heaving.The smothered sound of her crying came through in pieces, and every piece went through me like a dull blade.I lifted my hand to knock. It stopped in the air, and I couldn't make it fall.I pressed the up button instead and went to the inpatient floor. Eleanor Quinn was up there.Grace didn't know that I'd quietly settled the rest of her grandmother's treatment costs weeks ago, under Miles's name.I'd hurt her. Words weren't going to fix it. I'd have to warm her back, one day at a time.The next morning, Hawthorne Group put out an announcement.In the company's name I donated ten million dollars to Metro General and established a nursing-care fund, with one hard condition written into the agreement: every dollar had to go to frontline nurses — night-shift pay, meals, transportation, basic welfare. Not executive off

I thought she was sending me away again, and I grabbed for her hand in a panic. "Grace, I—""I'll give you a trial run."She looked up suddenly and cut me off. Those red eyes held mine, and there was something stubborn behind them."But you listen to me, Ryan. If you lie to me one more time, I am done with you. For good."Something went off in my head like a blast. I stood there frozen. It took three full seconds before what she'd said reached me.Then the joy came in like a tidal wave and swallowed me whole. I forgot to breathe. All I could do was stare at her, grinning like an idiot who'd just been handed the world."I swear. Never again."I wanted to hug her, then remembered I was soaked through with cold rain, made myself stop, and ended up turning two useless circles in place instead.Before I could figure out what to say next, Grace's phone buzzed in her pocket, jarring in the quiet of the rain.She pulled it out, frowned at the screen, and answered.We were standing cl