Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce

”Don’t call him ’Walker’ with every other breath. This is between me and Chloe. What does it have to do with him?” Daniel Hayes shot him an impatient look. ”What’s wrong? You can’t live without your precious Walker?”

Nathaniel Monroe glared at him. ”What’s with your attitude? Walker and his wife are family. They’re a married couple! You’re a bodyguard, yet you’re calling his wife ’sis.’ By that logic, does that mean Walker has to call you ’bro’? Is that right?”

”We’ll keep our relationships separate!” Daniel Hayes retorted. ”When it comes down to it, I’m closer to Chloe. Besides, she’s going to divorce him. Once they’re divorced, what kind of couple will they be? It’ll have even less to do with me.”

Nathaniel Monroe bared his teeth. ”You really don’t know when to shut up. I ought to take a needle and thread and sew your mouth shut.”

Daniel Hayes just laughed. ”Oh? So the young master knows his way around a needle now? When did you learn? Planning on mending clothes for your wife at home in the future?”

Nathaniel Monroe: ”...”

His fists clenched.

”Ahem.”

Dylan Finch cleared his throat. ”Let’s put all that aside for now. Young Master Monroe, Daniel, we’re counting on you to protect the missus. Your priority is to ensure her safety, and then convince Fiona Linton.”

”Don’t worry.”

Nathaniel Monroe’s expression turned serious as he looked at the man with white gauze wrapped around his eyes. ”Walker, I won’t let you down.”

Walker Grant smiled faintly. ”You’ve never let me down. Let’s eat.”

”Okay.”

That night, both Daniel Hayes and Nathaniel Monroe drank a lot. As they left, they had their arms slung over each other’s shoulders, still debating something.

Dylan Finch cleared everything away. ”Mr. Grant, ma’am, I’m heading out now. Call me if anything comes up.”

”Mm,” Walker Grant grunted in acknowledgment.

Chloe Reed went into the bathroom to freshen up.

She had been silent throughout the entire meal, feeling lost and uncertain about the future.

Staring at her reflection, she reached up and touched her throat again. She tried to open her mouth to make a sound, but it was still just a horrendous noise.

It was as if her vocal cords had been shredded, allowing her to produce only simple, grating syllables.

She immediately clamped her mouth shut, her red lips pressed into a tight line. She tore her eyes away from the mirror, unable to look at her own reflection any longer.

Just then, the bathroom door was pushed open. Walker Grant entered slowly, feeling his way forward.

Startled, Chloe Reed rushed over to grab his arm. She gave his shoulder a hard pat, her reproach obvious.

’Why didn’t he call me!’

’Why did he get up by himself!’

’What if he’d bumped into something and fallen?!’

But he caught her hand in his. His palm was incredibly warm, the heat transferring to her and slowly chasing the chill from her fingers.

”Chloe, I called for you, but you didn’t answer. I was worried something had happened, so I came to find you.”

At his words, Chloe Reed’s fine eyebrows drew together.

’He called for me?’

’But I hadn’t heard him at all!’

Supporting him, Chloe Reed began to trace words into his palm.

I’m fine. Let’s go back out.

But Walker Grant said, ”I don’t want to lie down yet. I want to take a walk. Will you walk with me, please?”

Chloe Reed’s eyelashes trembled, and she made a soft sound of assent.

Once they were out of the bathroom, she found a jacket and draped it over his shoulders. Then, she helped him out of the hospital room.

The wound on his chest was healing, and his face was no longer as pale as it had been. But after lying in bed for several days, his limbs were weak.

He ended up leaning the better part of his weight against her.