Written in Ink (Montgomery Ink #4)(30)

Tears soaked her dress, and she lowered herself to the floor as much as he would allow, running her hands down his back and through his hair.

“He’s okay,” she whispered. “He’s okay.”

He nodded against her shoulder, placing his face between her neck and chin and held her tight. At that moment, she didn’t care what they looked like, what others would think. She only cared that this man held so much inside, so much on his shoulders, that he’d broken just a bit—broken to the point that he needed to let it all out.

She let him cry, let the others celebrate and allow their emotions to come out however they needed to. She’d care about the rest of the world later. Right then, it was all about Griffin. All about the man in her arms.

And soon she’d figure out what all of that meant.

Soon.





MAYA


This wasn’t the first time she’d eaten a meal with Jake and a woman he was sleeping with. This was the first time Maya didn’t know what to do with her hands, didn’t know what to do with her words.

She didn’t like this feeling. Didn’t like the way she couldn’t figure out what to say next or do when it came to this sweet girl named Holly.

Maya didn’t hate Holly. Not in the slightest. There was nothing to hate about Holly. She was nice, compassionate, and truly cared about Jake. As Jake was Maya’s best friend, Maya couldn’t ask for anything more in a woman for him.

Sure, Holly didn’t have a single tattoo on her, and probably only liked missionary with the lights off, but if that’s what Jake wanted, then more power to him. It wasn’t Maya’s job to worry about Jake’s lovers.

Only this time, Maya couldn’t help but feel different.

Jake wasn’t just sleeping with this woman. He was falling for her.

Things were getting serious. He’d introduced Holly to his family, the crazy Gallaghers who rivaled the Montgomerys in drama and ink. And now he’d introduced Holly to the Montgomerys. Maya had a feeling that soon, Jake would get down on one knee and make Holly his in truth and forever.

Maya should be happy for him. Because despite what her family thought, she’d only ever loved Jake as her best friend. She’d never allowed herself to think about him as something more. As soon as she did that, she’d lose him forever. It was what she did. She f*cked a man then f*cked it up royally. She’d rather have Jake as her best friend, who she never slept with, than have him for a night or two and lose the one man she could tell anything to.

But…but something was wrong.

Her heart hurt.

She rubbed her hand over her chest as Jake and Holly laughed about something they’d seen at the park. Maya forced a smile, and she knew Jake didn’t see it. If he’d been paying attention to her and not the woman she had a feeling he loved, then he’d have seen the strain, seen the lie.

But he didn’t see.

He only saw Holly.

And that had to be good enough.

Because this was not jealousy she was feeling.

Not at all.

Maya Montgomery did not love Jake Gallagher.

Jake was her best friend. Not the man she’d grow old with.

Jake would be with Holly, and Maya would be…

Maya would be okay.

Because she had to be.





Chapter Nine


Writing sucked ass.

Griffin wanted to slam his head against his desk once again but stopped himself. Mostly because Autumn was staring at him and he didn’t want to look like an idiot. Since the accident, he’d done everything he could on the other side of writing so he didn’t actually have to try and type. Contrary to popular belief, writers didn’t normally light a candle and type in one sitting until a polished manuscript appeared. It wasn’t like Jim Carrey typing on his computer in that one movie where he played a man with God’s powers for the week, manically slamming his hands on the keyboard until words appeared.

Griffin couldn’t slam much of anything with his broken hand. He knew the hand he’d held out from his body had been to try and protect Autumn, and it wouldn’t have helped in that kind of collision no matter what he’d done, but he probably would have done it again. He didn’t want her hurt. Couldn’t even think it.

And he’d have to dive deeper into those thoughts and emotions later because there was no way he could do it with her in the room, looking at him with abject pity. The fierce resolve mixing with the pity in her eyes, though, worried him more.

She wanted to fix this, and would have probably written the book herself if she could. No matter how many times he told her the accident wasn’t her fault, she didn’t listen. She blamed herself, and the longer he sat looking at his keyboard like it was the enemy, the worse she would feel.

Hence why Griffin needed to fix this. Now.

“We will figure this out,” Autumn said softly.

He turned to look over his shoulder and lifted one side of his mouth in a semblance of a smile. “Yeah, we will.” He stared back at his keyboard that mocked him with all its precious keys. “Somehow.”

“You can always type one-handed…”

He snorted then smiled at her again. It must have come out as a grimace because she winced. “I could try, but that’s a lot of hunting and pecking on a deadline. It’s not off the table, though.”