Worth the Risk(43)

With a deep breath, I climb from the car and make my way up the front steps. The house is quiet except for the undertones of the television coming out from the open window.

I hold my breath when I knock, letting my hand fall to my side as my heart pounds in my ears and nerves jitter in my stomach.

Last time I stood on this porch, I told myself that it was just Grayson. He was just some guy from high school I hardly knew.

This time it’s so much more. This time, I get that. It’s Grayson. It’s Luke. It’s a whole different dynamic from what I’m used to.

“I got it.” The television is clicked off. The door opens.

Grayson seems shocked to see me standing on his porch. He’s in athletic pants, a plain blue T-shirt that looks like an old favorite, and a baseball hat pulled low on his brow.

He isn’t trying to be as handsome as he is, which makes him simply stunning as he stands there—irritated expression and distrustful eyes included.

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard about Luke.”

“Heard what about Luke?”

“The fight. The picture. The—”

“Goddamn small-town bullshit,” he mutters under his breath.

“Is it true?

He glances over his shoulder before crossing his arms over his chest and shrugging. “What does that have to do with you?”

I open my mouth to say everything and then stop myself. That’s exactly what he expects me to say. That’s exactly who he has painted me to be.

I try again.

“I heard it started because—”

“And like I said yesterday, the world doesn’t revolve around you.” A shift of his feet. A huff of a sigh. Impatience that radiates off him.

“I know it doesn’t.” His snort is one of complete derision. It’s one that I deserve, but I’m here trying to make things right, and the sound frustrates me. “Just once, can you be nice to me? Why is that so hard for you?”

“You tell me why I should be?” Grayson gets the words out seconds before I see something fly by my head. I yelp and flinch.

“Nerf wars!” Luke shouts at the top of his lungs before another foam dart hits me squarely in the chest.

“Luke!” Grayson warns just as he skids to a stop beside his dad. His left eye is a bluish-purplish color, and there’s a scratch on his cheek that makes me feel horrible, but the smile on his face widens when he recognizes me. “Miss Sidney? Why are you here? Are you here to go on a date with my dad?”

I sputter out a laugh that sounds like I’m choking on air and shake my head violently, more than shocked by his question.

“No. I’m not here to go on a date with your dad.” I glance to Grayson, who’s standing beside his son. His eyes are narrowed, and I know he’s trying to figure out what I’m really doing here.

Get in line, because I don’t know what I’m doing here, either.

“In fact, I came to see you.”

Both of them jerk ever so slightly in response. “You did?” Luke asks.

“Yep. I had kind of a weird day, and I thought you might be able to help cheer me up.”

“Why was it weird?” He angles his head to the side. I keep my eyes on his, not looking over to Grayson, because I don’t want to see his response.

“Just work stuff. What about you? It seems to me you got into a fight with a Creeper.” Thank God for the conversation between a mom and her little boy in the soap store earlier, otherwise I would have no idea what a Creeper even was.

His eyes widen and then narrow. “You play Minecraft?”

“No.” I laugh. “But I know Creepers can be pretty vicious. So, who won? You or the Creeper?”

“Well . . . uh . . .”

“I bet it was a hard fight, but that you were victorious.” I resist the urge to reach out and touch him and then am startled by the want to.

“Can we help you?” Grayson places his hand protectively on Luke’s shoulder as he speaks. The warning to leave is loud and clear.

I look at him, see the confusion in his expression, and can only hope he doesn’t see how hard I’m working at talking to a little boy when I have zero to no experience in doing so.

“Dad, she came to see me.” Luke rolls his eyes and reaches out to grab my hand. It takes everything I have not to think of the millions of germs on his little fingers and let him take hold of it. “Let me show you my Minecraft collection.”

“Luke, I don’t think Sidney really cares about your Minecraft figures.” Grayson grabs on to my opposite arm and holds me steady in the doorway. His eyes search mine, demanding answers as to why I’m here and telling me I’m not welcome, all in the same look. “Give us a sec, bud. She’ll be right in,” he says to Luke but never takes his eyes off me.

“’Kay.”

The minute Luke’s feet pound on the stairs, I try to yank my arm from Grayson’s grip, but he just holds tighter and pulls me in to him. “Don’t think for one second that I’ll let you use my son to get to me,” he says, voice near a growl.

I should have a witty comeback. I should tell him to go to hell and that I’m not here to manipulate anyone . . . but, for that split second, with the mint of his breath in my face and his hard, lean body against mine, my synapses misfire. My words falter.