Grounded (Up in the Air #3)(26)

I listened without comment, taking the lecture in the way he intended it. It was a Stephan pep talk, and I didn’t take offense. “I’m working on it, Steph, I really am. I’m facing it and dealing with it, and I’m not running away.”

“So things are good with you two? You’re still planning to live with him?”

I laughed. “Why? Do you think I changed my mind already?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I was afraid that you got all wrapped up in him, and that, in the light of day, you’d panic about what you’d agreed to and change your mind.”

“Well, I haven’t, not yet anyway. That’s got to be a good sign, right?”

He just nodded, smiling.

Marion arrived with breakfast and we ate blueberry waffles in bed and laughed and caught up on every little detail of each other’s lives. We usually didn’t need to update each other, since we were so used to being constant companions, but this was nice, too. He told me how crazy he was about Javier, and I told him how crazy James and I were in general. It was a good talk, and I realized that even if I didn’t see Stephan every single day, he could still be my rock. I hoped he could draw even a fraction of the comfort from me that I did from him.

“Javier and I are meeting up with one of the crews tonight, if you guys want to join us. I know you have that photo shoot, but I thought I’d tell you.”

I nodded. “Thanks. I’m not sure what the plan is, but I’ll tell James. Do I know the crew?”

He grimaced. “Vance and company. Not sure it’s the best idea, but I’m trying to play nice.”

I grimaced right back. Vance was an ex of Javier’s, and neither he nor the rest of the crew were huge Stephan fans. I had always personally thought that was because Vance was still hung up on Javier. “That’s nice of you. Hopefully they try to play nice, too.”

“Javier swears they’ll be well-behaved.”

I nodded, hoping it worked out that way, though ex situations never tended to be so simple. What looked good on paper got real messy when emotions factored in. I had come to learn that fact all too well lately.

I told him about my brother and he was a little shocked that I was going to meet with him. I shrugged when he asked me why. “He sounded…nice. Nothing like my father. What could it hurt to meet for coffee sometime?”

“I think it’s a good idea, but I think you should be cautious. Can I go with you?”

I waved him off. “It will be a strange, awkward meeting. I’ll take security, though, so you don’t need to worry about me.”

He nodded, but he still looked a little worried.

We were both laughing hard as Stephan told me a story from the night before. They had been so excited to get their own driver that they’d gone from club to club, not staying more than twenty minutes at any of them before moving on, enjoying the car and driver even more than the clubbing. My phone rang from the bedside table.

I answered with a laugh still on my lips.

It was James. “Ah now, there’s a sound that I love to hear. How are you this morning, my love?”

“Mmm, good. How are you?”

“Better now. It’s been a…rough morning. What are you doing?”

I glanced around at my rather strange surroundings. “I’m having breakfast in our ridiculously huge bed with Stephan,” I told him bluntly. No reason to prevaricate.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Stephan had fallen silent, giving me wide eyes. I noticed for the first time that he wore only boxers and a smile, and I wore nothing but a sheet. It occurred to me, rather belatedly, that our breakfast in bed could look bad to an outside observer.

“I have to say, if you had said any other name in that sentence, I’d be on the verge of murder.”

I laughed. I heard the nervous tenor of it. I felt strangely tense to hear his reaction.

“Tell Stephan I said good morning,” he said, his voice neutral.

I told him.

Stephan smiled. “Morning, James,” he called loud enough to be heard on the other end.

“Give him the phone,” James said into my ear.

I handed Stephan the phone.

I watched him warily but relaxed completely when Stephan began to laugh almost the instant that he put the phone to his ear.

“My pleasure, James,” he said, still laughing. He handed me the phone.

I held it to my ear.

“I have to go, but we have the photo shoot at three this afternoon,” he said. “Do you mind coming by my office before we go? Say, two thirty?”

“I’ll be there,” I told him. “What did you say to Stephan?” I asked. I couldn’t help it. Their exchange had just been too quick and strange.

“I told him that next I’m buying him a house next door to mine for making you laugh like that. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to hear that joy in your voice, even if I’m not the one to put it there.”

My chest hurt a little. I struggled to find the words to respond. He was so terribly romantic, in a heart-wrenching kind of way. “You do put it there, James. I’m not good with the words, but just knowing you makes me feel privileged.”

He made a happy little hum of a noise into my ear. “There you go, making my day again.”

Words caught in my throat. I didn’t even know how to respond.