Beyond What is Given(86)

Even though it was my hand he was stroking, the smile he gave her made me feel like I was intruding on an intimate moment. I didn’t see a cheese-grater, but it felt like one was shaving down my heart a little more with each passing second.

“It’s so good to see you guys side-by-side,” Parker cooed. “It’s like high school all over again!”

Grayson stroked his thumb along my palm and dropped my hand to put food on his plate. “Yeah, except that it’s not, Parker.”

She cut into her steak with quick, angry motions.

“Sam?” Grayson asked. “Did you want some steak?” He held out the plate.

“What’s wrong, did you lose your appetite?” Parker asked so sweetly she would have given a dentist cavities.

I took a piece just to spite her.

“So this was a long drive for you ladies to make on the fly,” Josh said, breaking the silence.

“We flew, actually,” Grace offered. “I wanted to see Gray and his new life, and Parker was kind enough to bring me. We cleared everything with the doctors, of course.”

“So you’ve planned this for a while?” Jagger asked.

Grace looked from Parker to Grayson. “For about a week now. Parker said you’d like the surprise, Gray. She said you’d been down lately.”

“I’m always glad to see you, Grace,” he answered.

“Good, because you’ve got us for three whole days!” Parker finished.

Kill me now. Right now. Lightning strike me dead.

“I figured I could take the couch, and Grace could bunk with you?” Parker flashed Grayson a smile.

I sputtered mid-sip of my tea, and Grayson took it from me while I coughed. “Are you okay, Sam?”

I nodded, still hacking. “Wrong pipe,” I managed.

Paisley’s hand peeked above the table, brandishing the blue bic Grayson used to light the grill. She shrugged when I laughed softly.

“Parker is kidding. We wouldn’t dream of putting y’all out. We saw a hotel down the road. We can stay there.”

Crap, I really liked Grace.

“No. You’re barely standing. I’ll take the couch, you and Parker take my room.”

Crap, I hated my boyfriend.

After the most awkward dinner ever, I helped Grayson change the sheets on his bed. “I’m so sorry about this,” he said after we fluffed the comforter.

“Don’t be.”

“I’ll tell her tonight,” he said, taking both my hands in his.

“Well, that might ruin your chances of keeping her.” The joke fell flat.

“I want you,” he promised.

I didn’t doubt that, but it wasn’t just about wanting me.

“There’s no part of you that wants her? Because watching you two, I can’t believe that’s true. And I’m not mad. Jealous, maybe…okay, definitely, but I get it.” Please tell me now before I fall any harder. He’d loved her all his life, he said so, but never once had he uttered those words in regards to me.

“There’s no part of me that doesn’t want you,” he answered, tipping my chin toward his to kiss me gently. “Have a little faith, remember?”

“Seriously?” Parker hissed from the door and brought in two small suitcases. “What if I’d been Grace? Can’t you two just not…ugh.”

Grayson turned to face her. “First, this is my house, and we’re not in North Carolina. You want to invade my life, fine, but you’re not going to tell me how to live it. Second, Grace can’t walk up the stairs. Third, so what? She deserves to know that I’m with Sam. I’m not lying to her, not so you can live out this insane fantasy.”

Parker blanched. “You can’t tell her. We don’t know what her health will do. She’s so fragile, Gray, and you’re what she’s holding on to. You can’t abandon her.”

“She’s smart enough to know that things change in five years, and she’s strong enough to adapt.”

“And what if she’s not? You haven’t been around, as usual. You haven’t seen how hard this is on her, knowing everyone kept living while she…didn’t. If you tell her that you moved on, that there’s no chance for the two of you to be together, you will be the tipping point for her.”

“Parker, that’s not fair,” I said, “and you don’t get to come in here and lay blame on Grayson for something that was never his fault. This is our home.”

She side-eyed me, and got up in Grayson’s face. “You owe her this much. You knew how drunk Owen was. You knew the minute he threw that punch when you asked for his keys. What did you do? Told him to ‘f*ck off’ and walked away. You owe Grace at least enough time to get on her feet before you shred her.”

I placed my hand between his shoulder blades, wishing I could take the sting out of her words, or just plain shut her up. It took everything in my willpower to bite my tongue and remember that this was Grayson’s sister. “She’s wrong, Grayson. It wasn’t your fault.”

“It was,” he answered, not even turning around. “If I’d stood my ground, none of this would have happened.”

“Exactly,” Parker agreed. “If it had never happened, you’d be happy. Both of you.”