Eleanor & Grey(37)

Greyson East.

Greyson-freaking-East!

He had kids—two girls, to be exact. A family.

He was a CEO!

I wondered what he looked like after all this time. I wondered if those grayish-blue eyes were still as striking as they had been. Did he have the same laugh? The same smile?

My heart pounded rapidly against my ribcage at just the thought of Greyson. When I looked back on the defining moments of my life, he was near the top of the list. He’d come into my life when I had needed him the most, and he’d left sooner than I had hoped he would. Now, I was supposed to walk into an office with him to interview for a nannying position for his children.

I couldn’t wrap my mind around that idea.

“He’s ready for you, Eleanor,” Claire said, peeking her head back into the room. She nodded me toward her, and I stood up, smoothing out my tight skirt. “And don’t worry, I left out your name. I thought it would be a pleasant surprise for him to see you.”

I hoped so.

She walked me down the hallway, and we turned into an actual library.

There was a library in this home, one with actual ladders. I was blown away by the concept. In my dream home, there would be a room just like this one.

“Good luck,” Claire whispered once I stepped inside, and then she left, closing the door behind her.

Greyson’s back was facing me as he stared out the window. He was wearing what looked like an expensive suit tailored to his body. His arms were massive, shoulders broad; he was much more built than he had been way back when. He stood straight with no curve to his body. His arms were crossed, and still he hadn’t moved an inch.

Had he heard me enter the room? Did he know I was there?

I just wanted to see those eyes.

I cleared my throat, feeling my body shake. “Well, this is crazy, right?” I choked out.

“Interviewing for a job?” he asked, his voice monotone.

“Yes—I mean, no. What I mean is…it’s crazy for us to cross paths again after all this time.” I took a step forward, feeling the knot in my stomach tightening. “It’s just crazy.”

“Do we know each other?” he questioned, still staring out the window, still sounding completely uninterested in my existence.

My gosh, Greyson. Just turn around.

“Grey, it’s me…Ellie.”

He straightened his shoulders just a bit, reacting to my words.

With a slow turn on the heels of his loafers, he looked my way. When we locked eyes, I took two steps back, a little thrown off. His were still the same gray, but unlike before, his stare was so cold, like ice. Those eyes I’d once adored were filled with a hardness I hadn’t known they could ever hold.

Those beautiful eyes.

The harshness they projected in that moment made me want to retreat from his space as soon as possible, but also, oddly enough, that same stare kind of made me want to hug him and tell him everything would be all right. This new Greyson stood there with a very Eeyore vibe to him. It was almost as if a raincloud was sitting above his head.

He didn’t have the carefree personality I remembered, that was for sure.

But, the longer I looked, the more I realized what I was seeing.

It wasn’t coldness from anger. It wasn’t harshness from annoyance.

His stare was sadness.

Sadness didn’t come with words; it ran across a person’s body. It swam in the eyes. It swept across the wrinkles in one’s forehead. It pushed down shoulders and sat uncomfortably at the corners of lips.

No human ever had to speak of their sadness for it to be seen. Others just had to take the time to truly notice someone to see it.

All we truly had to do was slow down and look.

Greyson’s sadness was clear as day, and that was heartbreaking.

He kept staring, saying nothing at all.

I shifted around in place and gave him a tight smile. “Like, Ellie Gable, from high school. We were…”

Friends…

We were friends, Grey.

We were so much more than friends.

How could he not remember? He was the one who’d gotten me through the hardest period of my life.

My words drifted because the harder he stared at me, the more uncomfortable it all became. Did he truly not remember me? Could that even be possible? Was it even the same Greyson I’d known?

Of course it was. Eyes never lie.

“I’m sorry, this is uncomfortable.” I chuckled because that was what I did when I was nervous—I laughed awkwardly. “I just thought…” I paused, giving him an opportunity to dive into the conversation.

Still nothing but silence from him.

Say something, Greyson.

“I just… It’s been years, Grey. You look great! Really nice. I see you grew into your height.” What, Eleanor? What did that even mean? The palms of my hands were a swamp and I was having a hard time thinking straight. “Claire mentioned you have two daughters, huh? That’s crazy. I mean, it’s not too crazy, seeing how you’re a grown-up and that’s what grown-ups do—they have families. I mean, except for me. Still single as a daisy,” I rambled, holding my ring finger up in the air like a freaking fool.

What did that even mean? Single as a daisy?

Pull yourself together, Ellie.

I cleared my throat. “Funny how life happens, right?”