Eleanor & Grey(61)

He lied straight to my face, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Maybe somewhere deep inside of him he truly believed that lie, too, but there was nothing about Greyson that was fine. He was living with an internal flame that was setting his soul on fire, yet he was doing nothing about it at all.

Maybe because he didn’t know how to deal with it.

Or perhaps he thought he deserved to burn.

“It’s okay to get help,” I promised him. “You taught me that when I was younger. You were the person who helped me. Let me help you, Greyson.”

He shook his head. “You just get tired of it, you know?”

“Tired of what?”

He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly as he brushed his hand against his beard and he softly said, “Everything.”

“Greyson—” I started, but he shook his head.

“Good evening, Eleanor.” He gestured toward the door. It was clear our conversation had gone on for too long.

I nodded in understanding and took a big step away from him with chills racing down my spine. “Good night.”





36





Eleanor





“So, what episode are we on with the distant lovers?” Shay asked as we sat down on her couch for our weekly reality show binge. “How are things going with our Greyson?”

“There is nothing about Greyson and I that is a reality show.”

“Right, uh-huh, so we’re still on episode two: ‘Denying the Love.’ Gah, this is so exciting! I cannot wait, because this means the ‘Slow Burn Friendship’ episode is coming up soon! I cannot wait for you two to accidentally become friends again.”

“Are you drunk?” I laughed. “You’ve only had one glass of wine, so I’m guessing you’re not drunk, right?”

“No, I just know these things. As a writer, you learn about story structure, and you and Greyson are the classic rom-com. It’s like you’re Meg Ryan, he’s Billy Crystal, and I’m Nora Ephron.”

“I really don’t get that reference.”

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean you don’t get the reference? Ellie, it’s When Harry Met Sally, only one of the best romantic comedies of all time.”

“Oh, I’ve never seen it.”

She jumped back, stunned. “What is the matter with you?”

I laughed. “Okay, so if he’s the hero in the movie and I’m the heroine, who’s Nora Ephron? The quirky best friend?”

Shay looked at me as if I’d just skinned a puppy alive. She held up her hand and pointed to the door. “Get the hell out of my apartment.”

“What?”

“I mean it. Get the hell out of my apartment. Nora Ephron, God rest her soul, was only one of the greatest writers of romantic comedies to ever grace this planet. You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless-In-Freaking-Seattle, Ellie! Come on! I mean, I love you, but sometimes I worry about your intelligence when you say things like this.”

I laughed. “Sorry, but not everyone’s a movie buff like you, Shay.”

“I’m just saying, she was a legend.”

“So, did you just compare yourself to a legend?”

She smirked and shrugged her shoulders. “If the shoe fits...” She hopped off the couch and headed to the kitchen and tossed a package of popcorn into the microwave. “Back to the main topic for tonight: you and Greyson.”

“No, that’s definitely not the main topic, because there is nothing to talk about. The main topic of tonight is who’s going to get the final rose on The Bachelor.”

Shay groaned. “Why talk about fake reality shows when we have a real one right in front of us? Just give me a little bit more about him,” she said. “What is grown-up Greyson like?”

I frowned, thinking about it. “At first, I thought he was kind of grumpy, and, I mean, I guess he is, but honestly he’s just sad. Like, intensely lonely and disconnected from everything around him.”

Shay grew somber. “That’s heartbreaking. Kind of like Jon Snow, huh? Like a sexy kind of sad? Like the kind of sad where you want to hug someone and kind of hump their leg, too?”

I gave her a stern look.

She tossed her hands up in defeat. “Okay, okay. So, he’s really that broken up, huh?” The microwave went off, and then she pulled out her popcorn. After she tossed the popcorn into a bowl, she opened a bag of barbecue potato chips and mixed the two snacks together. I swore, my cousin could eat anything in the world and remain a stick. If I even looked at a cupcake, my butt grew two sizes.

“He’s like a zombie from The Walking Dead. Just moving along day by day with random outbursts of sadness.”

“That’s really sad. He was such a bright light as a kid. So, are you going to help him?”

“I mean, I want to…I really do. I just don’t really know how to help, and honestly, I don’t think he wants my assistance.”

“Well, just keep showing up. You’re like a puppy dog that people can’t help but fall in love with. Give it time, and you’ll probably help Greyson find his way back.”

I didn’t know if she was saying that because she really believed it, or because she just wanted to see episode three of our show.