Eleanor & Grey(84)

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing at all. I bet you he’s still the same ol’ Landon he was all those years ago, except with more expensive cars.”

She said the words as if she didn’t care, but I knew she was nervous. Shay picked at her fingernails when her nerves were high, and she hadn’t stopped doing so since I’d told her about the party.

We knocked on the front door, and Greyson opened it, giving us a small smile. “Hey, you two, you look amazing. I’m just finishing up my hair,” he said as he brushed gel into it to slick it back.

He wore an all-black tuxedo, and it fit him like a glove, showing off every muscle on his body and his best…well, assets.

He turned to walk away and Shay lowered her voice. “Left cheek, right cheek, cheek cheek cheek…” she whispered.

I nudged her, feeling my face blush, because yes, I had noticed his butt.

Oh, how cheeky Grey’s cheeks can be.

When he came back out, he was sliding his wallet into his back pocket with a bright smile on his face. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Wait, you’re all going?” Karla asked, coming into the living room. “Don’t tell me Madison is coming over to babysit us.”

“No,” Greyson told her, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves. “I figured you could look after your sister.”

Karla’s eyes widened, and I swore I saw her jaw hit the floor. “What? You want me to watch Lorelai?”

“Well, yes. I just don’t think it makes sense to have someone come and babysit, when you’re old enough to do it. I mean, if you’re up for it,” Greyson said, cocking an eyebrow. “If not, I can call—”

“No!” Karla shot back quickly, tossing her hands into the air. She then realized her exaggerated response, lowered her arms, and cleared her throat. “I mean, it’s whatever. I’ll watch her.”

“Thanks, Karla. That means a lot to me. Have a good night. Call if you need anything,” Greyson told her.

“Yeah, okay, bye.”

As Greyson turned away from his stunned daughter, he looked at me and smiled as he mouthed, Thank you.

I nodded once, feeling as if that win was exactly what both he and his daughter needed.

Greyson led me and Shay to the limo, and he opened the door for us to climb in.

Gosh, I felt like I was going to prom—a really expensive, star-studded, high-class prom.

Greyson climbed in, and the driver shut the door for us. “Okay, so, I didn’t want to freak you out, Ellie, because I know you’re an introvert by nature, but there is a red carpet we’re going to have to walk—you know, for promotional purposes. There will be a lot of people from the press there, especially with the list of celebrities Landon had invited, so I just don’t want you to be overwhelmed.”

I cringed at the thought.

Seriously my biggest nightmare.

Greyson must’ve noticed, and he placed his hand on my knee, squeezing it lightly. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there the whole time to get you through it.”

And just like that, I was taken back to when he was a teenager escorting me to my first dance, telling me everything would be okay. It was funny how memories came so quick to leave impressions on one’s heart.

I smiled and nodded, trying to ignore my wild thoughts.

“What about you, Shay? Are you comfortable with walking the red carpet with us?”

Shay laughed, shaking her head. “Greyson, I’ve been pretending to walk the red carpet since I was two years old. This is history in the making. I was born for this.”

She wasn’t lying. When we were kids, she’d dress up in my aunt’s heels and walk back and forth, posing as if the paparazzi were following her everywhere. This was Shay’s dream come true.

As we pulled up to the venue, everything looked make-believe. There were dozens upon dozens of people walking the long red carpet. Flashes of light popped up everywhere, and the amount of security was beyond insane. There was a fence to keep the public from getting too close to the celebrities, and oh, my gosh I am going to vomit. Right there, in front of all those cameras, I was going to freaking vomit.

Greyson squeezed my knee again, and I pretended it didn’t make every inch of me melt into his touch.

“Okay, ladies, ready? It’s showtime,” he said as the door of the limo was opened. He stepped out first then reached for Shay’s hand. He helped her out of the vehicle, and then he reached for me next.

My body was trembling.

My forehead was sweating, and I was really angry at myself for not wearing extra-strength deodorant. Just when I was about to fall apart, just when I was about to dash away and break into an awkward run, Greyson’s hand landed on my lower back. He leaned to whisper against my ear. “Don’t worry, Ellie. I got you. And also…” He pulled back a little and locked eyes with me “—you look beyond beautiful tonight.”

Chills.

Chills all across my body.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready,” I replied.

As ready as I would ever be.

Greyson linked one of his arms with Shay’s and the other with mine as we walked to the red carpet. We posed in place every so often as cameras flashed. I was certain my smile was awful. I was positive that my knees were buckling. I knew when I saw the images online the next day, I’d be mortified, but Greyson kept holding me up, so I didn’t try to run away.