The Grand Pact (The Grand Men #1)(19)

“Yes. Stop it before you melt me completely.” Jumping down from the piano and wiping her face, she turns and faces me. “We’re dancing. Tonight,” she decides. “Fuck, Luce, you’re leaving. I’m so proud and sad, and… god, I’m so proud of you.”

“Shit, stop.” I laugh, my chin wobbling.

She walks over to her phone in the corner of the room and then turns around and starts to sing along to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” terribly.

I throw my head back and laugh as she shimmies toward me with her hands outstretched. I come in strong on the female vocals, and she fist pumps the air.

Jumping down from the piano, I meet her in the middle of the dance studio and grasp her hand. “This is cheesy as shit!” I shout over the speakers while bouncing on the balls of my feet.

“I don’t give a fuck!” she hoots.

I try to stop the tears, but they still come, and so do hers. This girl has been a constant in my life for over two decades. She became my best friend before we even knew what it meant. My mum took her in when she needed love the most, yet she taught me more about love than anyone ever could. I saw the fire in her eyes as she got back up after every knock back, and it’s inspired me every day since. From drunken nights to scathing secrets we’ll never tell and shitty boyfriends we live to forget. There’s nothing she doesn’t know, and I’ll be completely fucking lost without her.

I grab her in a hold and hug her tight. “You’ll come visit, promise?”

“Promise.” She grins. “Who else knows?”

“Elliot. Jean.” I sniff and dry my face on my sleeve, cringing at the foundation that stains it in my carelessness. “Mum and Dad know, but they don’t think I’ll go. I’m going to tell them after this.”

“You have nothing to be worried about, I promise. They will be so proud of you.”

I nod, not managing words.

“You okay?” she questions.

I shrug randomly with an awkward pull of my shoulders. I want to tell her how I feel about Elliot, and I will, but saying anything aloud makes it real, or at least it will mean I have to face the truth of what’s in my head.

I don’t even know what I feel.

“You’re scared. I can see it radiating from you, and it’s gutting. You’re going to be amazing.”

I take a short step back, looking down at the polished floor before sitting and lying flat. It’s easier to let Nina think that, and it’s true. “I am scared,” I admit, looking up at Nina. “But I think I’m also excited. Like, I might love it.”

Nina grins and moves to mirror my body.

“The fact you want to give it a shot is what’s important. Scared or not, you’re going for it. You’d regret it if you didn’t.”

I turn my head to look at her. “I would.”

“When are you—” The sound of her phone blaring through the speakers has the tiny hairs at the base of my neck standing on end. I flinch. “Crap!”

Jumping up, Nina rushes over and answers the call.

“Hey!” she sings.

I close my eyes and think about everything I need to figure out between now and leaving. From Elliot to my bank account, my car—which will have to be sold. Or I could just leave it at Mum and Dad’s, but if it isn’t being driven, it will die on me.

“Is she okay?” Nina asks, drawing my attention to her with the concern that laces her voice. “No, it’s okay. I will come and get her. Bless her. Scar said she was quiet this morning.”

I frown and sit up.

“Yeah, I just finished anyway. I’ll come and get her, then grab Ellis… Okay, bye.”

“What is it?” I ask when she hangs up.

“Waverley’s sick. She was sent home from the nannies.”

“Wasn’t Scar supposed to pick them up today? It’s your working day.”

“No, she’s doing overtime at the hospital, and Bethany called Mase before me. I’m going to go grab her from Mason’s office now.”

“I’ll come with, I want to see the kids anyway, and you won’t have to drag Ave out of the car at school then.”

It will be a good time to speak to Elliot, too.

We need to talk.





Mason and Elliot’s office is located three buildings away from L&M fitness in the prestigious Montwell building. Previously owned by their fathers, the two of them spent the majority of the past decade building it up to be one of the most renowned property-developing companies in the country, Ellis and Frey—named after their mothers.

Where Mason was thrown into the hot seat under the watchful eye of his father straight out of university, Elliot was much more relaxed about taking on his father’s role. His dad didn’t retire for three years after Anthony Lowell had, and from what I’ve heard, it took Elliot a while to take the position seriously.

I haven’t seen Elliot since Saturday, and we haven’t spoken about what happened either. It makes me nervous to see him now, and I don’t want to ever feel that way with him. I don’t know what there is to say, but I do know it needs to be aired. We’re good friends, and we can’t lose that. He can probably brush it under the carpet and carry on as normal, but I can’t. When I told the girls about what went down, they weren’t even surprised. They were just over the top excited that something had actually happened.