Kaely scrunches her face apologetically. “Sorry.”
We continue walking toward The Grille. I purposely avoid looking at the lifeguard stand when it comes into view.
“What about you, Ashton? Did you ask Brendan, or did he ask you?”
“What makes you think I’m going with Brendan?”
I shoot her a give-me-a-break side-eye.
“It was … private.”
“What do you mean?” Kaely asks.
I cringe. “Please don’t tell me you were naked.”
Kaely looks scandalized with big, round eyes and a hand over her mouth.
“It’s where we communicate best,” Ashton explains with a wicked grin. “He said yes. After he screamed my name for an hour.”
“Ew, please don’t.” I cover my ears, wishing I could erase the last ten seconds of my life.
“You asked.” She laughs her villainous laughter.
“But, like, how did you—”
I cover Kaely’s mouth before she can finish the question. “It doesn’t matter. They’re going together.”
Ashton bends down to get in my face, challenging me. “Your turn.”
I sigh and walk through the entrance of The Grille.
“Lana!” Squirrel greets me, flipping three burgers in the air, juggling them with a spatula before dropping them with a sizzle onto the grill. “I’ve missed your aura. How’s the love?”
“Hey, Squirrel. I’m … it’s … yeah,” I answer without answering. Is there even an answer to that question?
“Excellent,” he responds, then dings the bell. “Order’s up!”
It takes a few minutes for us to switch out with the morning front counter staff. And then I’m back to scooping up dropped ice cream off the pavement and yelling at twerps to quit stomping on ketchup packets like I never left.
And I fight the urge every single second to peek up at Grant on his lifesaving throne. Every time I hear the whistle blow and his voice hollering directives, I literally jump. And Ashton laughs.
It doesn’t help that she taunts and harasses me every other minute, warning me I’m running out of time. That I need to get my head out of my ass and do something. Be brave and face my fears … maybe that was Kaely.
“Think I’ll go over and borrow Grant’s bullhorn,” Ashton teases, her eyes trained on me. “Make everyone get out of the pool for a special announcement.”
I glower at her and pray she’s kidding. But I wouldn’t put it past her.
When I finally can’t stand it anymore, I give in and check the top of the stand. He’s not even paying attention to me. I mean, I knew he wouldn’t be. That’s not him. He’s so dedicated …
Then he does.
Grant slides his sunglasses back to rest on his head and focuses right on me, giving me a small nod and a hint of a smile. My heart may have just exploded in my chest.
“Hey, it’s melting,” the little girl whines as I continue holding her ice cream cone while gawking at Grant.
“Lana, if she starts crying, I’m going to make you clean the cotton-candy puke in the bathroom,” Ashton barks.
I snap out of it, blinking back to the sticky mess that has become my hand. I shove the cone at the girl. And grab a couple of napkins to wipe the melted ice cream. When I turn to toss them in the trash, Kaely walks directly into me with a hot-fudge sundae, smooshing it right into my chest.
“Omigod,” she gasps. “I’m so sorry!”
I sigh loudly. “It’s fine. It’s my fault.”
“Lana!” Ashton beckons loudly. “He’s leaving. His shift is ending. Hurry. Do something!”
“What?” I turn in a panic. “What do you mean, he’s leaving?”
“Do it now, or I’m—”
I peer up at the lifeguard stand, but his replacement is already in place. I jump up on the counter to search for him, wincing as my injuries protest. Yeah, that may not have been the best idea. But I forget all about it when everyone stops and stares at me. I spot Grant talking to a couple with a freckle-faced blond boy, who are gathering their belongings to leave.
“Grant!” I yell.
He turns slowly, realizing the entire pool has quieted.
I swallow. “I am an idiot!”
Ashton groans.
“And I always want to be an idiot with you. So … what I’m saying … horribly is … I love you. And, um … will you go to this stupid dance with me?”
It is this exact moment that I realize that there’s ice cream and hot fudge oozing down my boobs, and I’m still holding the wad of napkins with ketchup squirted all over them. “Crap.”
Ashton is laugh-coughing into her fist. “That was brilliantly awful.”
Grant smiles his beautiful heart-stopping smile and begins walking in my direction. Carefully this time, I ease off the counter and end up in the middle of a sea of children screaming for their ice cream and hot dogs. I remember to drop the napkins on the counter before I step toward him, biting my lip nervously.
“You are a mess,” he notes in amusement, eyeing half the concession stand smeared all over me. He smiles. And I forget to breathe. “I love you too. And I’d be honored to go to this stupid dance with you.” He leans down and squeezes me tight, lifting me off my feet. “I’ve missed you so much, Sweets,” he murmurs in my ear, then kisses my neck.
When he sets me down, a few people are clapping … which is weird.
“Ah, you must be Lana,” a woman says behind Grant.
He steps aside, an arm still around my shoulders, fudge now smudged on his white tank top. “Oh, um, yeah. Lana, this is my mom. And that’s my dad and my brother, Garrett.”
I can’t speak.
And now that this picture-perfect blond family is in front of me, the resemblance is obnoxiously obvious.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Mr. Philips says warmly. “That was quite the declaration you gave there.”
“Uh, thanks,” I reply awkwardly.
“Your girlfriend’s lovely,” Mrs. Philips says to Grant, forcing a smile.
“Not mine,” Grant rebuts.
She looks shocked by the correction. “I thought—”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I clarify carefully. “I’m in love with your son, but we’re not an us.”
She appears baffled. And maybe a little offended.
I glance at Grant, battling with how to explain so they get it. He nods encouragingly.
I take a breath and say, “We coexist in symbiotic unity.” I cringe, thinking I just made it worse.
His mother nods in sudden understanding. “Oh. You know Squirrel.”
His father smiles wide. “I like that boy. Is he working today?” Mr. Philips scans the area.
“How’s it flowin’, Mr. P?!” Squirrel bellows from behind The Grille counter, where he’s leaning on his elbows, watching the spectacle beside an amused Ashton and enthralled Kaely.
Mr. Philips waves at him.
I press my lips into a smile. “Yeah. He’s very wise.”
Grant chuckles, taking hold of my hand and giving it a squeeze.
Garrett tugs on Grant, so he’ll lean over. “She’s pretty cool.”
Grant whispers in return, “Yeah, I like her.”
“No, you looove her,” he mocks in a singsongy voice.
I grin, but it feels more like a grimace. Can this be over now? Grant chuckles, rubbing the top of his little brother’s head before he swats his hand away.
“You’ll have to come skiing with us when we’re back this winter,” Mr. Philips insists, urging his youngest son forward before any more unfiltered kid-honesty can spew from his mouth.
“I’ll be right there,” Grant tells them and then faces me.
I thump my forehead against his chest. “They think I’m so weird.”
His chest shakes with his laughter. “Maybe. Because you are.”
I gawk at him in mortified horror. He laughs, the sound deep and boisterous. My favorite sound.
“But you’re a
lso passionate. And unexpected. And perfect … for me. So they’ll love you, like I do. Don’t worry.”
He leans down and kisses me gently. I grip the fabric of his tank top, keeping us connected.
A throat clears. Grant straightens as if scalded.
Cary is standing in front of The Grille counter. “I thought we had an understanding.”
I produce an overly fake and toothy grin. “Cary. Hey. Sorry about that. But it was … an emergency.”
He narrows his eyes behind his wire-rimmed glasses. “How do you qualify that as an emergency?”
“She couldn’t breathe,” Grant interjects, which is kinda the truth. “And I’m certified in CPR. I needed to make sure she was okay. You know, confirm her heart was beating. Cheeks flushed. Lips—” He’s describing me exactly.
“Okay. Okay. That’s enough.” Cary holds up his hands to stop him. “She looks very healthy. Thank you, Grant. Now go clock out. Your parents are waiting to say goodbye.”
“Text me? I need to see you tonight.” Grant squeezes my hand before he takes off for the Club.
“And you, feed these spoiled—I mean, darling children,” Cary beckons from behind me while I watch Grant disappear.
“Yes, sir,” I reply with a more sincere smile.
“Use the door,” he instructs before I can even think of hopping the counter.
I glance at him guiltily and walk quickly to the side entrance. Not that I was going to. Learned that lesson.
“Love looks good on you,” Squirrel declares when I enter the kitchen. He glances down at my shirt. “So does hot fudge.”
When I reach the counter, Kaely is jumping, grabbing my hands and squealing. “That was so amazing! I totally cried.”
I glance at Ashton, not sure how to respond to Kaely’s glee.
“She did.” Ashton winks. “That was pretty epic, my pixie.”
And then she bursts out laughing. I grab a handful of popcorn and chuck it at her.
“Where’s my cheeseburger?” a kid cries, and I almost throw popcorn at him too.
“I have no idea what to wear tonight,” I declare, rifling through my closet.
Ashton and Arden make themselves comfortable on the couch, eating sushi and drinking sake.
“I don’t even know what we’re doing.” I eye the raw fish in disgust. “Hopefully not eating sushi.”
“I don’t think Kingston has a sushi restaurant,” Ashton muses.
“They do. Better hope you don’t go there,” Arden notes, using chopsticks to dip a piece of red fish in soy sauce. I shudder and look away before she puts it in her mouth. “Are you dressing to apologize or seduce?”
“Or seduce while apologizing?” Ashton asks, waggling her brows.
“That’s also an option,” Arden recognizes, raising her sake cup up for Ashton to tap.
“Um, I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “I mean, I’m going to explain everything that happened. And if his note is any indication, he kind of already understands. But … seduce him? I don’t see Grant as a guy who can be seduced by a short skirt and a lacy bra. Besides, I’m not sure that’s what I really want from tonight.”
“Yes, you do,” they say in unison.
I roll my eyes and return to flipping through my options.
“Anyway, it’s not the clothes that should be doing the seducing,” Arden advises.
“Or you just aren’t dressing right.” Ashton sighs. “Get out of the way. Let me see what we have to work with.”
A half hour later, I walk into the foyer, wearing nothing from my closet. I’m in Ashton’s strapless turquoise dress that is a flow of chiffon over a fitted satin slip. It’s mini on her but hits below my knees. And a pair of strappy gold sandals that Arden must have conjured from a pumpkin because they’re much too small to be hers. I borrowed Ashton’s metallic-gold tote, which contains my bikini in case we go swimming. I’m also bringing a change of comfortable clothes if we end up on the couch, watching a movie, and my mother’s box because I’m afraid to explore its contents alone. Again, I have no idea what to expect from tonight.
Grant admires me with a broad smile when I enter the foyer of the administration building. “Wow. You look incredible.”
“Thanks,” I say in relief, happy to see him in khakis and a sky-blue button-down that matches his eyes.
I would’ve texted him, but I forgot to ask Dr. Kendall to add him and Ashton back to my Contacts. I sent the request in my frazzled state while the girls threw clothes at me to try on, and by the time she added him, he was already on his way to pick me up.
“You look good too.”
He bends to give me a kiss but stops halfway to my lips, sensing the glaring security guard at the entrance. “Uh, we should go.”
He takes my hand instead and leads me to the door where I scan my phone with Officer Kiss-Kill, so I can leave.
“Is it okay if the top’s down?” Grant asks, walking me to the passenger side.
“That’s fine,” I answer.
Before I can reach for the handle, Grant spins me around. With an arm around my waist, he pulls me against him and presses his lips to mine. I’m so enraptured by the heat of his mouth and pressure of his lips on mine that it only occurs to me to wrap my arms around him after he moves away. When he lets go, I’m left needing to steady myself with a hand on the car.
He opens the door for me to get in. “Sorry. I couldn’t wait. I’ve needed to do that all week.”
I clear my throat. “Uh, don’t apologize.” I collapse in the seat, my heart taking its time to recover.
As we pull onto the road, Grant says, “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left for Sherling. Are you okay?”
“Trying to be,” I admit, avoiding his gaze.
He takes my hand and kisses my palm, which draws my attention to the concern skating across his face.
“I’m sorry I shut you out this week,” I say, pressing the back of his hand to my cheek. “I was trying to process everything … I was so angry. It scared me how much. So I stayed away from everyone. I don’t want to hurt you … ever. But I was also afraid of losing you, that you’d think I was pushing you away.”
Grant slows down and pulls to the side of the road.
I look around, confused. “What’s going on?”
After putting the car in park, he shifts to face me. “I didn’t want to be driving when I said this. This week … yeah, it was hard. I was worried about you, not knowing what you were going through. Only that something had happened to your mom. But I never thought I lost you. What we have is … real.” He clears his throat nervously. It makes me want to kiss him, but I refrain, knowing he’s not done yet. “So if you need time to sort through your thoughts or feelings, just say it. I’ll respect that—as long as you’re honest and talk to me after. Because you’re not getting rid of me anytime soon.”
“I love you,” I blurt and then press my lips together, unsure what just happened. It’s like my mouth’s possessed and can’t hold back those three words now that they’ve been unleashed from their vault. It’s disturbing.
Grant smiles at me like I’ve promised him the world, and it fills my chest with warm, radiant light.
“And you can say that anytime. I will never get sick of hearing it for as long as you mean it.”
He leans over and kisses me with such sincerity and passion, the light explodes into a thousand stars.
I will forever be wrong. Forgive me. Please, please, please forgive me.
When Grant shuts off the car in front of Stefan’s family cabin, he asks, “Is this okay? It’s not exactly what I had in mind for our first date, but I figured it’s private.”
“This is our first date?” I ask, a flutter erupting out of nowhere in my stomach. Why am I suddenly nervous? There’s no reason to be nervous.
“Well … yeah. That’s what I was hoping. We could … go out, if you want.” Now he sounds nervous.
I grin. “No. Private’s good.” I open the car door t
o step out. “Where are the guys?”
“Uh, I have no idea,” Grant says, walking alongside me, taking my hand. “They just promised to be out until midnight. I move back into the dorms tomorrow.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, we start conditioning for crew,” he says. “Which also means, today was my last day at the club.”
I’m quiet when we enter the cabin. I missed so much the last few weeks, being confined to campus. I know it’s only the first week of August, but it feels like summer’s slipping away. And I haven’t spent nearly enough of it with Grant. I’ve been fearing what would happen when he returned to school. I thought I’d have this figured out before then.
“Hey,” he says, gently pulling me to him. “Don’t look like that.”
“What do I look like?”
“Like you just read the saddest story in existence.”
I swallow. “I just thought we had more time than we do.”
“Just because I’m back at Printz-Lee doesn’t mean you won’t see me. I’m actually closer to you at school than here.”
“I honestly have no idea where Printz-Lee is,” I admit, leaning into his embrace.
“It’s on the other side of the woods.”
I lean away and shoot him a look. We’re surrounded by woods. “That’s not helpful.”
Grant chuckles. “I think the barn is between us. We’re up a hill and can see the rooftops of your buildings in the winter when the trees are bare.” He kisses me softly. “As I said, you’re not getting rid of me anytime soon. We’ll work this out. I’m still an approved tutor at Blackwood, so I’ll be on campus a lot. And I’m pretty sure you’ll only be working at the club a couple days a week when school starts, so we’ll have plenty of free time to spend together. But for now, let’s be here … on our first date.”
“Okay,” I say, trying to let go of the dread that has swallowed up the flutters in my stomach.
Grant walks through the archway into the kitchen. I follow.
“I’m not a great cook. But … I thought we could have pancakes for dinner.”
I laugh. “Breakfast for dinner is my favorite.”
“Are you being serious?” he asks, pulling out a bowl of batter from the refrigerator.
The Cursed Series, Parts 3 & 4: Now We Know/What They Knew Page 24
