Forever Loving You: A Grudging Hearts Novel

by Arthurs, Nia

  He purses his lips. “Just don’t get caught. It might not be illegal, but it is frowned upon to mix business and pleasure.”

  “I’ve got it handled, Doc.”

  “And Griffin, I didn’t ask for a private lab so you two could sneak down here and desecrate it. Please try to refrain yourselves when I’m not there.”

  “No promises.” I chuckle and close the door on his gruff protests.

  My heart is full and my schedule is empty.

  Tonight, I’m taking Cobie out for a proper dinner at a nice restaurant and then... well, we’ll see what the rest of the evening will bring.

  When I near the lab, I hear Cobie carrying on a one-sided conversation. Assuming she’s on the phone, I glide in as silently as I can.

  Her back to me, she whispers, “Wait, you found another man named Griffin Bech?”

  I stiffen.

  “What?” Cobie chuckles. “You mean the weird guy from high school who used to follow you around all the time?” Another round of laughter. “What do you mean he was into me? Gross. No way.”

  My body seizes.

  My throat closes.

  Trembling, I back away from the door.

  Cobie’s voice, filled with the belittling tone of all my bullies, tears through the room. “Chandra, stop wasting time with crazy theories. You’re not getting out of that speed-date.”

  Out.

  I have to get out.

  In my haste to leave, I accidentally knock a beaker off the table.

  It clatters, drawing Cobie’s attention.

  She swings around and her eyes lock on mine. “Shoot, Babe. I’ll call you back.” She hangs up and regards me with a sweet, innocent smile. “Hey.”

  “Hi,” I croak.

  “Are you all set?”

  I nod.

  She sidles up to me and slides her hands around my waist.

  I turn my face away.

  Her lips graze my cheek.

  Her eyebrows slant into a V. “Griffin?”

  “What were you and Chandra talking about? On the phone?” My voice is carefully composed, but my body is still shaking.

  “Oh, nothing. She’s just got this weird fascination with your past lately.”

  “Is there a reason?”

  She clasps her fingers more firmly around me as she rolls her eyes. “Someone from my old high school has your name.”

  “Griffin?”

  “Yes.” She scrunches her nose.

  “What was he like?”

  “Why do you care?”

  “I’m curious.”

  “I don’t know. He was a year ahead, so we didn’t have any classes together. There were rumors that he had a crush on me or something. People were mean, so it could have just been made up to torture him.”

  “Why would that torture him?”

  “Because I wasn’t interested.” She shrugs. “I saw him around sometimes. He was always quiet and alone. Kind of weird.”

  “You thought he was weird?” Sweat pops out on my forehead.

  My heart squeezes painfully.

  Cobie blinks, concerned. “Griff, are you okay?”

  “What else?”

  “Huh?”

  “What else did you think of him?”

  “He wasn’t important enough to think about.”

  “At all?”

  “What’s up with you?” She smirks slyly. “You’re not… jealous, are you?”

  My heart pounds.

  I still can’t breathe.

  Cobie presses a kiss to my cheek. Her sweet fragrance flows over me as she promises, “Even if he has your name, he’s nothing like you. Trust me. I would never date that old Griffin. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “I guess not,” I mumble.

  The sparkle drains from her eyes, leaving a worried glint. “You really seem out of it. What’s going on? Did Doc say something about us?”

  “He told me not to get caught,” I mumble, wondering now if that piece of advice applies to more than just the company. “But that’s nothing I wasn’t aware of before.”

  Cobie releases her hold on my waist.

  Her gaze slides to the floor. “Is it me then?”

  Those quiet words jerk my attention back to her face. It’s the first time I’ve seen her acting unsure of herself and it confuses me even more.

  I run a frustrated hand over my face. “I forgot I have a… prior appointment. Can you catch a taxi back home?”

  “Uh, sure.”

  My head a tortured mess, I stride out of the lab, leaving Cobie Simmons—the woman of my dreams—staring after me.

  26 Cobie

  Hours have passed and I still have no idea what happened with Griffin back there in the lab.

  “Before he left to talk to Doc, we were okay. Then he came back and baam! It was a different person. He was acting moody and sulky and being so weird.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I thought it was my fault so I asked if I did something wrong and he didn’t deny it.”

  Chandra snorts. “You asked him? You? Ms. I Don’t Give A Crap About Anyone Else’s Feelings?”

  “I know right? This is why I can’t date someone I actually care about. It’s annoying.”

  “Mm-hm.” Chandra chomps on a brownie.

  I glare at her. “Why are you so happy?”

  “Because your love life sucks too. I find comfort in that.”

  “We’re just going through a rough patch. That’s all.”

  “If Griffin’s the same guy from our old high school, what does that mean for you two?”

  “You’re way off.”

  “Am I? Look.” Chandra grabs a yearbook from beneath the counter. “Turn to page thirty-five.”

  I do and a bunch of awkward headshots looks back at me. “What’s your point?”

  “There.” Chandra slams a finger—nail chewed to the nub—on a very unflattering picture of a plus-sized boy with a face full of painful red cysts.

  “I knew Griffin’s name sounded familiar.” Chandra taps her chin. “But I couldn’t place it. When we were looking for his online profile, it hit me. Griffin Bech. AP History class. It has to be him.”

  “This dude? Seriously?” I pick up the book and shove it in her face in case she’s gone blind. “This looks nothing like Griffin.”

  “Maybe he got plastic surgery.”

  I scoff. “You’re insane.”

  “We’ll find out soon enough.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I got ahold of his mother’s number.”

  Paralyzed with shock, I can only stutter, “You what?”

  Chandra’s phone lights up.

  Her eyes sparkle with anticipation. “It’s her.”

  “No.” I huff and claw for the cell phone. “Don’t you dare bother those nice people over your craziness.”

  Chandra easily jumps away from me and answers the phone. “Hello?”

  I hiss at her. “Take it off.”

  She puts it on speaker instead.

  A woman’s mild drawl fills the empty bakery. I pause, my mind filling with visions of my hometown.

  “Hi, ma’am.” Chandra grins at me over the counter top. I’m glad to see her so animated after her dip into depression, but I wish she wouldn’t act out like this.

  So annoying.

  “My name is Chandra,” she chirps. “I’m an old classmate of your son, Griffin Bech.”

  “Griff? Is he there?”

  The hope in that statement reveals an underlining darkness. Someone who’s in touch with her son wouldn’t be so excited just to hear his name.

  I find myself feeling oddly bitter at this Griffin-guy.

  My mother died when I was a teenager. Growing up without her was hard. I would give everything to have her back. Everything.

  I can’t stand it when people don’t cherish their parents.

  You never know when they’ll be gone.

  “Actually, we’re calling to check if he’s the
Griffin we’re looking for,” Chandra says.

  “Is he in trouble?” Her voice warbles.

  “No. Not at all.”

  “Are you sure?” She sounds so tentative my heart thuds. “When he called the other day, he sounded so happy. I was worried that it was only for show.”

  “No, he’s happy and well. I think.” She pauses. “By any chance, does Griffin work at Winthrop Corp?”

  “Yes, he’s in marketing.” Pride thickens her voice. “He’s heading his first campaign this year. Some kind of hair conditioner. I’m sure it’s more exciting than it sounds.”

  Her words snatch the breath from my body.

  My blood rushes down to my toes.

  It feels like someone sacked me in the guts.

  Up until this point, I’d thought for sure that Chandra was wrong.

  But now?

  I grab the phone. “Mrs. Bech?”

  Chandra stares at me like I’m crazy.

  Griffin’s mother sounds equally confused. “Hello? Who are you?”

  “I’m Cobie Simmons. Griffin’s…” My eyes flit to Chandra and back, “Griffin’s girlfriend.”

  There’s silence on the other end of the line.

  I gnaw on my bottom lip. “Mrs. Bech?”

  “I’m sorry to ask, young lady, but you don’t happen to be the Cobie Simmons from Lakaster High, are you?”

  “I am. I was a year behind your son.”

  “Oh my! It’s such a delight to finally meet, er… talk to you.” She chuckles. “You were the only good thing Griffin ever had to say about that school. Our family knew better than to tease him, but it was quite easy to tell he had a fascination with you. Are you really together?”

  “Yes.”

  “Isn’t that sweet?”

  “Yeah… sweet.” I stagger back.

  I honestly don’t know what to say now.

  Chandra takes over the phone. “Mrs. Bech, you’ve been a great help.”

  “No problem. And call again. I’d love to head up there and meet you, Cobie.” The question is delicate, hopeful.

  “We’d love that, ma’am,” Chandra says.

  “Perfect. Thank you so much.”

  Chandra hangs up.

  Points big, Bambi eyes my way.

  “Babe, are you okay?”

  I stare into the distance, too numb to answer her question. Head buzzing with a million pieces of information, I stumble. My brain’s on the fritz, buckling beneath the weight of Griffin’s lies, my feelings, our relationship.

  What the hell is going on?

  Chandra lets her thoughts unravel out loud. “So… Griffin loved you from high school. He sought you out knowing you wouldn’t recognize him and now he’s dating you. What’s up with that?”

  “There must be some mistake.” I back away from the phone.

  From the truth.

  She shudders. “I don’t know whether I should find this romantic or creepy.”

  “It’s not creepy. He-he didn’t seek me out. It was a coincidence.”

  “What if that’s not true? What if he chose your hair conditioner because it was you?”

  I don’t know.

  I don’t know anything anymore.

  “This is your fault.” I fling furious eyes at Chandra, searching for someone to deposit this mountain of anger on. “You went and poked around. Now you’ve got your answers. Are you happy?”

  “Why are you so upset?”

  “He lied to me, Chandra!”

  “So? You two love each other. Isn’t that more important?”

  “Is that why you stayed with Rick after he beat you? Because love is more important?”

  She blinks rapidly. “What did you just say?”

  “Nothing. Forget it.” I grab my purse and stalk out of the empty shop.

  The bell jangles, railing against my violent exit.

  I hail a taxi and climb in.

  Fuming in the backseat, I dial Griffin’s number.

  It goes to voicemail.

  “Damn it.” I look through the window.

  Every second that passes sends my blood pressure spiking.

  Thumbing through my contacts, I stop on Todd’s number. He’d slipped it to me right before the meeting today. At least his persistent flirting is good for something.

  The line clicks.

  “Hello?”

  “Todd, this is Cobie. Is Griffin in the office?”

  “No, he left already.”

  “I need his address.”

  “Why?”

  “Please, just send it.” I hang up.

  Thump my foot against the floor mat.

  Grit my teeth.

  My phone beeps.

  Bingo.

  I give the driver the directions and sit back.

  My mind’s already cracked because of Griffin, but in a few minutes, I’ll find out exactly why he chose to break my heart.

  27 Cobie

  As I wait for Griffin to open his front door, I run over all the things I need to say, but the words disappear when I see him.

  “Cobie?” Griffin’s eyes widen. “What are you doing here?”

  “Can I come in?”

  “Of course.” He steps aside. “How did you get this address?”

  “I called Todd.”

  His lips flatten. “You and Todd are calling each other now?”

  I stare him down.

  In any other circumstances, I’d tease him about his jealousy, but right now, I can’t even think straight.

  Griffin studies my face and runs a hand through his hair. He’s wearing a simple cotton T-shirt and shorts, an outfit that makes him look just as sexy as the dress shirt and trousers he wears at Winthrop.

  I blink and, for a second, I see the Griffin from high school flash on top of his body.

  It’s unnerving.

  Griffin frowns. “What’s going on? Why are you staring at me like that?”

  “Griffin Bech.”

  He freezes.

  “Who are you really?” I approach him slowly, my anger winding back like a tide that receded only to gain momentum as it forms a giant wave.

  My chest aches.

  My body trembles.

  The angry waves smash against my heart.

  I thrust him in the shoulder, more furious than I’ve ever been in my life. “Who the hell are you, Griffin?”

  His eyes take on a weary sheen, as if he’d expected this but not today. “I can explain.”

  “So it’s true.”

  “How did you find out?”

  “Is that really the issue here?” I yell. Grabbing my curls by the ends, I tug. I’m going insane. “You lied to me. For weeks.” I bark out a hollow laugh. “No wonder it felt like you knew me. We went to freaking high school together.”

  Griffin watches me, letting me vent.

  “Oh my G—” My eyes jump wildly. My heart is struggling for stable ground. “No wonder you knew so much about me. No wonder…” My chest expands as I breathe deeply and try to calm down. “Why would you hide that?”

  “Would you have accepted me with open arms if I’d told you?”

  My jaw drops.

  I can’t believe the words pouring out of his mouth.

  “You would have laughed in my face.” He glances away.

  “Don’t try to pin this on me, Griffin.”

  “I’m not. I was going to tell you. Today. Then I got back to the lab and I heard you talking to Chandra on the phone.”

  The memories fling back in my face.

  “You called me weird. You said I used to follow you around. And that I was gross.” He taps his chest, eyes blazing. “Even a loser like me has his pride.”

  “I never called you a loser.”

  “You didn’t have to. The disdain,” he curls his fingers around his head and twists his neck, “the dismissal, I’ve heard it enough to know when I’m being made fun of.”

  “I wasn’t—that wasn’t my intention.”

  “Yeah, but it still hurt. Y
ou acted like I was scum under your shoes. Back then and now, you’re still turned off by that version of me.”

  “I was young and you were…”

  “What? Ugly? Fat? Not good enough to be seen with you?”

  “Don’t.” I press a hand to my forehead. “Don’t try to act like you’re the victim here. I might have been an immature kid in high school. I’ll accept that. I could have been kinder to you then and I wasn’t. But we’re not in high school anymore. You’re the one who lied. You’re the one who pursued me while actively deceiving me. Was any of it even real? Was this just some game to see if you could get with the girl you had a crush on ten years ago?”

  “Of course not!”

  My heart stings, telling me something different. “I’m such an idiot. I was practically begging you to sleep with me. I threw myself at you. And when I didn’t want to give you my heart, you stole it from me.”

  “Cobie…”

  “You must have been laughing so hard.” I bite down on the back of my hand to keep from slapping him.

  Tears spring to my eyes.

  I feel used.

  Betrayed.

  Humiliated.

  “That’s not true. My feelings for you haven’t changed. I would never hurt you, Cobie. All I wanted was a chance.” His voice breaks. “A chance to get to know you without having that ugly shadow overpowering everything.”

  “Did you really think I was that shallow?”

  “This is the face you wanted, isn’t it? If I still looked like that old Griffin, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

  “That’s not true!”

  “You say that now, but we both know what made you look at me.”

  “Yeah, okay. I’ll admit that I thought you were handsome when we met, but that’s not why I fell for you. After getting to know you, I thought you were kind and sweet and funny and smart. That’s it. You. I fell for you, Griffin. But all this while, I was nothing but your fantasy come-to-life, wasn’t I? You didn’t care about me or my feelings. You didn’t care about who I was. You had to have me because I was a trophy you didn’t win back in high school.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Oh yeah? What were you going to do after we’d had sex, Griffin? Or after you’d gotten tired of your little conquest? Would you have dumped me after you figured out I wasn’t as glamorous and cool as I’d seemed while you were spying on me back in high school?”

  “No, of course not. I just wanted to love you, okay! I wanted you more than I could breathe. I saw my chance and I took it.”