She shook her head. “I appreciate it, but no. I think I’d like my own space,” she said, eyeing our mother’s discreetly. I nodded in understanding.
“That’s because she has a new man, and doesn’t want to bring him around,” her mom said, giving me a pointed look.
I turned back to Perrie with my mouth hanging open. “What the heck? There is this thing called a phone, PeePee,” I said, biting back a smirk.
She pointed a warning finger at me. “Don’t start, Billy Elliot, or we’ll have it out like we used to.”
“No fighting girls,” Mom said in a tired voice.
“So, who is this new man?”
She gave her mother an annoyed look while shaking her head. “There is no man. I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
I continued to stare at her, waiting. If Perrie was hiding something, all you had to do was keep looking at her. She hated it. The longer you did it, the more she’d squirm, until she finally broke down and just told you what you wanted to know. It was too easy.
She held up both hands. “I swear to God, Honor. There’s no one.”
Staring.
“Stop,” she said, taking a step back. “I mean it, stop. There’s no one. I don’t know why they think there is.”
I looked away to Grace for an explanation.
She shrugged. “I think there’s someone. She came home one night looking all flushed and acting funny. If that’s not a man, then I don’t know what is.”
I narrowed my eyes, glancing back at Perrie. My aunt really didn’t know a thing about men, so maybe she was wrong.
“She’s nuts, dude,” Perrie said.
“Fine,” I conceded, dropping it – for now.
But if I suspected she was hiding anything from me, I was going to be all over it until she sang like a canary.
“So,” Perrie said, changing the subject. “Have you applied for the National Ballet Academy yet?”
I gave her a tired look. “We’ve already been over this,” I said, moving to the stove to pour the egg mixture into the heated pan.
“Why can’t you at least try?” she pressed. “This could be an opportunity for you to go further with your dancing.”
“I don’t care about becoming a professional dancer,” I said, repeating the same argument I always did whenever we discussed this.
“You’re too good not to give it a shot,” she said.
“I want to teach dance, Perrie.”
“You can do that when you’re older and you can’t dance yourself anymore. Why waste your talent?”
I pushed the eggs around in the pan, not looking at any of them. I knew my aunt and mom agreed with her. They’d been pushing me to try out for the Academy since I was in grade nine. It wasn’t that I hadn’t considered what it would be like to go to a school where dancing would be my main focus. I just wasn’t sure if that was the future I really wanted for myself.
My dream was to open my own studio. I wanted to teach little kids and inspire them to reach for goals like that. As for myself? Well, I just wasn’t sure it was for me.
“I’m happy at my school,” I said. “To transfer now, and start fresh…” I shrugged, not sure if she was even looking at me anymore.
“I think you’ll regret it if you don’t try,” Perrie said. “That’s my opinion at least.”
I sighed. “Your opinion is noted,” I said, bringing the topic to an end.
***
I got back to the apartment, my mind tired from trying to keep up with the crazy women in my life. Instead of heading to my place, I stopped at Grey’s, knocking at his door. It opened a second later, an arm reaching out to snatch me from the hallway before I could register what was happening.
Grey’s lips met mine in a demanding kiss that had me melting against him in an instant. I dragged my hands up the short hairs on the back of his head, loving the way they tickled my palm. He pulled back, smiling down at me.
The brooding Grey I had met months ago had been replaced by this pleased looking one, who always seemed to be happy whenever he was around me. It made something warm and soothing blossom in the pit of my stomach.
“Hey,” he said, gently stroking a strand of hair from my face, the touch much softer than his kiss.
“Hey to you,” I said, unable to contain the smile that spread across my face.
“How was your mother’s?”
He let go of me to grab my hand, leading me over to his couch.
“It was…interesting,” I replied.
He chuckled. “I bet. Those two are quite the characters.”
“That’s one way to put it.”
He sat us down, pulling me onto his lap, his hand resting possessively on the inside of my thigh. “You seem stressed. Do you need me to help you relax?”
My blood instantly heated as desire lit his eyes. “What did you have in mind?”
Chapter 22
Grey
Honor was curled into a ball on the couch, buried under a blanket as she watched television. I stood in the kitchen, preparing dinner while I snuck glances in her direction.
It still shocked me how much I enjoyed having her in my space. I’d been against it for so long that I would have expected it to take some getting used to. Just as I had when Kelly had been over.
But it was never like that with Honor. She fit, plain and simple. It was hard to remember what it had been like when she wasn’t around. It felt as though she’d always been there, as if this was always meant to be.
Surprisingly I liked that. I couldn’t believe I’d gone so long being by myself. God, it had been so boring and dismal. Having Honor around made everything complete.
Here I was, making dinner for us, and I was as happy as a pig in shit. Who would have ever thought?
Dishing out some food on plates, I carried them over to the living room, setting them on the coffee table. Honor hummed in appreciation as she sat up.
“This looks amazing,” she said, smiling up at me.
I leaned down, taking those lips with mine in a long, slow kiss. It was hard not to kiss and touch her when she was around. Now that I was free to do it whenever I pleased, I found myself wanting to constantly. I couldn’t be around Honor and not touch her.
When I pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes slightly glazed over. I was tempted to throw her over my shoulder and bring us to my bedroom again, but I knew she was probably starving.
“I don’t know what you’re doing to me,” I said roughly, giving that full button lip one last quick nip.
She grinned coyly at me, her cheeks warming. “I could say the same to you,” she said.
I sent her a quick wink before walking back into the kitchen to grab us drinks.
We spent the entire week in a strange, blissful domestic state. I’d work and she’d go to school, and then every evening we’d either spend time together at my place or hers. I’d be gentlemanly enough to make dinner while she worked on her school assignments, but as soon as she was done, that girl was mine.
Never in all the hook-ups I’d had in my past had I’d felt as addicted to a person as I did with Honor. Being inside her, feeling her body against mine, it was my own personal drug. It was the high I chased every evening and morning.
But it wasn’t just the physical. She pleased me in so many ways outside of the bedroom as well. She was smart, funny, strong, independent – everything I admired in another person. Knowing that a woman like this was mine made me prouder than I’d ever been.
I’d started to drop her off at school just so I could spend more time with her. I was becoming as whipped as I’d seen other guys get, and I’d made fun of them mercilessly for it. I understood it now though. If I could squeeze in even just twenty more minutes with her, I would.
After dropping her off on Thursday, I headed over to my parents since I was off from the shop today. Mom had called the night before to say Dad was bent on planting an entire row of cedars along the back fence to create more privacy, and sh
e was terrified he was going to have a heart attack digging them all on his own.
Dean was also supposed to help, so I wasn’t surprised when I saw his truck already parked in their driveway when I pulled in. Everyone was out in the backyard when I walked back there. Mom had made a full pitcher of fresh iced tea, and was just placing a plate of sandwiches on the table when she saw me. I had to bite back a smile when I saw them all cut into tiny triangles like she’d done when we were still kids.
“Grey,” she greeted, coming over to kiss my cheek. “Look at you,” she said, pulling back to regard me with a knowing smile.
“What about me?” I asked, suddenly nervous. I’d buried myself so deep in Honor that morning, I had seen stars when I finally found my release, instantly relaxing my entire body. I really hoped my mother couldn’t see that on my face. With mother’s intuition, I wouldn’t put it past her.
Instead of answering me, she simply winked, patting my arm as she walked by me to head back inside. I turned to watch her, confused by my ever curious parent. Shaking my head, I walked down toward the back of the yard where Dad stood with a shovel watching Dean dig out a hole.
“Boys,” I said in greeting.
Dean looked up, wiping at the sweat on his brow as relief washed over his flushed face. “Thank God,” he said. “I thought I was going to have to dig these all myself.”
Dad instantly puffed out his chest. “What do you mean? I’m right here.”
Dean gave him an exasperated look. “You’re standing there holding the shovel. It doesn’t count as helping if you’re not actually digging.”
Dad grunted. “I’m supervising.”
Dean nodded, rolling his eyes. “Of course you are.”
Chuckling, I slapped Dean on the back. “Don’t worry, the real muscle is here now.”
Dad handed over his shovel without comment, probably happy to be relieved of the duty. My eyes ran over the trees waiting to be planted.
“Christ, Dad. How many did you buy?”
“Fifty,” he answered.
I looked over at Dean.
“Fifty,” Dean repeated as though it pained him just to say it.
“Why the fuck did you get so many?”
“Language, boy,” Dad said. “I need fifty to fully cover the back here. Your mom and I want more privacy when we sit outside.”
I looked at him, wondering just who was crazier, my father or mother. “No one lives behind you,” I pointed out.
“There’s a walking path,” he argued.
“Yeah, and that’s where people walk by. No one stops to watch what you two are doing.”
“Well you never know,” he grumbled. “Now get to work.”
Shaking my head, I did just that, knowing there was no sense in debating with the man. Once his mind was set, there was no turning back. We got fifteen holes dug before mom insisted we stop to eat something. Just as I wiped my hands on my pants, I felt my pocket vibrate with a text message.
Pulling it out, I smiled the instant I saw Honor’s name pop up on the screen.
Honor: I’m bored. This class sucks.
Me: I told you this morning to skip. I could have kept you entertained all day.
Honor: lol I bet you could. I’m afraid if I had done that I wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow, never mind dance.
Me: I can almost guarantee it.
Honor: lol see you later xo
“Jesus Christ,” Dean muttered. I looked up to see him watching me.
“What?”
“If you smile any wider you’re going to risk splitting that pretty-boy face of yours in two.”
“Fuck off,” I said, slipping my phone back into my pocket.
“Some girl has you hooked, my man. I can see it written all over you,” Dean said, shaking his head as though I had disappointed him somehow.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He snorted. “Sure, Grey. I could tell the moment you walked over here. You have that little extra hop in your step that says you’re getting some regularly, and you’re liking it a hella lot. And I’m guessing it isn’t Kelly who has you that way.”
“You break up with Kelly?” Dad said, making me jump. I hadn’t realized he was still there, never mind paying attention to our conversation.
“We broke up a while ago,” I answered.
A slow smile spread across my cousin’s face. “It’s that dancer, isn’t it?”
I just narrowed my eyes at him, not answering.
“I fucking knew it,” he said, laughing. “You’d be a fucking idiot not to tap that ass.”
I pointed a finger at him in warning. “Watch your mouth.”
He held up his hands, laughing even harder. “Oh man, it’s even more serious than I thought. I think Grey is in love.”
“The fuck I am,” I said, shrugging off his words. “Let’s just go and eat something.”
“Sure thing, cuz,” he said with a wink. He walked away with that fucking smirk still on his face, and I itched to hit it off.
I leaned my shovel against the fence and turned to follow when I came face to face with Dad who was still standing there. He was watching me through narrowed eyes, his face more thoughtful than usual. Normally he was lost in his own world so much that he didn’t really look directly at anyone. But I was definitely the focus of his attention right now, and the hell if I wanted to be.
“What?” I asked defensively.
“Is your cousin right, are you dating that young dancer girl?”
I actually flinched when he said young.
“I guess that explains why you look the way you do,” he continued when I didn’t respond immediately.
“And how do I look?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Happy.”
The air whooshed out of my lungs. Did I? Did that mean I hadn’t seemed happy before? Was I? Fuck, I had no idea what the answer was to either of those questions.
“It’s nice,” Dad said.
“What is?” I asked, my head a swirling mess of thoughts now.
“To see you happy,” he answered. “It’s about time you found someone who you could actually stand longer than a day.”
I grimaced. “That’s not entirely true,” I defended.
He chuckled. “Boy, you haven’t been one to keep a girlfriend since the day you started elementary school. Your mother was starting to worry she’d never get more grandbabies.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I muttered. Although the thought of Honor’s belly swollen with my baby awoke some strange feeling in my chest that wasn’t necessarily negative. What the hell was happening to me?
“Just be careful, son,” Dad said, his tone suddenly serious. He looked me in the eye, grasping onto my shoulder. “Even happy times can come to an end. And this girl, she’s a lovely little thing, but she’s also a lot younger than you. Girls her age aren’t at the same stage of life as a man your age.” He squeezed me, and then turned and walked toward the deck.
I stood there for a second, watching him as an empty feeling ate at my stomach. Suddenly I wasn’t hungry at all. If I’d thought Mom wouldn’t nag me, I would have just turned and gotten back to work. Instead, I followed him and choked down egg salad sandwiches, barely tasting them, as his words repeated in my head.
Would this all come to an end? It wasn’t as if he had said anything I hadn’t thought before. This was why I stayed away from girls Honor’s age. It wasn’t just their tendency to steer towards the dramatics, but it was also that they were in a wilder, freer stage of life than I was. Even Kelly had been that way and she was only a year younger than me.
I was at a time in my life where I wanted to stay home and settle down. Would Honor want that? Or would she realize that we were too different, and all this would come to an end?
Chapter 23
Honor
The noise in the cafeteria was a consistent hum of conversation and trays hitting tables. I didn’t normally eat at the school, but one of my classes h
ad been cancelled so I had time to kill before the next one.
Grabbing a muffin and coffee, I turned to survey the room. A hand shot up, waving me over, and I saw Adrien sitting there with a broad smile across his face. Deciding it was better to sit with him than by myself, I headed in his direction with a grateful smile.
“Hey you,” he said, nodding at some guy to shove over. Surprisingly he listened without objection. I sat down, facing him across the table.
“Hey,” I said, feeling as if I needed to yell to be heard.
“I never see you in here.”
“I normally have a class now,” I explained. “But it was cancelled.”
“Lucky you,” he said. “Is that all you’re going to eat?” His brows pulled together in a frown as he looked at my muffin.
I shrugged. “I’m not really hungry.”
He shook his head. “I’m always hungry. I don’t understand how you girls survive.”
I chuckled, breaking off a piece of the muffin.
“So?”
I looked up at him to see his eyebrows now raised as a smirk played at the corners of his mouth.
“So?” I said back.
“Want to tell me what had you smiling and blushing in class today?”
I thought back to my texts with Grey, and naturally remembered our morning tryst as well, feeling my cheeks heating again at just the memory. I didn’t know if it was sad or pathetic, but I actually missed Grey whenever we were apart. I wasn’t the type of girl that needed to constantly be around a guy, or be attached at the hip to someone I was dating. On the contrary, I was usually quite independent.
But there was something about Grey that pulled me in. I felt comfortable around him, as if I could be myself and not be judged for it. I liked spending my free time with him. He was smart and funny, and when his eyes would darken as he looked at me with desire, it lit my entire body on fire. I’d never had that feeling before.
“You’re doing it again,” he said with a laugh.
“What?” I asked, breaking off another piece of muffin and plopping it in my mouth.
Young Love (Bloomfield #4) Page 15
