by A. D. Ryan
According to my alarm clock, Greyston’s been gone for a few hours by the time the front door opens and he calls my name. I launch myself through my bedroom door, dash down the hall, and look down over the banister to see Greyston coming in with a pizza box in one hand.
His eyes find me in an instant and he smiles my smile. “Sorry I’m late. Callie had a stack of paperwork on my desk that had to be signed before I leave.” He holds up the pizza. “I brought dinner.”
I bound down the stairs to take it from him, happy that he seems to have returned to his old self. “It smells great. What kind did you get?”
“Tropical chicken,” he replies, shocking me because it’s not a common choice. Most people think I’m crazy, because “Alfredo sauce doesn’t belong on pizza.”
I freeze, looking at him inquisitively. “That’s…my favorite.”
He laughs, moving around me to lead the way to the kitchen. “I know. I called your mother.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, after how I behaved this afternoon, I wanted to make it up to you.” He shrugs, looking innocent. “I wanted to surprise you, so I gave her a call. It’s a strange choice, but I’m intrigued. Alfredo sauce, chicken, pineapple, and bacon, huh?”
“I see.”
He nods once before meeting my gaze, smiling. “What do you say we grab a couple slices of pizza and go watch a movie?” he suggests.
Excited to chill out in front of the TV after a day of studying and craziness, I grab the plates from the cupboard and hand one to Greyston so we can dish up our dinner. I grab two slices of pizza and a glass of milk and start toward the living room.
It was the best way to end a day that started out a little rough. I can only hope to keep from messing up anything else. While I know it’s bound to happen, I want to remain as optimistic as possible that I’m through making an ass of myself.
Chapter 13
There’s a light knock that rouses me from my sleep. With a groan, I lift my head and see that it’s barely after seven in the morning.
“Come in,” I call out in my hoarse morning voice, rolling off of my stomach and pushing myself up so I’m propped up on my elbows.
The door opens and in steps an always well-groomed Greyston. His eyes widen when he finds me still in bed, his gaze travelling down to see the entire length of my naked leg is exposed before turning around and looking out my balcony door. He’s clearly uncomfortable with it, so I tuck my leg back under my blanket and apologize.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says roughly. “I just wanted to let you know that my ride is here to take me to the airport. You’re sure you’re going to be okay for a few days? I can call Callie and see if she’ll come check on you.”
He’s been like this since Saturday; overly concerned that I don’t yet feel comfortable or safe enough to spend a couple of days alone. While I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with him and getting to know more about his job, I will admit that it’s going to be a little weird to be alone in this big house.
Wanting to help alleviate the guilt I can see in his eyes, I nod. “Yes, Greyston. I’ll be fine. Daphne is actually going to come over tonight.”
“Oh, good. And you remember how to work the alarm system? I’d hate for your dad to come and hunt me down because I wasn’t taking all of the proper precautions with his daughter.”
I laugh, sitting up and hugging my blanket to my chest; the tank top I’ve got on isn’t exactly the most modest. “Yes. I’ve got the code memorized. Now go, or you’ll miss your flight.”
He’s looking at me like there’s something more he wants to say, but instead, he just offers me a small smile and nods. “Okay. I’ll see you Friday. Call if you have any problems, all right?”
“Will do. Tell Toby I say hi.”
His smile falls slightly, though not completely, and he looks toward the door. “Yeah. I’ll be sure to do that.”
Greyston leaves me alone in my room, and I try to figure out what it was that made his mood sour so suddenly. As I think about it, I realize that it’s every time I bring Toby up. Were he and Toby having problems? I wouldn’t know because I hadn’t seen Toby since that early morning conversation in the kitchen.
When I turn and see that it’s now seven-thirty, I throw my blankets off so I can go and get ready for school. After a quick shower, I brush my hair and teeth before finding a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt to wear. I make my bed quickly and head downstairs to make something quick for breakfast, only to be met by the smell of bacon and eggs the minute I hit the bottom step.
I walk into the kitchen to find a covered plate in my usual spot at the island. Next to it is a piece of paper. I pick up the paper and take it with me to the coffee pot, where an empty mug waits for me to fill it.
Grabbing the pot and filling my coffee cup, I read the note.
Good morning, Juliette.
Sorry we didn’t have the opportunity to have breakfast together this morning, but I still wanted to be sure you got off to a good start.
Here is a short list of numbers should you not be able to get a hold of me at some point over the next few days. Callie is the closest to the house. but if she’s unreachable for whatever reason, one of my parents should be able to help you out with whatever you might need.
I scan the numbers he’s listed before moving onto the rest of the note.
I’m also leaving you the keys to my car should you need it.
“What?” I ask aloud.
It might be a tad presumptuous of me to assume this, but your car sounds like it’s on its last leg. Use it or don’t; the choice is yours, but my car is here if you need it.
Have fun, and don’t forget to call. Even if it’s just to talk.
~Greyston
Coffee in-hand, I head to my seat and set the note down and read it again while admiring Greyston’s penmanship. I’m still shocked over Greyston’s offer to let me use his fancy little sports car. Should I accept? Even if my car still has some life left in it?
I think about it over breakfast, devouring the scrambled eggs and three strips of bacon on my plate. Once my plate is clear and in the dishwasher, I snatch Greyston’s keys off the counter and head to school. I figure I’ll rarely get an opportunity like this again, so I better enjoy it while I can.
The minute my ass hits the plush leather seat of Greyston’s sporty black car, I sigh. While I’ve never been much of a car lover—they’ve really just been something to get me from point A to point B—I have to admit that I am in love with this car.
And I haven’t even started it yet.
I pull the seat forward, because Greyston has at least eight inches on me, and adjust my mirrors before starting the car. It’s a stick-shift, which actually isn’t a problem because so is my car. Of course, this beautiful car isn’t nearly as difficult to shift, and it doesn’t take a majority of my lower body strength to depress the clutch.
The engine purrs like a kitten, and the car drives like a dream. It’s so smooth, I don’t even realize I’m driving well over the speed limit until I gain on the car in front of me. I slow down and pay more attention to the speedometer so that Greyston doesn’t regret letting me use his car. The accelerator definitely seems a bit touchier than the one in my car—probably because my car borders on ancient.
I park in the university parking lot and grab my bag from the passenger seat. The minute I step out, I can sense all eyes on me. I try to ignore all the attention, but as I make my way through the lot, I spot Ben.
His face is healing, having been almost a week since Greyston decked him, but shadows of the bruises still remain. This makes me smirk, and I carry on toward the main building, setting the alarm on Greyston’s car. Before I reach the doors, an arm loops through mine and walks with me.
“Nice wheels!” Daphne exclaims.
“Thanks. Greyston loaned me his car while he’s away.” The halls are crowded as we make our way through them to our first classes, and Daphne is asking all about the car, my ne
w place and, naturally, Greyston. “You still coming over tonight?”
“You bet! I’m excited to prove that you’re wrong about him.”
I stop walking and glare down at her. “Daphne, you are not snooping.”
We round the corner, discussing our plans, and almost run down one of my classmates. “Erik!” I cry out, startled.
He looks adorably nervous, looking between Daphne and me. “Oh, hey, Juliette.”
I pick up on something in his voice, and look down at Daphne who’s looking between us amusedly. It isn’t until Erik stays put, focusing solely on me, that I realize he’s waiting for me.
“So, listen, Juliette. I was wondering if you were going to that party at the Psi Sigma Phi house? If you were, I thought it might be fun if we went together.”
While I still don’t really feel like jumping back into another relationship—well, except for the one I know can never happen—there’s something kind of endearing about being asked out by a guy who seems sweet and normal.
Though, I suppose Ben seemed that way in the beginning too, and look how that turned out.
I push those thoughts aside, because it’s really not fair to judge the entire male species based on the actions of a complete dog like Ben Connely. Even though I still have a bit of a crush on Greyston, I know that it can never go anywhere. It’s not sane or rational to sit around pining after someone who’s unavailable, so I make a split decision.
“I wasn’t going to,” I begin to tell Erik.
His hopeful smile falls, and he shakes his head. “That’s okay, I just figured I’d ask—”
“Erik!” I interrupt. “I wasn’t going to…but maybe it would be fun.”
Hope returns to his eyes, and his smile brightens again. “Yeah?”
“Yes. It’s Friday, right?” I ask, and he nods to clarify, reaching into his pocket for his phone and handing it to me. “Here’s my number. Call me and we’ll figure out the details so you can pick me up at seven?”
“Great. I’ll talk to you later then.”
I turn to Daphne the minute Erik’s out of sight. “Please tell me you’re going to that party.”
Daphne starts laughing. “You want me to be your third wheel? Juliette, if you didn’t want to go with him, why did you agree?”
I roll my eyes in exasperation. “It’s not that I didn’t want to go—I mean, sure, there are a million other things I can imagine doing at home on a Friday night—”
“My,” Daphne interrupts, “aren’t we ambitious. You sure Greyston would be open to doing those things with you?”
I shove, almost sending her into an oncoming wave of students, and snicker. “Shut up. Just tell me you’re going.”
Daphne’s eyes are filled with remorse. “I wish I could, but I have to go to my parents’ place this weekend. Sorry.”
“What if I can’t think of anything to say?” I whine.
“Has it been that long since you’ve been to a frat party, Juliette?” she asks, glomming back onto my arm so as not to get lost in the masses. “People rarely talk at those things. It’s all dancing and drinking and tongues down other peoples’ throats.”
“It’s a wonder you’re single,” I joke.
“Hey, I’m just playing the field until Mr. Right steps up to the plate.” We stop outside Daphne’s class, and she lets go of my arm. “I’ll see you later?”
“Definitely.”
After my last class, I gather my things, dig Greyston’s car keys out of the bottom of my bag, and head outside to meet up with Daphne. I open the trunk for her to put her bag inside, and she closes it.
I open my door and slide into my seat. “Did you bring your suit? We could maybe hang out by the pool for a bit tonight.”
“You bet I did.”
I smile. “Well then, what are we waiting for?”
When we arrive at the house, I turn off the alarm and lead Daphne up to my room so we can drop off our bags and change into our suits. I show her around upstairs, only allowing her to poke her head into Greyston’s well-kept room. We reach the stairs, and I begin to descend them when Daphne grabs my arm and tugs.
“Wait. What’s in there?”
I open my mouth and then close it, because I don’t really know what to say. “Actually,” I finally say, “I’m not entirely sure. I’ve never been inside.”
“Well, let’s take a look,” Daphne suggests, moving toward the door.
Even though I would love nothing more than to do just that, I follow her and stop her before she has a chance to turn the knob and open the door. “No. There’s probably a reason that Greyston hasn’t shown me this room. I think it’s his and Toby’s special place or something.” I eye the door, my curiosity growing. Would it really be so bad to take one tiny little peek?
Daphne turns the knob and pushes the door open before I can stop her—or maybe I could have, I just didn’t want to. Her hands fly to her mouth and her bright eyes widen in fake shock. “Oops.”
Chapter 14
Once the door hits the wall behind it, I lean forward to see what it was hiding.
I’m…confused, and that confusion wraps itself around me and pulls me forward until I am standing in the center of the room. I turn in slow, calculating circles as I take in the contents of the room. “It’s…it’s not what I imagined,” I say aloud as Daphne joins me.
“What did you think was in here?”
I blush and look at her through the corner of my eye. “Whips and chains and stuff.”
Daphne’s laughter fills the room, echoing off the walls and sleek furniture. There’s a flat screen TV mounted on the wall, several gaming systems in the cabinet below it, and a couch several feet back. Along the other walls, various action figures and comic book memorabilia is displayed. Maybe Greyston kept this room from me because he’s afraid I’ll label him a nerd.
While my vision of the room may have been entirely wrong, I still know what I heard that night.
“Come on,” I say, grabbing Daphne’s wrist and dragging her from the room. “We shouldn’t be in here. I feel weird about it.”
“Juliette, it’s just a game room. What’s to feel weird about? Look!” Daphne exclaims, pointing toward the television. “He’s got Kinect! Can’t we please play?”
I shake my head. “No way. Not without asking permission first.”
“Then call him!”
“No, he’s working. Come on.” I’m finally able to get her out of the room and down into the kitchen. I pour us each a glass of lemonade and prepare a little fruit tray for us to snack on while we relax outside.
As I wash the last sprig of grapes, I hear Daphne rifling through papers behind me. “Who is this incredible specimen?”
I turn to see what it is she’s looking at, assuming maybe it’s one of the magazines Callie was looking at on the weekend. It’s not. I place the grapes on the plate and move around the island to peer over her shoulder, and I recognize the papers immediately. “Oh, Greyston must have forgotten those this morning. That’s the baseball player he’s trying to sign. Um…” I glance down under the photo and read his name. “Xander Richland. He’s from Houston.”
“Well, he’s delicious!” She’s not wrong. His longer wavy brown hair and golden brown eyes only add to his chiseled jawline, and his wide smile showcases shallow dimples that make him seem approachable.
It takes some doing, but I’m finally able to pull her away from Xander’s profile and out to the pool. We’re out there for a little over an hour, just floating on our inflatable rafts, before I hear the house phone ringing.
“I’ll be right back,” I say, hopping out of the pool and walking toward the house. The phone is on its cradle near the patio door, so I pick it up, smiling when I see it’s Greyston.
“Hey, you.”
His warm chuckle greets me before he speaks. “Good evening. How was class?”
I lean against the doorframe, looking out at Daphne lounging on one of the floatation devices. “Really good. How’
s Houston?”
“Warm…and kind of lonely.”
“Awww. Don’t say that. I’m sure Toby’s keeping you all kinds of company,” I say, knowing that their time away will probably be good for them if they’re experiencing some kind of strain in their relationship.
“He does what he can, but he’s down at the gym right now.” Greyston pauses briefly before continuing on. “And I just wanted to call and check in with you. See how things are going.”
“Everything’s great here. Daphne and I are just out floating in the pool, having a light dinner and a glass of wine,” I explain to him. “Then, I think we’re going to head upstairs and do homework. All-in-all, we’re a couple of party animals.”
Greyston laughs, and I have to admit I miss the sound already. “Well, I’m glad you ladies are having a good night…” Greyston is distracted by something, and then I hear Toby’s voice in the background. “Hey, Juliette?”
“Yeah?”
“Toby just showed up. We’re going to go and grab a bite to eat. I’ll give you a call tomorrow?” he offers.
It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to hear he’s going to call again. Deep down, I know he’s not saying it for the reasons I want him to. I’m taking care of his house for him; he just wants to make sure everything is going okay.
“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you later. You boys have fun tonight,” I instruct before hanging up and rejoining Daphne.
We relax in the pool for another thirty minutes before we head inside and change into our pajamas. We both have assignments for separate classes to work on, so we hit the books. By midnight, we’re both exhausted and climb under my blankets together with the intention to talk until one or both of us passes out.
The next two days go by much slower than I’d like. School seems to drag on, and work is a bit of a bore, being mid-week. Of course, then I return home alone to a big empty house, where I cook myself dinner and watch an hour or two of TV before retiring to my room and doing homework.
