“I knew I had my work cut out for me with a limited amount of time, so I asked for help. It wasn’t a secret how upset I was about our situation, and when Bizzy found out what I had really done, she almost became hysterical. Shaw had to intervene, which wasn’t pretty, and because he already knew I’d been an ass, she turned her wrath on him. Then when I explained you had reconsidered and were leaving, everyone jumped on board. Bizzy and Claire wanted to help you pack, so it would free up some time. My brothers offered to help, too. Gail scheduled the movers, and I set up the meeting with Shannon.
“The original plan was to have you stay with me, which you figured out, but Bizzy saw how upset it made you, so she called Shaw. She told him to do whatever it took. He called me with the suggestion we take the boat. I jumped at the chance. Bizzy arranged for the boat to be stocked when we showed up. All I had to do was get you here.”
“Was this your plan? To drive me far enough from shore that I couldn’t escape?”
I finish the omelets and plate them, going to sit next to her. “Not at all. I thought we’d go to West Palm for the day, spend the time away from Miami. More than anything, I wanted to be with you.”
A frown forms on her face, and she starts picking at the hem of my t-shirt she threw on when I insisted on feeding her.
“Can we talk about it, Nick? All of it?”
My fork is halfway to my mouth when I freeze, my appetite disappearing. I’m prepared to do anything to win back Grace’s trust, but the last thing I want to do is rehash the last two weeks.
“Do we have to?”
“I think we do, in order to fully clear the air.”
“I’m an asshole. My actions were despicable and inexcusable. I love you more than anything, and you said you love me, too. That’s where we are. Let’s not relive it.”
“I know, and I don’t want to relive it either, but I think you need to hear me out. You may have been a jerk, but you also may have been right. Logan, too, but I’ll never admit it to him.”
I push both our plates away and haul her across the small space. She gives a little yelp when she lands in my lap.
“Why’d you do that?” she sputters.
“Because I want you surrounded by me whenever you say what you’re going to say.”
“I did choose you. It wasn’t all a lie. I loved my life in Miami, too. Everything was a factor in my original decision, but when I stepped back, it was mostly you. And I wanted you to choose me too. When you didn’t, my heart was crushed, but I was prepared to stick to my guns, stay in Miami, and go on without you. Then it was all too much, and when I saw that video, I knew I couldn’t stay in Miami and take the chance of seeing you with other women. I chickened out and decided to leave.”
“You know she meant nothing to me. She’s a no one in my world.”
“But it left me with a gaping wound. I needed you to choose me, and you didn’t. So in the end, I think maybe you were right about the space thing. While I’m away, we can take the time apart—”
“Stop right there,” I cut her off before she can finish her statement. “The last thing I want is space. When you leave here, we’re together as a couple. The two of us and no one else. I did choose you. Every mistake I’ve made is because of loving you so much, but I learned the error of my ways. I’m not losing you again, Grace.”
“Grandpa told me to give you a chance. He told me you’d apologize, and I didn’t listen to him. I acted irrationally, and now—”
“Shh.” I place a finger to her lips then replace it with my mouth, kissing her lightly.
“No, you have to let me finish. This is important.”
“No, I don’t.” I stand, going back to the bedroom.
She opens her mouth then snaps it shut when I stop walking and press her up against wall, grinding my hips into hers.
“We’re not going to West Palm. What’s most important now is that I go back to making love to you until we have to head back to Miami tomorrow morning. All this shit is meaningless now. We’re putting it behind us, not discussing it, not mentioning it again. The rest of the day and night, it’s just you and me only.”
She lets out a breathy sigh and nods, bringing her mouth to my ear. “Just remember how much I love you when I’m gone.”
Chapter 30
Grace
Nick: Call me the instant you wake up, no matter what time.
It’s only seven a.m. in Miami, which means it’s five a.m. in Denver, but I do as I’m asked and call him.
“’lo,” he answers, his voice husky and full of sleep.
“Hi.” I burrow deeper into his pillow, smelling the faint scent of him.
“Where are you?” He’s fully awake now.
“In your bed. Where’d you think I’d be?”
“Thank God. Shaw and Mathis called and said you girls went out last night. I wanted to make sure you weren’t in jail.”
“Nick! It was one time, and it wasn’t jail. It was a sober cell.”
“Whatever, I didn’t hear back from you last night and spent half of the night worrying and the other half bugging the shit out of my brothers.”
“Nick, I think they were trying to rile you up. I spent the night at the gallery, working on some last minute notes for Logan. Bizzy and Claire stopped by for a minute to check on me, but it was brief. I think everyone had plans. Claire, specifically, was ready to show off her new lingerie. She said Mathis had been working thirty-six hours straight.”
“Assholes.”
“Besides, I don’t think Bizzy’s breaking any laws right now, including drinking.”
“She told you?” he asks with a mixture of surprise and relief.
“You know?” Now, I’m surprised.
“Yes, it’s the most heavily guarded and worst kept secret ever. I went over last week when you were avoiding me to hang out after practice. Brayden was with her, and Shaw was at a meeting. She had to throw up twice in the first hour I was there. I stayed until Shaw got home. The way he went to her, the way he held her, he forgot I was in the room. The first thing he did was cradle her stomach. It was pretty obvious.”
“That’s beautiful.” I picture the scene.
“Well, I was sworn to secrecy, until they hit what Bizzy refers to as a safety zone. Then Mathis told me he knows because he heard from Bizzy’s boss that Bizzy’s PRN work is changing dramatically. He figured it out.”
“So she hasn’t told Claire?”
“My guess is Claire knows, but Bizzy and Shaw are waiting to tell the parents.”
I start to get choked up, knowing I’m going to miss it all.
“I’m really happy for them.”
“Me too, especially after what they went through.”
“And considering you and Mathis pretty much raided their baby-making weekend on Labor Day.”
“Can we NOT discuss that ever again?”
I giggle, wishing I could see the scowl on his face when he thinks about what he interrupted and what he saw.
“How long were you at the gallery?” He changes the subject.
“’Til about ten, then I came back here and went straight to sleep. I was exhausted.”
“Did you get a lot done?”
“I think so. Mom and Dad will be here in a few hours, and I’ll spend some time today and tomorrow with her in the gallery going over all my notes. Logan will be there, too, and thanks to you and the girls, I don’t have to rely on them to help me pack and move into storage, so we’ll have a lot more free time together.”
“Are you watching the game?”
“Maybe,” I reply coyly, smiling into the pillow.
“My parents’ invitation still stands.” He refers to his parents’ game party this afternoon.
“I think we’ll end up at Logan’s house. Melanie is doing some kind of dinner, and we promised.”
This is all the truth, but I leave out the part about being afraid to see his parents and have them ask a lot of questions.
“Does that mean you’re talking to Lo
gan?”
“I never stopped talking to Logan. There just wasn’t much to say.”
“He loves you, Sweet Peach. Don’t leave holding a grudge. If you can forgive me, you can forgive him.”
“I have forgiven him, the first, second, and hundredth time he apologized. It’s the things he said I can’t forget.”
“Grace—”
“Nick, do you really want to talk about my argument with my brother?”
“No.” He sighs. “I’d like to know more about where you slept and what you’re wearing.”
A thrill slides up my spine, and warmth spread through me at his tone. “I slept in your bed like you asked.”
“And what are you wearing?”
“Nothing,” I tell a little white lie, omitting the pink lacy hipsters.
I hear a throaty rumble and the phone shifting before he speaks. “That’s the vision I want to think about all day and until the minute I step foot back in Miami. It’ll be nice to finally to sleep in my bed again.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to say something about him sleeping on the couch, but I refrain. It’s another painful reminder we don’t need. So instead, I go a different route.
“It’s very lonely without you. I dreamed a lot last night, remembering the last time I was here and what you did to me. I woke up curled around your pillow.”
Another throaty rumble comes through the line, this time sounding like brutal torture.
“Fuck, Grace, I’m hard as a rock over here.”
“Hmmm, such a waste. Maybe I should let you go take care of that,” I tease.
“Hell no, you’re not going anywhere. We’re taking care of this.”
“What do you suggest?” I nearly purr, feeling the sexual tension build through the line.
“Grace, tell me about your dream.”
“I’d rather you tell me about your dreams.”
“Jesus Christ,” he hisses. “I’ve never in my life thought I’d be into phone sex.”
“Don’t let me corrupt you.”
“Holy fuck. Touch yourself, Grace. Tell me how it feels.”
“Tell me what to do, Nick. What do you want?”
There’s more rumbling on his end, and his breathing picks up. “I’m going to tell you exactly what to do, and I want to hear it all.”
I suck in a deep breath, feeling sexier than I ever have in my life. “Okay,” I give in to him, needing this as much as he does. My entire body is on fire, needing this touch. Thinking of him, lying across the country, in bed, gripping himself as he tells me what to do, proves he has complete control.
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
“First, I need you to trace your fingers around your nipples and slowly run them down your stomach…”
“You’re finally done, Grace. It’s all ready,” I say to the empty office and close down my computer, shoving it into my bag.
I take one last look around, checking the printer and making sure I’ve got everything. Then I walk through the gallery, memorizing its layout, knowing it will be different when I return.
When I get in my car, I send a quick text to my mom that I’m on my way and drive toward their hotel. This is it. Only Mom knows my plans. She’s been an integral part of helping me get things together, so I’m comfortable with the transition.
The drive to the hotel and ride in the elevator, I rehearse what I’m going to say with a knot growing in my stomach.
Grandpa throws open the door before I even knock and hauls me into a hug. “Peach Princess!” He twists me around as if he hasn’t seen me in forever.
“Grandpa, I saw you last night.”
“But this old man needed some love.” He places me on my feet and brings me inside where my mom promptly hands me a glass of wine.
I flash her a grateful smile and lay my bag down on the table in their suite.
Dad and Logan come in from the balcony when they spot me. I take a large gulp of my wine and grab a folder out of my bag, going to the barstool by my mom.
“I wanted to talk to you all tonight before we meet the Bennett’s for dinner. There’s something I need to tell you.”
I focus directly on Logan first. “Logan, I’ve been keeping something from you, not only as your sister, but also as your business partner.” I take the top two papers in the folder and walk them to him.
He starts to read and scowls, shock registering on his face. “What the hell is this?”
“I’ve spoken to a lawyer and had my share of the gallery transferred to Grandpa for the imminent future. If you have something that needs legal attention, he will be your partner. I’ll be out of touch for a while. My schedule will be unpredictable, and you shouldn’t be left in a lurch waiting on anything.”
Logan opens his mouth, but Grandpa beats him to it. “Peach Princess, what is going on? I don’t want to be involved with your business. Hell, I don’t know anything about your business.”
I give him an apologetic smile, having known he wouldn’t like this. “I know, Grandpa, but you’re a good businessman, and you gave us the money for the gallery. It’s only right you have a say. Mom and Dad will be right there to help, too, if you have any questions. It’s a family thing.”
“Grace, I think you’re being a bit overzealous. You’ll be gone a few months, and I’ll be able to contact you anytime. This was completely unnecessary.” Logan tries to make sense of this.
“This is where I apologize to you Logan. I’ve misled you. I’m not going away for a few months, and I’m not going to Seattle. When I signed on, I had to agree to take what was available. I’ll be leaving tomorrow for a year, and instead of Seattle, I’ll be going international. My destination is Greece.”
The room goes still, and my dad falls to the sofa without taking his eyes off me. Mom’s hand comes to my lower back in a show of support.
“Oh my God,” Logan repeats a few times with a look of horror. “You can’t be serious.”
I remain quiet, letting the news settle.
“You can’t be serious!” He shouts this time, throwing his arms out in disbelief. “Why?”
“Because I decided it was what I wanted, and I took a good look at my life. Even though you were malicious in your delivery, you were right about so many things. I was living with my head in the clouds. The new friends, Nick, the popularity of the gallery… all of it. I was stubborn enough to stick to my guns on staying here, even if just to spite you. But then the weekend at home gave me clarity in so many ways.”
I don’t dare mention seeing Nick on the video in the locker room or the fact that this was a rash decision. Instead, I square my shoulders and hold my head high, knowing there’s no going back.
“So, I’m following those dreams everyone was so worried about, but this time, the plan changed.”
“Did I do this? Are you running away from me?” Logan’s voice cracks, and Mom’s hand grips the fabric of my dress, her body going rigid beside mine.
“No, Logan, this is all me,” I say softly. “I love you, and I hope you will welcome me back with open arms.”
“I love you, too, Grace. I don’t want to own this business without you. It’s as much yours as mine.”
I nod, feeling a little relief.
“Does Nick know?”
The relief turns to anxiety at his question.
“No.” I shake my head. “I’ve tried to tell him, but he was determined to avoid the subject. I’m going to tell him tomorrow morning. He deserves to know, and maybe he’ll resent me, but he’ll know.”
“Grace, you can’t do that to him. This is going to devastate him,” Grandpa tells me with disappointment.
“I know.” My eyes start to prickle. “But if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
My dad leaps off the couch and comes to me, yanking me into his arms. “This is what you want, baby girl? You sure?”
“Yes, Daddy. I’m going to study under one of the finest glass sculpture artists in the world. This woman is a recluse.
She spends most of her time in seclusion, but she’s agreed to teach me, and for that, I’m excited. And after six months of training, she’s going to oversee my creations in her studio.” I hiccup into his chest, trying to tamper my emotions.
“That’s a damned smart woman,” Grandpa says gruffly, his own emotions coming through.
“Everyone, get in here,” my mom demands until I feel all four sets of arms around me in a group hug.
“Promise me something.” Logan’s words are muffled through all the bodies.
“What?”
“Monroe Gallery gets exclusive rights to your first display. Every piece, Grace. Don’t you sell one of them without letting me have first rights.”
I start to laugh and cry at the same time. “Okay, Logan. You’ll see everything.”
“I’m so fucking proud of you, Grace, even if you are a pain in my ass.”
There are a few chuckles from the men as I cry harder at my brother’s words. He’s proud of me.
Now, if only I can make Nick say the same.
Chapter 31
Nick
There’s a searing pain in my side and pounding thud in my chest as we walk through the airport. In less than two hours, Grace will be on a plane out of Miami. She walks next to me silently, gripping my hand to the point of numbness. She’s been like this all morning, staying close and holding me tight. The only time she’s been out of my sight was when she went to the balcony to call her family.
I slide my eyes to the side and watch her as we walk. She’s unusually pale, her eyes dull and lifeless as she visibly chews the inside of her cheek. I want to ask her to talk to me but don’t for the fear she’ll break down, and I’ll beg her to stay with me.
Because that’s what I want is for her to stay.
As we get closer to the security line, her walking slows.
“Nick, I need to talk to you.” She glances around nervously and tugs me to a deserted area about ten feet away.
“Sweet Peach, what’s going on?”
She lets go of my hand and rubs her eyes with her palms. Her eyes start to pool with tears before she even looks up, but when she does, my heart breaks.
The feeling from the morning on the boat slams into me. Something’s very, very wrong.
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