“It sucks that you’re getting a migraine on prom night. I hope my brother didn’t stress you into one. He was acting so strangely tonight. It almost made me feel like… he likes you, or something,” she lets the words hang in the air.
“What? Me? No. He’s like what? Six years older than us. He probably just looks at me like he does you, all brotherly and protective. Besides, aren’t we convinced he’s got it bad for Miss Laurent and that even though the set-up didn’t go as planned, he’ll eventually come around?” I remind her, pushing her attention away from Gray and I, and back to her favorite suitor for her older brother.
“You’re right. Now that is a match made in heaven. Makes much more sense than you and my brother,” she laughs, “sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.” My eye twitches as I manage the best smile I can muster, in spite of the jab I just felt at her words. Of course Grace is a better choice than I am. What do I have to offer? Nothing much.
Lyra stands, heading back to Tommy, her date for the evening who is waiting patiently at the dance floor, but turns back on last time to remind me, “tell me whenever you’re about to leave so I’ll know you’re okay.”
“I will,” I promise. My phone begins vibrating in my purse, making me antsy as my fingers twitch in eagerness. As soon as she’s out of earshot, I answer it.
“Hello?”
“I’m outside already. I kind of sped here,” Gray’s husky voice admits on the other end of the line.
“Be out in a second. Let me just tell everyone Good Night,” I respond.
“Okay, I’ll be waiting.”
The line clicks in my ear and I hurriedly reach for my purse, walking over to the group I’m supposed to be amidst, but am instead leaving behind.
“Hey guys, Mom just called. She’s already here,” I say, mostly directing my statement to Lyra and Miles. “Miles I’m so sorry everything turned out this way, but I still had a great time. I’m thankful we at least got to dance a little and have dinner together,” I add. He steps forward to hug me, and send well-wishes that I recover from my migraine as fast as possible. I hug him back and thank him for being so understanding.
Lyra, then comes over to hug me. “I’ll take lots of pictures so you don’t miss out on too much,” she assures me..
“I love you,” I tell her. “Call you tomorrow morning?”
“Yeah, I’ll talk to you then. Although, I’ll probably still text you to check up on you later,” she admits.
“Have I ever told you how good a friend you are? Have fun tonight.”
And then, I can’t rush outside fast enough. All I want to do, is be in Gray’s arms.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
We slowly creep up to the house, parking more closely to the barn than usual.
“Can you stay the night?” he asks, looking worried that I’ll refuse.
“If you can tell me how that’s going to work out with the lie I just told your sister to get here. She thinks I’m going home,” I remind him.
“I’ve already got it all planned out, Buttercup.” He makes his way over to my door, and helps me down.
“And what is this plan you speak of?” I ask him.
“Now that, is a surprise. Follow me,” he says, grasping my hand and leading me into the barn. Confused, I follow him past the stalls and to the very back. We reach a door that clearly leads up a set of stairs, but it always remains locked and I’ve never had an opportunity before now to venture up there. Rifling through a cluster of keys, he picks one out labeled “loft”. As we ascend the stairs, I’m picturing the area to be old and full of storage, but when I get to the top, I gasp.
“I had planned on sneaking you up here with me after prom, but now we don’t really have to sneak, do we?” Gray’s voice is alight with amusement.
Glancing around, I note that the area is more like a studio apartment. There’s a tiny kitchen, a seating area, and a bed. The only room semi-closed off is the bathroom. The room itself isn’t what’s so fascinating though, it’s the overall impression of it. It’s dark in the room save for the strands of lights crisscrossing over the ceiling, creating a romantic impression. All the furniture in one area is pushed against the wall, creating more floor-space.
Suddenly, music trickles through the air from behind me, and I turn to find Gray standing by an old record player, having just turned it on. His eyes twinkle as he watches me, and I’m completely awestruck at the time it went into planning and preparation. It’s probably the most thoughtful, and undoubtedly, the most romantic gesture anyone has ever made.
“Gray,” I whisper in appreciation, unsure of what to even say.
He takes a step forwards, his fluttering touch pushing the hair out of my face as he looks into my eyes with determination.
“You only have about three months left here V, not even that, and I want to make the most of our time together. I want to tell my sister about us. No more hiding. No more worrying about being found out and having to restrain myself each time you pass by me and I have the urge to reach out and pull you to me,” he asserts, leaning down to brush his lips across mine as he whispers. “You’re mine. I’m yours. I want everyone to know it.”
“Your sister is going to flip! She’s always wanted you to be with Grace. She’ll hate me and she’s my best friend!” I raise my voice in a panic.
“Shh, chill out Buttercup,” he shushes me as he begins massaging my scalp, causing me to instantly relax into him. “She can be reasoned with, especially when I tell her what you mean to me.”
“And what do I mean to you?” I ask, looking him directly in the eye, as he begins swaying from side to side, in time to the tune floating around us.
“Everything,” he answers, and everything about this resonates as genuine. Authentic. True. I wish I could freeze this moment in time, treasure it for the rest of my life, and then some. He twirls me around, causing an eruption of laughter from the both of us at the silliness.
“I wish you could stay here forever. You’re the essence of all my favorites rolled into one. Peach cobbler,” he laughs making my cheeks burn as I think of our first night together. Growing more serious he adds, “my best friend,” he twirls me again, “you’re like fields of wildflowers, summertime, sunshine and laughter. As long as I’m with you, I feel at home, at peace. You are my home,” he kisses me softly again.
You’re mine too Gray, I think to myself, but I’m stunned speechless at his admissions. He pulls back and gazes adoringly down at me once more, and then stuns me even more by saying, “I love you, V. I want you to stay and I know all this is going to scare you, hell, it scares me to admit it all.
But, I’m laying it all out there. What was it you said when you propositioned me to engage in a friends-with-benefits relationship with you? Think about it a while, was it? Please do that. Just think about it. You don’t have to give me an answer now, or even tomorrow. You have a few months to decide.” He kisses the end of my nose, and then takes a step back, giving me some space to adjust and take in the proclamations he just laid out before me. What shocked me the most about his admission was that I felt like saying it back. I felt like shouting it, but the strict and calculating side of me overruled that emotion, and told me I need to think about all this for a while before making such a declaration. So, I remain silent, but I’m freaking out inside.
“I don’t know what to say, but I’ll tell you what I’m sure of, and that’s that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I don’t want to willingly leave. And that you’re unequivocally important to me.”
He grins at my response, then says, “that’s enough to go on, for now.” Then he steps to me, picking up the top straps of my dress beneath his fingers.
“From the first moment I laid eyes on you tonight, I wanted to haul you away so that those other fuckers couldn’t look at what was mine. I can’t help it. Like you said earlier, I’m being a bit barbaric,” he pulls me hungrily against him. “My second inclination, was that I wanted to peel this dress off of you
, and worship you.”
“So do it,” I dare him.
XoXo
Gray
“So do it,” she taunts proving to be just as eager as I am. I have to stop myself from pouncing. For one, it would likely scare her, particularly after what I just told her. Second, tonight’s not about having her as quickly as possible, tonight is about living, making the most of our time together as if there might not be a tomorrow. You never know what’s going to happen, I’ve learned that the hard way, countless times in fact.
I need to know every part of her body until nothing is left unexplored, understand all the facets of her soul so that no one can appreciate her better, and invade every corner of her mind until no part of her and I, is left unacquainted. After our weekend together in the cabin, I set in motion a plan. I will seek out that bastard, and then I’ll do everything in my power to end him, protecting her and allowing her a life that she’s never even dreamed of.
If I went as far as to tell her all that, I know she wouldn’t take it well considering she’s barely accepting my admission of love. So, I’ll keep quiet for now, but I’ve already begun tracking the bastard down, even gone so far as to hire a private investigator. I might not have a plan yet for what I’ll do after I find him, but that’ll come later. Right now, I’m focusing on her.
We reach for each other at the same time, making love until we’re overcome with exhaustion. When we fall asleep in each other’s arms in a mess of tangled limbs, it’s hope that I feel for the first time in forever.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“What the FUCK?! You have to be shitting me!” My sister’s shrill voice wakes me up from a deep sleep. I’m suddenly very aware that I’m naked, and I barely register when V sits up discordantly, grasping the sheet in front of her breasts. My eyes clear as I wipe the sleep from them, zeroing in on my sister’s frozen expression of horror.
Fuuuuck. I had hoped I was having a nightmare. Valley turns to me with a similar expression, eyes pleading for me to help her out of this messed up situation.
“Sis,” I attempt to reason, “we were going to tell you. We just decided tonight that…” she cuts me off.
“Just decided tonight? So, this isn’t the first time you’ve fallen into bed together? How long has this been going on?!” She screams, demanding an answer.
V speaks up. “For a while, Lyra. I’m so sorry. We were both scared to tell you…”
“So what? You’ve been pretending to be my friend just so you can get close to my brother?”
“Lyra,” I scold, “that’s not true. She is your friend.”
“Was,” my sister clarifies, and I watch V’s lower lip tremble as her eyes glitter with unshed tears.
“But you’re my best friend,” Valley whispers barely audibly, and then adds “and I care about you both.”
“I don’t care. If you cared you wouldn’t lie, and fake a migraine on the night of prom just to go sleep with my brother. I was worried about you! So, I went by your house on my way home to check on you, only your mother answered the door and lo and behold, you weren’t there. Now, both of us have been searching frantically for you. She’s over at the house now, waiting,” she picks up her phone and dials a number.
“I found her. She was in the barn. With my brother,” she annunciates the last words, leaving no room for differing opinions as to what they might mean. “She’ll be over to get her stuff from my room, and then she’ll be going with you.” She advises pointedly, as she hangs up the phone, her eyes going blank as she stares at V. I know that look, she’s hurt and I feel like shit that it’s because of me, but I don’t regret what I’ve done.
“Lyra, I wish you wouldn’t have done that. I wish, for once, you could make decisions based on something other than your teenage hormones and wild emotions. Think of how that’s going to affect her,” I say sternly as I glance over at Valley.
“That’s not my problem. Y’all brought this upon yourselves,” she turns and storms out of the loft, just a V bursts into tears.
“Hey,” I say softly, drawing her to me. “We’ll work everything out. Everybody’s just emotional, and once we all calm down, they’ll settle into the idea of us.” My words only cause her to cry harder, an onslaught of ugly tears that soon has snot pouring down her beautiful face. Even like that, at her worst look, she’s still perfect to me.
“No, Gray. Everything is so messed up now,” she hiccups. I pick up my nearby shirt from the floor, wiping away her tears and cleaning her up.
Standing, I pull her into standing position and hand her one of my White tees and a pair of sweats I always keep stashed up here. She picks up her dress and drapes it neatly over her. I take her hand in mine, and she squeezes, grasping my hand so hard it hurts, like she’s afraid I’ll vanish into thin air.
When we make our way to the main house, we find her mother waiting for us as soon as we enter into the foyer. She glares at V and shakes her head, ordering “go retrieve your belongings. Don’t leave a thing behind. You have 5 minutes.”
“Yes, Mother,” Valley concedes, her voice sounding broken. Hearing her pain stabs me in the gut.
As soon as she’s disappeared out of our sight, her mother turns to me. “You’ve been sleeping with my daughter.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answer honestly.
“I wasn’t asking,” she states coldly.
“I know, but I was offering. It’s true. I have. But I love your daughter, and I just asked her to stay when her time here is up.”
Her mother rolls her eyes, treating me like I’m not being truthful, like I’m stupid.
“That’s never going to happen.”
“Why not? She’s eighteen. She’s an adult who can make her own decisions,” I remind her of the obvious.
“No, she can’t. I choose what’s in her best interest, and it’s not you. Get down here V-Sloane,” she yells up the stairs.
“Look lady, I know more than you think.” Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but I want her to understand that I know how dire their situation is, that I’m well aware of what I’m getting myself into. She cuts her eyes to me and raises her brows, but says nothing. A look her daughter gives me all the time when we’re arguing.
“I’m seriously in love with your daughter. I love V,” she narrows her eyes at my nickname, realizing that I truly do know more than she suspected. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make it safe for her in this world. For her to have a normal life, much like the one you wanted her to have here.”
“If that were possible, it would already be that way. I’m going to talk to her father about all this. Be expecting a visit from him in the near future,” she threatens, crossing her arms.
“But you’ve been avoiding him for years, afraid of him, what’s that going to do besides put yours and your daughter’s lives in danger?”
She purses her lips and says nothing else. Seconds later, Valley appears at the top of the stairs. She comes to a stand-still beside her mother, and peers over at me regrettably.
“Gray, please stress to your sister how sorry I am. How much I love her,” she asks dejectedly. I nod, wishing she’d direct those same sentiments to me, that it wasn’t so hard for her to just say it back.
I stand here watching helplessly as she follows her Mother’s lead toward the entrance of the house. Wait! My mind screams. She stops abruptly as if she can feel my desperation, and turns, taking two sure steps toward me, and just like the first time we ever kissed, she yanks the collar of my shirt down.
Crushing our lips together in an act so full of passion, it feels like both of our lips will bruise. The kiss lasts about 10 seconds before she pulls away, stroking my jaw twice, and then retreats out the door. She’s a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. Other than asking me to apologize to Lyra, she said nothing to me as she left. But, her actions… they told me she cares, maybe even more than she realizes.
The world around me dims, growing bleak. A hopeless and cold shell where it was once
a warm and promising cocoon. I try to tell myself that her mom will get over it, that I’ll be reunited with her soon, although, in the last few moments before she walks out the door, it seems final, a whole hell of a lot like goodbye.
XoXo
Me: Babe, you okay?
Me: Please let me know everything is alright.
Me: V you’re really making me worry, all you have to say is “I’m ok” and I won’t be flipping out
Me: Fuck it. I’m coming over to check on you.
I lace up my boots and grab the keys to the jeep from the bedside table. I’ve waited long enough. Does she not know I’m worried as hell? Distraught because at first, she won’t answer my texts, and then they stop going through altogether as if her number has been disconnected or something. I’m getting ready to walk out the door when my sister comes out from her room, scowling at me as she says her first words to me since last night.
“I got a text from Sloane last night, saying that you need to come get Princess Frou Frou,” she remarks callously, turning and heading back into her room.
There’s only one reason for her to have sent that text, and any hope I had, just plummeted—crash and burn style.
As I pull up outside the house, my subconscious senses the change. It’s a subtle difference, one no one else would catch, but I do. Every other time I’ve pulled up outside her home, I could feel her presence. Just like every time she walks into a room, I get this tingling sensation on my scalp, electricity in the air. I sense her before she’s even in my line of sight. Sounds cheesy, and it’s probably a little out there, but it’s the truth. I can’t really explain it other than with those words.
Today, however, the house is an empty shell. From outward appearances, it looks the same, yes, but the void she’s left in her wake can’t be relegated. She’s gone, I know it in my heart, and I can feel it deep in my bones. Still, I walk up to the porch, checking off to the side on the dog, who’s fine, and then knocking on the door.
Love on the Run Page 30
