Page 106 of Capturing Love

Perhaps I was wrong to give up on Pete. Perhaps my feelings would have grown for him, had I just let him past the walls I’d built. The walls Grayson tore down.

Pete was warm, friendly, smart, handsome, and way closer to my league than Grayson would ever be. I peered up at him through a wine fuelled glaze and caught his kind eyes.

“Josie?” Lines appeared on his forehead as he examined my face. “Are you okay?”

I let out an awkward laugh. “Just peachy,” I said, but my lower lip trembled.

Ignoring his company, he slipped into the booth. “What’s wrong?” he asked, bringing his arm around me.

“It doesn’t matter. Not anymore,” I murmured, but the falling tears outed me as a liar. As he rubbed my back, I hid my face in the crook of his neck attempting to settle my sobs with long, deep breaths.

“Wanna talk about it?” he asked, his voice full of concern. “I know we’re not going out anymore, but we’re still friends, right?”

I nodded and smiled sadly. “You’re a good guy, Pete. I’m sorry I was such a bitch to you when we were going out.”

“You weren’t a bitch,” he said with a soft chuckle. “You wouldn’t even know how to be. You’re perfect, Jos, you just don’t give yourself enough credit. Why do you think I keep trying my luck with you?”

I stared into his eyes—so different to Grayson’s—and wondered if I could be happy with him. As the countdown rolled onto midnight, his gaze lowered to my lips. My heart beat accelerated when he leant forward, pressing his lips to mine as cheers erupted around us. I wanted to feel something, anything, but there was nothing.

Jerking away, I glanced up at Pete. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this.”

“Josie, I don’t care about the rules anymore, I’m…”

His voice faded into the background when my gaze collided with familiar green eyes across the room. Grayson looked away, turned and exited the bar before anyone noticed his arrival.

“I have to go,” I uttered, pushing past Pete and rushing out the door into the freezing night air. Spotting his receding trench coat, I marched up behind him. “What are you doing here, Grayson?”

He stopped dead and turned around slowly. His face wore no emotion. “I was hoping to ring in the New Year with my—”

“Your what? Your side piece?!” My voice rose with my anger.

His shook his head. “What?”

“Your mistress? Or is there some other word your kind uses to describe someone like me?”

Grayson’s mouth opened, but only fog escaped. “Josie, I’m not sure what you’ve heard, but—”

“Heard?!” I gasped. “I’ve heard nothing from you! But Melanie’s photos sure helped fill in the gaps.”

His eyes tapered. “What photos?” As if answering his own question, his face fell. Grayson quickly pulled his cell from his pocket and searched his phone. Scrolling through the images that would haunt me forever, he ran his hand down his stubbled face and growled. “She wasn’t supposed to post this until after I’d spoken to you.”

My eyes burned. “How could you?”

His shoulders slumped. “Fuck, Jos, this isn’t what it looks like,” he said, taking a step towards me.

“It isn’t?” My eyebrows shot up. “Because it looks like she’s wearing an engagement ring.”

Grayson ran his hands through his hair. “Just let me explain,” he pleaded, moving closer.

“You should’ve been honest with me from the beginning. If I’d known how much she still meant to you, how much you’d been through together, I never would’ve got myself into this mess.” I wiped a tear from my cheek before it froze to my face, and turned to leave.

“Josie, wait!” He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

I shook my head, trying to hold myself together. “I’m not going to be the other woman when you marry her, Gray.”

His voice softened as his other hand reached for my face. “I’m not marrying her.”

“Your ring is on her finger!” I growled, shoving him away.