Page 37

CHAPTER 37

Grayson

The house was empty, as it always was at this time of day.

While I relished in the isolation, usually, this time it was not what I needed.

What I needed was Henry and his perfect mouth, his presence, his understanding.

How had everything become so complicated, so fast?

I knew the answer, but I didn’t want to admit any of it. Or my part in it.

I wanted to blame Henry and his obvious baggage. I wanted to blame Henry and his push me, pull me, brat attitude. But I knew Henry wasn’t the only factor. I’d pushed, and pushed, but I hadn’t told Henry the truth.

I’d hid the truth from myself by covering it up with steamy kisses, and tangled limbs, and drunk sex.

The truth was I was absolutely in love with Henry.

And he wanted to be friends.

The emptiness of the house echoed with my sob. I couldn’t remember the last time I cried over a man, period.

But Henry wasn’s just some casual fling.

I meant every word I said in that car.

I wanted more.

I wanted to lay in bed with Henry reading gay ghost porn, and I wanted to roast a million s’mores with him, and I wanted to watch him get all flustered trying new things.

I wanted to play push me, pull me until we both were so worked up we’d have to fight for dominance.

I wanted to dance with him at my sister’s wedding, and kiss him under the stars until he couldn’t breathe. I’d never felt like this about anyone.

I’d never fallen in love like this.

My phone rang, pulling me from my meltdown.

“You home yet?” Giselle asked when I answered, and I sighed, wiping my nose with the back of my hand as I tried to stuff down my sobs.

“Yeah,” I said, my voice shaky.

“You okay, Gray? You sound upset.”

She didn’t know the half of it.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. You guys get home okay?” I asked, trying to change the subject to anything else so I didn’t fall into deeper despair.

“Yeah, we just got in. Aaron is meeting up with some friends tonight. I was actually going to call up Drew and see if he wanted to hang out now that we’re back, I was thinking M’s Place? You can join if you want...” she said, her voice full of excitement.

Just for once, I wished I had the positivity my sister had. That I could just enjoy myself like she did, flitting from event to event like a butterfly.

I sighed, “Yeah, okay. See you there.”