Page 25 of Not that Impressed (Houston Pumas #3)

ELLIE

My mind has been whirling for the last day with ideas for how to combat anything Grayson says about Anna if something goes public.

I want to be able to control this story, get out in front of it right off and tear Grayson down before anyone even considers believing his story. But I won’t go against Anna’s wishes.

I’m so focused on it while I’m at my parents’ house filming with Libby as she gets ready for a date, that Victoria has to prod me a dozen times to get more involved in the conversation and participate.

Once Libby is off on her date, I hurry downstairs.

I’m going out with Isla and some friends tonight for dinner.

Normally I love hanging out with her, but judging by her Instagram posts lately, her new boyfriend Colin is probably going to be there.

I should’ve only agreed if it was a girls’ night for the two of us, but I’d already agreed to going out with her when she told me a few of our friends would also be coming.

Does she seriously think I consider Colin Hurst one of my friends?

She must be blinded by love. Or something anyway. I can’t picture Colin loving anyone but himself, and I thought Isla was smarter than this .

My hand is on the door to leave my parents’ when Dad comes through the short hallway and into the entryway. “Leaving without saying goodbye?” he teases.

“Sorry, Dad,” I say sheepishly and move away from the door to meet him. “I’m going out to dinner with Isla.”

“Can you spare one minute for a hug?” he asks, smiling and holding out his arms.

“Definitely.” I step into his embrace and hug him tightly. “Actually I can spare a minute for one more thing, if you have time,” I say when we pull away.

“What’s up?” he asks.

“Libby has been texting or spending time or something with Grayson Hollis,” I tell him.

His face darkens the moment I mention Grayson’s name.

“They met at the football game a couple weeks ago, and I think she hung out with him in Isla’s suite last week too.

He’s been telling her lies about Will Pemberton, probably hoping she’ll talk about it on the show. ”

Dad huffs in frustration. “That’s the least of our worries with Grayson Hollis,” he snaps.

“I know. I’ve warned her to stay away a few times, but I don’t know if she’s listening to me. I thought you and Mom should know.” I reach out and squeeze his arm. “I warned Victoria that letting her gossip about this on the show wouldn’t fly with you.”

Dad nods. “She talked to me, and I told her it was in violation of the contract if she airs any gossip about the team that could be harmful. I assumed it was just about you refusing to talk about Will.” He arches an eyebrow at me.

My cheeks heat. Did he see me and Will at the fundraiser party? “Hmm,” is all I say, and Dad shakes his head.

“I’ll talk to Libby. Lay down the law and all that.” He leans in for one more hug. “Have fun at dinner.”

Isla frowns when I arrive at our private room at Isla’s favorite restaurant, Citrine, alone. “Hi,” she says, hugging me loosely.

“Sorry.” I squeeze her shoulders apologetically. I know she was hoping for more exposure for her new makeup line, exposure I’m always happy to give. “Libby’s on a date. Victoria will always choose that over me.” I laugh.

“It’s fine.” Isla gives me a more genuine smile.

“I don’t mean to make it sound like I don’t want to hang out with you with no cameras.

I do.” She waves her hand and then loops an arm through mine and turns me toward the other people here, gathered in a loose group in the room, chatting before we sit down to dinner.

I catch sight of Grayson and tense. I should’ve told Isla days ago to stay away from Grayson, but I’ve been so busy. It’s not her fault she invited him. Will is right; Grayson is charming. It’s not surprising that he’s convinced Isla to like him.

It’s fine. I’ll get through this dinner and make sure Isla knows I never want to see him again. I’ll also keep my cool and not make a scene, even though Grayson deserves it. As angry as he makes me, Anna doesn’t deserve me drawing attention to the situation.

Colin shifts away from the group, turning toward Isla and me as we move further into the room, beaming at me.

Heaven help me.

Despite the fact that he and Isla have a big collaboration in the works, he won’t stop messaging me about one. My assistant has come up with a rotating list of ways she tells him no. I’m on the verge of blocking him.

“Ellie!” Colin hurries toward us. He doesn’t try to hug me. At least he’s learned that lesson. Isla nudges me though, so I hold out a hand to shake his in greeting. She huffs beside me.

Colin grins and takes my hand. Then he kisses it. I snatch if away and cast my friend a look. She ignores it and I bite back a huff of my own. What does she see in this man ?

She moves away from me and takes Colin’s hand. With a smug look in my direction—ew—he leans over and kisses Isla.

“You’re the last one here.” Isla turns back toward me. “Let’s sit down and order.” She reaches for my hand again, taking it and pulling me and Colin to the table. She points me to a seat next to her. Colin takes one on her other side, and Grayson sits on the other side of me.

He gives me a wide smile that’s probably meant to be charming. Before finding out about Anna, I might have fallen for it—I did fall for it when he first sold his lies to me, and a wave of ick sloshes in my stomach at the thought.

“Long time no see,” he says, leaning toward me.

Surely Libby has passed along what she witnessed of my dance with Will at the Pumas X-Factor Foundation fundraiser.

Has Grayson guessed yet that I’ve been told the real story?

His expression doesn’t show it, but I don’t trust anything about him at this point.

I return his smile with a cool one that holds no invitations. “You were missed at the fundraiser last Monday.”

Grayson’s smile shifts, showing uncertainty. He holds my gaze as he replies. “I didn’t want to make my teammates uncomfortable, trying to choose between me and Pemberton?—”

“Former,” I correct him, before he can repeat the nonsense he told Libby about how everyone is forced to choose Will.

One thing I learned from Jett is that Will’s teammates love him.

When I combine that with Charlie being his best friend for almost ten years, it’s easier to accept that Will is more than the grumpy jerk I tried to make him into.

Grayson raises his eyebrows in question.

“Former teammates.” I keep my expression sweet and innocent.

He clears his throat. “Right. Old habits.”

I’ve handled plenty of fake people in my life. I could run circles around Grayson and make him think I was flirting with him. He’s the worst kind of faker—presenting a victim front while being the predator. For Anna’s sake, and maybe a little for Will, I want to take this snake down.

I laugh lightly. “After almost a year?”

He chuckles, but the tightness exposes the nerves riddled through it. He taps his fingers against the arm of his chair. “It’s a brotherhood,” he excuses.

“Mmm,” is my only response before one of the waiters steps up next to me to take my order. I haven’t looked at the menu, but I’ve been here plenty of times. “The beet and goat cheese salad. Dressing on the side.”

I turn to Isla while Grayson is ordering and pin her with a stare. “What?” she asks.

I tilt my head toward Grayson. “No more matchmaking,” I say in a low, serious tone and with a stern expression. “Not with him.”

She widens her eyes.

“Distance yourself. Trust me,” I warn her.

“Seriously?” She glances at Grayson, who’s talking to the woman on his other side, a friend of Isla’s who runs her marketing for Glow True.

I nod. She presses her lips into a line and studies him, then returns my nod. I look across to her other side. Colin is talking with a guy at the end of the table.

“You and Colin?” The skepticism is obvious in my voice.

Isla rolls her eyes at me. “Oh, come on, El. He’s fun.”

I snort. That’s the last thing I’d call Colin.

“Don’t be a snob,” she chides me. “I like him. Leave it alone.”

Me? A snob? I scowl, but … I also can’t deny it. I was kind of a snob to Will too. Maybe I should get to know Colin and see if it’s easier to like him once you know him better. He is dating one of my good friends. “Fine,” I say to Isla.

Then Colin catches me looking at him and gives me a wide, slimy smile.

Ugh. No.

Libby

You are seriously so embarrassing.

And the worst.

I can’t believe you.

You’re ruining everything.

I stare at Libby, sitting at the head of our dining table, where we always hold family meetings, no matter what they’re about.

It’s too early for dinner, so Mom set out a charcuterie board that no one’s touched.

There’re no cameras this evening, the reason my parents chose to confront Libby and ask her about what’s going on with her and Grayson.

Dad asked me to be here so I could add what I knew about Grayson to the discussion.

At this point, Janelle might as well pull out a bowl of popcorn for the show.

“I’m sitting right here,” I say to Libby.

“Leave me alone,” she snaps.

Mom draws in a deep, calming breath from her seat across from me, next to Janelle. “We’re all just concerned for your safety. Ellie cares about you. Grayson Hollis isn’t the person you think he is.”

Libby snorts. I open my mouth, but Mom squeezes my leg. The look she gives me is clear: Let me be the parent. Janelle and I heard that line a lot growing up. Libby was so much younger than us, we bossed her around all the time.

“I’m not stupid. You guys are overreacting. Of course you all believe Will.” She scoots her chair back to leave.