Page 61 of Piggy

I won’t survive it.

Muffled talking, silence, more talking, movement.

It’s all guessing at this point.

Silence.

My breath catches.

Moaning.

Thereit is.

I hang my head, my arms limp at my sides as I back away from the door. I step down the hall, dragging my feet, breath gone, world shattered.

I lied to myself. I loved the wrong guy and—

“Charlotte.”

I freeze.

Spin around.

Grayson stands at the end of the hallway. Clothed. Hands in his pockets.

“You’re obnoxious. Loud. Goddamn annoying,” he says, his voice flat, face unreadable.

But mine isn’t.

My eyes widen. Then my lips split into a smile so wide it hurts. My whole body ignites with joy and—

I dance.

I spin in a circle and throw my hands up.

“La la la la la! You couldn’t sleep with her! Because you lovvvve me!”

I twirl again, arms flung out, dizzy with relief.

He just stares.

Stone-faced.

But I swear... I swear I see it.

That one sharp breath he takes, like he’s trying not to smile. Maybe I cracked something open inside him.

“This isn’t a joke,” Grayson says, stepping closer. His voice drops lower. “Nobody gets me hard anymore. Nobody crieslike you, shakes like you. Turns me on like you.” He looks away. “I’m fuckin’ obsessed with you.”

I stiffen. “But I’m here. Why are you so disappointed?”

“I owe a lot of money,” he replies, his eyes dark. “I needed to cam because if I don’t pay up—”

“It’s okay,” I say, breathless. “We’ll figure it out — together.”

For a second, I think he might soften.

He doesn’t.