Page 37 of Safe (King’s Heart #1)

Landon

I played the best fucking game of my life. I’d like to think that Grant’s cum gave me superpowers, but he seems to disagree.

The scout came to the locker room after and spoke with me. Nothing was made official, but he said I showed real promise and was a top contender to receive an offer from them.

I was on cloud fucking nine. And that isn’t even the only scout that will be watching us in the next few weeks. If I keep playing like this, I will definitely secure something. My family will eventually be able to get out of that trailer, and my mom can find work that will keep her home at night.

I immediately called Simmons to tell him. He was ecstatic, yelling the good news to Danny and Gwen who cheered in the background.

Grant was happy too. He smiled.

I know it sounds so small. But Grant is a grumpy, angry bastard. A smile means a lot coming from him.

We celebrated by having a marathon session of blowing each other most of the weekend. In between making out and talking , which was new. And I didn’t mind it. At all.

He told me about his favorite foods. Movies. When he started playing football.

We’ve even started this habit of falling asleep together, nestled snugly against each other. Neither of us have mentioned it. I know I don’t want to bring it up. Too afraid that if I do, he’ll get spooked and it will stop.

I don’t want to go back to sleeping without him.

“What fresh hell is this?” Declan asks in his annoyed voice.

I look up from our lunch table to see Grant standing there with his tray of food, scowling in Declan’s direction.

Grant has still been walking me to class, but he’s let me go at lunch. Me sitting with Declan and him sitting with the rest of the team.

Everyone on the team has warmed up to me now. I wouldn’t call us all best friends, but they definitely don’t actively try to harass me. So I suppose I could go sit with them. But I like Declan too much, and he’d never go there with me.

“Be nice,” I mutter to Declan, then turn my attention to Grant. “You too.”

Grant drops the scowl, but keeps a blank face as he looks at me.

“He can sit with us, right, Dec?” I ask cheerfully.

Declan narrows his eyes at Grant but doesn’t say no, so Grant pulls out the chair next to mine and sits down with a loud thump. “I’m just looking out for Landon, and I can’t do that from over there,” he says, gesturing at his former table.

Declan leans closer to him. “Landon is fine. I was the one looking out for him when you were too busy being a Grade A douche to him.”

Grant flinches the tiniest bit, then looks right at Declan. “Thank you.”

It’s so simple. Two words.

And yet Declan and I both stare at him slack-jawed.

Declan is the first to recover. Kind of. “Well… ya know… you—I mean… y-you’re welcome?”

It comes out like a question, and I can’t help the chuckle that bursts from my mouth in response. I’m as bewildered as he is, but I’d like to think all this time together is changing something in Grant. Or more likely, uncovering something that was lost before.

“Just don’t fuck up again,” Declan mutters.

Grant only nods, reaching over and possessively squeezing my thigh.

A smile stretches across my face, which makes Declan roll his eyes. “Ugh, don’t make me sick. Anyway, tell me how the game went.”

Declan and I descend into conversation. Grant doesn’t join in at all, quietly eating next to me and never removing his hand from my thigh.