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Chapter Ten

GREYSON

I fucked up. Again.

My stomach has been a wreck with nerves and guilt since the moment Stella stormed off. I hadn’t planned on kissing her when I pulled her aside. My only intention when I followed her had been to start getting some answers, and even that wasn’t planned.

When I saw what bid had caught her attention, it felt like the time I fell through the ice as a teenager during my family’s yearly Christmas vacation. Just seeing the location of the weekend getaway was an immediate reminder of the worst weeks of my life, but when I looked at Stella, it was obvious that she had no reaction at all. If anything, it seemed like she was considering putting in her own bid for it. By the time she noticed that I was standing beside her, it took everything in me to form the few words I had.

And then she bolted.

I didn’t even know what I was feeling, and forming coherent thoughts was nearly impossible, yet my feet moved after her before I even decided.

At most, I assumed we would start to talk about the accident or why she left. Kissing her was not even something I planned to do at all while we were technically working together.

Then she was standing in front of me and the heady scent of her perfume was short-circuiting my brain even more. What little restraint I had left was focused on not staring at the way the neckline of her dress framed her perfectly rounded breasts, or the way that damn cut in her dress kept teasing her luscious thighs every time she shifted.

When she tripped and was suddenly in my arms… fuck.

“You good?” Dominik asks, pulling me from my spiral.

We’re heading to the fishing tournament, having split up from Landon and Dean so they could go pick up Landon’s sister, Arianna. Dominik’s fiancée had decided last night on the way home that she would pick up Stella, claiming she needed a coffee run buddy and would meet us there.

Lilly put the new plan into motion by texting Stella before I could agree.

It’s probably a good thing Lilly changed the plans for this morning because I still have no idea what to say to her. That didn’t stop me from repeatedly picking up my phone and opening the email chain. I typed out the words ‘I’m sorry’ at least a hundred times but deleted them each time.

Sending an email apology felt wrong, and I didn’t have her number to text or call her.

The reminder of just how far apart I am from her life hits like a lead ball to the gut.

“Yeah,” I grunt, scrubbing a hand down my face as if that will wipe away the colossal mess I made last night.

“’Cause that was totally convincing,” Dom snorts, but I know he’s not pushing me for more. He never does. While Dean and Landon like to pry for any reaction from me, Dominik has always just met me where I am. He doesn’t push me to join in on conversations or jokes, but he also manages to make sure I’m included in some way.

Maybe that’s why instead of letting the silence grow like I normally would, I open up to someone who’s not a licensed therapist for the first time in years.

“I messed up with Stella last night,” I say, watching Dominik from the corner of my eye.

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but other than that, he keeps his attention on the road as he drives us to the pier where the tournament is held.

“Messed up as in you hurt her or as in you said something stupid?”

“I didn’t hurt her,” I snap before forcing myself to take a deep breath. “I mean, not physically. And not even intentionally. I just…”

Dammit, I should have just kept my mouth closed. I don’t do talking about emotions or any of this shit. Why did I think?—

“Did you kiss her?”

My head snaps in his direction. “How did you…”

He shrugs, tapping the blinker as he approaches the intersection to turn into the parking lot at the docks.

“Well, you’re not the kind of guy who hits people, unless truly provoked, so I could rule out that kind of mess. You’re also not someone who says things without thinking them through, so it was the only other thing that made sense to get your boxers in a twist.”

“They’re not in a twist,” I grumble, straightening in my seat as he eases into the lot and searches for a parking spot. We sit in silence until he has the car parked and he turns to me.

“Did she say no or stop and you ignored her?”

I shake my head, disgusted at even the thought of doing something like that.

“Did she kiss you back?” he asks and I hesitate before nodding slowly.

“Yeah, but she pointed out that…” I pause. No one knows that this is all part of her job, but since Dominik is the one who gave me Garrett’s business card and put all this in motion… “She works for Garrett.”

Understanding dawns on Dom’s face so quickly it’s almost comical. Before he can say anything else, though, I continue.

“But we knew each other before this. Years ago.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair and cursing when my fingers get caught in a knot. The urge to chop it all off always hits a month or two into the season, but cutting it now feels like bad luck.

“So there’s history, but she’s working for you.”

My teeth grind together, but I nod in acknowledgment.

“Damn…and I thought my relationship was complicated when it started.” Dominik laughs. He fucking laughs . When he catches my scowl directed at him, he throws his hands up in a ‘I surrender’ motion and attempts to wipe the grin off his face.

“In all seriousness, man, these things happen. Did you apologize?”

“She left before I could say anything.”

“Well, apologize today. Get through whatever deal you guys made and if you still want to kiss her when it’s done, ask her on a real date.”

“It’s not that simple…” I stop myself from explaining how much it hurt to wake up and find out she was gone five years ago. The last thing either of us needs is for me to trauma dump on him while in the passenger seat of his truck.

“It never is. Second chances are hard to come by these days. It’s not easy to put yourself out there and be vulnerable.” Dom pauses and nudges me with his elbow. “Especially for someone as reserved as you are. But you can either take all the right steps to fix things, or you can continue as you are. Anyone who tells you that relationships are easy is bullshitting themselves. Caring about someone and wanting to be with them can be easy, but going through life rarely is. So you either want her enough to work through whatever happened and build a foundation to face what challenge is next, or you decide it’s not worth it.”

“Stella’s worth it,” I say without hesitation and Dominik grins, motioning over my shoulder.

I glance behind me and find that Lilly has pulled up beside me and is waving enthusiastically from the driver’s seat before turning her back to us to gather her things. My eyes immediately find Stella in the passenger seat. She isn’t looking at me, too focused on helping Lilly balance the trays of coffee orders, but I can’t take my focus off her.

“Then make sure she knows that,” he says, tossing an extra Bobcats baseball hat in my lap before reaching for his door handle.

“Oh, and, Grey,” he says and I finally peel my attention away from Stella to look back at Dom. “Thank you.”

I can feel my eyebrows draw together in confusion. “For what?”

Dominik shrugs. “Talking to me.”

He doesn’t linger, and he doesn’t let me stew on his words before coming around to my side of the car and knocking on my window. Maybe it’s for the best that he doesn’t leave me to my thoughts, considering this entire month has felt like I’m on one of those teacup rides. Everything is spiraling out of the tight control I spent years getting a hold of.

Straightening the baseball cap onto my head, I beeline to where Dominik is standing with Lilly and Stella. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until Stella turns around with a blinding smile and the air in my lungs wheezes out.

Even with faux enthusiasm directed at me, she’s still stunning.

“This one’s for you,” she says, offering me a to-go cup of hot coffee.

“Thank you,” I mumble, but she’s already fallen back into conversation with Lilly as we head toward where everyone else is gathering.

Coach James starts talking to the crowd, directing players to their assigned boating captain and giving the name of the kid we’ll be fishing with first. My attention keeps drifting back to Stella. If anyone else saw her, they would never know that something was wrong. She fits right in, laughing with the other partners and families as if this is where she belongs.

When she first agreed to this event, I had worried she would not fit in or that I’d have to check in on her throughout the day. Now it’s here and she jumps into volunteer work without being asked. It’s clear just how much she doesn’t need me.

By the time I’ve finished my first fishing trip with a kid who just turned eight and is in remission for the first time in four years, the need to check on Stella is overwhelming. But just like he did the entire time we were on the water, the kid chatters away about everything that pops into his mind, and I’m certainly not going to walk away from a kid. The father must notice me fidgeting, though, because he’s the one to take pity on me and points out a face painting booth to the kid. I think I offer a thanks with an excuse of needing the bathroom, but I don’t know if they believe it.

I find Stella at the cornhole setup, surrounded by giggling kids who all fight for her attention. The genuine smile on her face, so strikingly different from the one she paints on around me, makes me pause. She might be here because of work, but seeing her so carefree and enjoying herself…I can’t bring myself to interrupt that.

So I duck into one of the bathrooms, splash my face with cold water, and head back out for the next boat ride out.

By the time the fishing begins to die down, the smell of burgers and fries permeating the air over the smell of the ocean, it’s obvious that Stella is avoiding me. Not that I blame her one bit. Every time I had a break between rounds, she would appear long enough to offer me water or a granola bar and disappear just as quickly.

While I wrap up taking pictures with my last fishing buddy of the day, I start searching for where she’s hiding now. There is a rise in commotion as all the kids start getting distracted by their parents bringing them food or bribing them with dessert if they agree to start heading out. Volunteers begin breaking down some of the tables and booths that aren’t getting any attention, but none of that stops me from finding her.

She stands off to the side, gathering crayons from the table beside her as Dean chats with Arianna and Lilly cozies up with Dominik.

Dom’s words earlier this morning bounce through my mind as I watch her from a distance.

Then make sure she knows that.

He’s right. If there’s going to be even a remote possibility that Stella gives me another chance, I need to start by apologizing. For last night and whatever else I did to make her leave.

Which means I need to get her to talk to me now.

The boat driver I’d been paired with all day catches my eye and an idea forms. I move through the crowd and back down the docks where he’s checking the knot he just tied. Hearing me approach, he turns to me with a smile.

“Good job out there. You really know how to handle yourself on a boat.”

“My parents have one, made me drive most times,” I offer, fighting the urge to just lay out my demands. I need this to go my way, so placating him with small talk is the least I can do. “What are the chances you’d let me borrow your boat for ten minutes?”

I resist the urge to cringe. So much for small talk.

To my surprise, the guy doesn’t laugh in my face. Instead, he drops the rope and turns to appraise me. After a moment of me awkwardly standing still while he just stares at me, he finally shrugs.

“Technically, since it’s a company boat, it would be a liability,” he says slowly while glancing around the docks. “However, I was just about to get a burger before they’re gone, so if the boat were to go anywhere for ten minutes and I somehow managed to get a signed jersey for my kid…”

“Deal,” I say immediately. Before he can change his mind, I run back to the merch table and grab two jerseys and sign them both. I meet him at the top of the dock and hand over both.

“Well, kid’s gonna be happy. Keys are in the ignition. You’ve got ten minutes.”

Rushing, I head to where Stella’s still awkwardly hovering by our friends. The second she sees me, she straightens and my molars grind together at her immediate defensiveness.

Clearing my throat, I pause a respectable distance away and motion with my thumb toward the docks.

“Can I borrow you for something real quick?” I ask.

She glances toward Lilly and Ari, the desperation for any excuse clear as day, but they’re not paying attention. After a second, she nods and follows me.

I lead the way, constantly glancing to make sure she’s still beside me. Stella doesn’t say anything until we’re approaching the docks.

“What are we doing?”

“Lucy, our social media manager, needs pictures of every player and whoever they came with for social media,” I say as we step onto the dock toward the boat. It’s not a total lie. Lucy did mention she needed to get a picture of me before I leave.

I stop beside our ride and hold out a hand to help her on.

“On the boat?” Stella says, finally looking around and noticing the lack of people around.

I shrug and hold my breath as she slips past me, ignoring my outstretched hand and stepping onto the boat. My heart pounds as I quickly undo the rope that’s anchoring us to the dock and push off before jumping onto the boat.

“What the hell are you doing?” Stella shouts from the front of the boat, but I ignore her and slip behind the wheel.

“Might want to sit down,” I say before turning the key and immediately ease the boat out.

She listens while continuing to yell her protest, telling me to turn around and go back, but I tune her out. After another minute or two, I finally bring the boat to a stop.

Stella sits with her arms crossed at the bow of the boat, scowling something vicious at me, and I try not to smile at how adorable she looks.

“We need to talk about last night,” I say once we’re far enough away. Flicking the boat engine off, I stand carefully, not wanting to rock the boat too much.

Stella’s glare turns flustered at my words. “And you thought kidnapping me on a boat was the right way to do that?”

Even though she’s clearly frustrated, it doesn’t change how beautiful she is. Her golden skin is slightly flushed from spending the day in the sun. The shorts she’s wearing cling to her, begging me to look at the delicious curve of her ass and thighs. I snap my gaze back up to her pretty face before she can call me out for drooling over her.

That and these swim trunks will not hide a hard-on.

I shrug and tuck my hands into my pockets. “You’ve been avoiding me all day, so yeah.”

“I said all I needed to say.” She shakes her head, dropping her hands to her hips. “I understand you kissed me to sell whatever story you’re trying to paint by being in a contract with me. But getting physical was not a part of the deal, so don’t do it again.”

I step closer, mindful that I don’t rock the boat or get too close to her. The last thing I need right now is to get distracted by her proximity.

“Let me make one thing clear. I kissed you last night because kissing you is and has always been second nature. That kiss was not meant to be seen. It wasn’t for anyone but me and you.”

Stella’s jaw drops open, and her head shakes back and forth as if she’s trying to deny what I’m saying, but I push on.

“While I’m not sorry it happened, I am sorry that I kissed you without asking first. Next time?—”

“What part of ‘that’s not in the contract’ do you not understand?” she interrupts. Anger like I’ve never seen radiates off her. “That kiss should have never happened. There’s too much history and pain to even think about letting you get that close again. This is work, Greyson. There cannot and will not be a next time. You can ask all you want, but you lost the right to kiss me five years ago.”

“Wait, what? I lost the right?”

“Yes! You did.” Stella scoffs and scowls at me, a look that I’ve seen her give others when she’s about to tell them off. However, nothing comes out. Instead, she pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. “No, we’re not doing this. I am working. Maybe once the contract is done, we can find a time and a place to rehash all that shit, but not here. My job here is to make you look redeemable, so unless you want those photographers to catch a shot of me shoving you into the ocean and leaving you to swim back, you’ll take me back. With a goddamn smile on your face because I can’t be the only one putting in the effort for your image.”

She takes a slow step forward, eliminating the distance between us with an alarming smile that makes my throat go dry. Stella raises a single eyebrow in a silent challenge before glancing over her shoulder.

Following her line of sight, sure enough, there are already two photographers at the docks with their cameras aimed right at us.

Shaking my head, I sigh in defeat before dropping into the seat behind the wheel and turning the engine back on. From the corner of my eye, I see Stella smiling enthusiastically.

Her words of finding time once the contract is up to talk bounce around my mind as I ease us back toward the docks.

There are still three events left to go over the next month and a half. Three chances to show her I can follow her lead. Three opportunities to convince her to give me that conversation.

Except, it’s more than that now. I don’t want just a conversation or closure anymore. Last night proved that for me. Yes, I’ll use any opening I can to get her to tell me where it all went wrong. To fix whatever was broken all those years ago. But the way I see it now, I have three more events to tempt the person who I used to know like the back of my hand to give me a second chance.

I risk a peek in her direction. She’s grown into a breathtaking woman, just like I always knew she would. There’s no doubt that beneath these new layers, the girl I once knew is still in there. Maybe it’s wishful thinking or me being an absolute fool, but I believe the love and trust we once had didn’t just disappear when that car crashed into us.

A warmth takes hold in my chest, so foreign and unlike everything I’ve been used to feeling for the past five years that it takes longer than it should to place the feeling growing inside me.

It isn’t until we’re slowly inching toward the waiting man to help me dock that it clicks, and a small but genuine smile forms on my lips.

Because for the first time in years, I’m hopeful.