Page 25
twenty-two
MIRA
“Hey, Ed.” I give the security guard a friendly little wave as I stop in front of his desk. He called up to the apartment, letting me know the shop delivered my car.
Delivered. Griffin spent extra money just to have someone bring the hunk of rust back when I could have gone and gotten it. Now I’m going to owe him more money, even though I know he’ll try to get out of letting me pay him back. He keeps acting dodgy when I ask how much everything cost.
“Miss Mira, how are you today?” The older man smiles brightly at me with what I imagine is a fatherly expression. Not that I’d really know, because my sperm donor is an absent piece of shit.
“I’m good, Ed. How are you?”
“Oh, you know, trying to keep busy. It can be pretty quiet here.” He scans the lobby before leaning closer, one hand covering the side of his face like he’s worried someone will read his lips.
He gives me a conspiratorial look and whispers, “I’m reading a fairy romance book that my daughter keeps going on about.
Got all the boys into it. We have a book club planned for the end of the month. ”
With wide eyes, I try to suppress a giggle. “Fairy romance, huh? Sounds good to me.”
“You’re welcome to join our book club.” Ed winks.
Honestly? Joining a book club with a bunch of middle-aged security guards where they talk about romantasy sounds like a good time. “Email me the details. Maybe I could get Griffin to join with me.”
That makes Ed’s eyes light up. “Do you think he would?”
“He has a whole shelf full of romance books,” I say with my own conspiratorial tone. “I’d say there’s a pretty solid chance he’ll go for it.”
Ed’s eyes twinkle with excitement. “Thanks, Miss Mira. Here, I have your car keys for you.” He reaches under his desk and grabs my keys, making a clacking sound as he hands them over.
“Please, just Mira. None of this miss stuff, okay?” Grinning, I take the keys from Ed as he hems and haws about calling me only by my name. After we say our goodbyes, I head toward the parking garage and twirl my keys in my hand.
Except, they’re not my keys.
I was so distracted by my conversation with Ed that I didn’t notice. I frown when I see two brand-spanking-new fobs with flip keys on the ring instead of my beat-up and cracked single key.
Great. They left the wrong keys. So much for taking him grocery shopping before Griffin gets home.
Grumbling under my breath, I stalk out to my parking spot to check on Artax, even though I won’t be able to start him and stop dead in my tracks. “What. The actual. Fuck?”
Artax isn’t in my spot. My familiar, formerly trusty rust bucket is nowhere to be seen.
In its place is a gleaming yellow Camry with a sunroof and black rims. The damn thing is Rogues yellow.
And maybe I could tell myself that was a coincidence if there wasn’t a massive red bow on the roof and a small white vinyl decal with the number 16 on the driver’s side window.
Griffin’s number. The one on his jersey, which he keeps trying to get me to wear. My whole body goes hot and my chest tightens as I circle the car. It’s a strange mix of panic, excitement, and burgeoning rage. Then I see the license plate. It reads sunshne .
The crazy bastard didn’t fix my car. He bought me a brand-new one. One that he clearly had customized. One I could never afford.
I start to shake, and steam may very well be pouring from my ears because this is too much. It’s completely out of line. How could he do something like this without even asking me? All the money I’ve worked so hard to save—gone. And then some.
Fire scorches my veins as I pull my phone out of my pocket and tap on Griffin’s contact.
The thing goes straight to voicemail, but I try again anyway and let out a little screech.
They’re probably in the air or getting ready to land, because today’s the day they get home from their away series.
Figures I can’t even call and shout at him the way I want to. But that’s fine. I can be patient.
Leaning against the door of the pretty yellow car Griffin will most definitely be returning, I settle in and wait.
My accidental husband will get home soon. And when he does, I’m going to murder him.
GRIFFIN
I have two missed calls from Mira by the time we land at the airstrip and I can finally turn my phone back on. No messages, though. She’s probably so excited about her new car that she can’t even form complete sentences.
Sebastian notices my goofy grin and playfully elbows me. “What are you so happy about? Does it involve a certain dark-haired roommate?”
“Shh,” I hiss, looking around to make sure no one heard the idiot. When I’m certain no one is paying attention to us, I grin. “But maybe. My mechanic told me her car was a death trap. So I bought her a new one and had it delivered today.”
Bash goes utterly silent and still. He stands there, staring at me, not even blinking. Which is kinda freaky, if I’m being honest. When he finally does blink, the motion is slow and exaggerated. “I’m sorry. I could have sworn you just said that you bought Mira a car.”
His body shakes when I clap him hard on the shoulder. “Dude, you need to get your ears checked out or something?” I guess I could drive him to the doctor if he needs me to, but I really want to get home to my wife. I can’t wait to see her reaction to the car.
“Did she agree to letting you buy her a car?” Bash asks very slowly, speaking to me the way a parent addresses a toddler who’s just learning to speak.
I roll my eyes. “Nah, man. It was a surprise.”
More slow blinks. “A surprise.” Sebastian’s eyebrows rise all the way up his forehead until they’re fist-bumping his hairline. “You bought your roommate a brand-new car without her knowledge because you wanted to surprise her?”
Am I missing something? Why is Bash looking at me like I’ve lost my mind?
All I wanted to do was take care of my wife.
Not that he knows she’s my wife, but still.
“Yeah, man. She needed a new car but couldn’t afford it, and she wouldn’t let Madds buy her one.
So I took care of it.” Bash doesn’t need to know that I wouldn’t let Madds buy her one, anyway. That’s my job now.
“Griffin, what’s really going on with you two? Because buying a car for your roommate isn’t normal.”
I squirm as my friend’s dark brown eyes bore a hole in my head. The dude is trying to see into my soul and learn all my secrets, and as much as I want to be honest about my relationship with Mira, she’s not ready for that. So I shrug and try to play it off.
“She’s become my best friend. Can’t best friends look out for each other?
Especially if one has more money than he knows what to do with?
I worry she’s going to break down somewhere dangerous in the middle of the night with a dead phone and be stuck, you know?
Like, it’s actually kept me up at night a few times.
And I surprised her because you know how stubborn the Graves siblings are.
She never would have agreed to let me buy it.
Better to ask for forgiveness, and all that. ”
“Holy shit,” Bash says on an exhalation. “You’re in love with her.”
“What?” The word comes out in a high-pitched squeak that sounds more like the sound a ten-year-old girl would make than a guy in his thirties. “I’m n— No, I… Psh.” I wave my hand wildly. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Oh my god. You are. I knew there was something going on with you two.” Our goalie takes a step closer to me, so there’s only a couple of inches of space between us and looks me dead in the eyes. “Are you two dating?”
I snort. “No.”
We’re married.
Bash’s thick eyebrows pull together and his eyes go all squinty as he studies me. “Are you fucking?”
“What? Dude, no. I have never fucked Mira.” With my dick , I add in my head.
Because I’ve definitely fucked her with my fingers and my tongue.
And I’ve woken up to her grinding against my thigh once when she was having a sexy dream, but I’m not sure that counts.
Still, I know I must be doing a shit job of keeping a smirk off my face, because Bash groans.
“Wright, do you have a death wish? Because I truly believe he’d get over it if you two are serious about each other, but Madds will kill you if he finds out you’re messing around with his sister.
” There’s genuine concern written into every frown line on my friend’s face, so I drop the stupid act with a sigh.
“I’m not messing around with her,” I say seriously.
“Things between us are…complicated. I can’t really tell you more than that without breaking her trust, and that’s one thing I will never do.
But I’m fucking crazy about her, man. Like, totally gone for her.
I would never do anything to hurt Mira, and that includes messing up her relationship with Maddox. ”
It’s why, despite hating every second of keeping our marriage a secret, I’ve complied with her wishes.
I know she’s worried about how this will affect her relationship with her brother, and I know she’s worried about how it will affect my friendship with him.
The problem is, I’m unsure if she’s worried that he’ll be mad at her for marrying someone who’s not good enough for her, or if she’s worried he’ll be mad that she married his best friend.
My concern lies with the former. I’m not good enough for her, and I know it.
There’s no chance her brother won’t know it too.
The guy has been around for all my one-night stands, my flirtations, and what I now realize he sees as my general instability.
If he didn’t believe I was unstable, wouldn’t he have considered me as a possibility for his sister and not some asshole marketing bro he’s never even met?
Sebastian watches me. He takes in the frown lines between my eyebrows, the thin set of my lips, and even though he’s not actually a mind reader, some ridiculous part of me worries he’ll figure it out. “Then, are things serious with you two?”
“I…” There’s no point in trying to deny that something is going on between Mira and me. He already suspects. I just can’t tell him the extent of what’s going on. Scrubbing a hand through my hair, I nod slowly. “Yeah, man. They kind of are.”
I expect Bash to punch me in the arm or tell me I’m an idiot with a death wish again, but he doesn’t. He simply nods a few times as a smile twitches at the corners of his lips.
“Then you need to tell Maddox.”
Blowing out a breath, I try to tamp down the growing unease churning in my gut.
“It’s not my call, man, it’s hers. I promised her I’d let her take the lead about when we tell people we’re—” I cut myself off with a shake of my head.
Almost let it slip. “When we tell people about us. If it was up to me, everyone would already know.”
Sebastian settles a hand on my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “All right, man. Just be careful, okay? I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
The words surprise me, and I jolt back. “You’re not going to threaten me and tell me not to hurt Mira or screw things up with Madds?”
My friend offers me a patient smile. “Wright, you’d never hurt her if you could help it.
And Madds has been your best friend since college.
Whatever this is, you’ll work things out with him if you have to.
But I know you. You don’t do things by halves.
And if things with Mira are serious, then I’m sure your heart is already on the line.
Just… Just make sure she’s as invested as you are, okay?
Because you deserve to have someone who’s all in for you. ”
My chest feels tight, and there’s a lump in my throat I can’t seem to dislodge, even after clearing it a few times. “Thanks, bro. I really appreciate that.”
Sebastian grins. “Of course. Now, let’s get you home so Mira can kick your ass for buying her a new car.”
She won’t kick my ass. She’ll be thrilled.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
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- Page 5
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- Page 9
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- Page 24
- Page 25 (Reading here)
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