Page 35

“Shit, man, it’s gonna be okay.” Trey sits next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me into him while I cry it out.

“Let’s get you sobered up and then we’re gonna get shit figured out.

This isn’t how your story ends, bro.” My best friend holds me while I lean onto his shoulder, sobbing and wishing like hell I could get through this.

I’m lucky to have him in my life—at least I’ve got this.

After Trey forces some coffee down my throat, he helps my still half-drunk ass to the shower and pushes me in with the cold water streaming down on me. I collapse on the stone bench and let the water beat down on me for a while before Trey comes back to check on me.

“You still breathing?”

“Yep.”

“Good. Making sure you didn’t drown while I was cleaning up the pigsty out there. Wash, or I’ll do it for you.”

“Fuck off,” I grumble with a half-smile even though he can’t see me through the frosted door. But I don’t dare test his patience more than I already have, so I stand and reach for my soap.

“Thatta boy. I’ll be back, and I expect you to smell more human and less wet dog.”

I flip him off, but I get to work on scrubbing the last three days off of me. Pretty sure the alcohol is leaching from my pores at this point, and I know he’s right, this isn’t a good look, nor is it me. This isn’t how I handle stress.

After I’ve finished up business in the shower, I’ve sobered up enough to walk on my own and think a little more clearly, but I’m exhausted. I dry off quickly, pulling on a pair of joggers and a T-shirt, and pad through the house to find Trey in my living room with my laptop open.

“Thanks.”

“Never have to thank me. You’d do the same for me, brother.”

In a heartbeat.

I sit down next to him and pull the fleece throw blanket over my lap.

“Aww, look at the little baby!” Trey coos, giving me shit for feeling like ass and being vulnerable.

“You can leave now.”

“Nope. You’re stuck with me until we figure this shit out.”

“What are you looking at?”

“The article you started on the distillery. It’s damn good.”

“I’ve been researching them for a few months, and from what little I managed to pull from Carter—they’re a damn good family. I don’t get my dad’s problem. Have you heard anything?”

“Well, I did a little digging because I thought this entire thing was fucked from the beginning. Turns out your dad and Carter’s parents went to college together at UDub.”

My eyes must bug out of my head because Trey laughs nervously. “Yeah, that was my reaction, too.”

“So we knew there was history, and it probably started there. Find anything else?”

“Not yet, but I’m still digging. Carter give you any details about his parents? ”

“Not really, no. They seem like a fairytale couple, though, super in love and great parents.”

“Well, I’m not giving up.”

“I think I need to pay my dad another visit. Did he return to the underworld?”

“I wish. But he is back at the Seattle office. You gonna take a trip?”

“Yeah, maybe if I press again, he’ll give me a little more. I need to understand what the hell is going on here.”

“You ready to tell me what happened in Emberleigh?”

“I’m in love with him.”

“Well, no shit. But does he feel the same?”

I think about every interaction I’ve had with Carter over the last month, how neither of us could fight the pull to each other, his smile when he laid next to me and we shared air, the comfort we found in each other’s presence, how easily our bodies came together.

“Yeah, he does; he just hasn’t accepted it yet.”

“Has he been with men before or you his first?”

“Definitely his first,” I reply with a smirk.

“You worried about that?”

“I’m more worried about him never admitting to being in love with me than being enough for him.”

“Want me to smack him? Sometimes a good throat punch is all someone needs to remove their head from their ass.”

“Nah, I’ll do it if he needs. He’s a stubborn asshole, but I’m not ready to give up on him. I thought I loved Nick and I was so fucking wrong. What I feel for Carter was instant, life-changing.”

“Love at first sight shit?”

“A hundred percent.”

“It’s gonna work out, brother. I got your back, and we’ll get through it. ”

We have to. There’s no other option.

The next day, I make the three-hour drive into Seattle to the Northwest Explorer’s main offices, ready to talk to my dad again and see if we could have a civilized conversation.

I didn’t give him a heads-up that I was coming, and hopefully, if I act like I’m going to be compliant, he’ll be open to being a little more transparent with me.

After parking my car in the parking garage, I pull out my phone to send Carter a text.

I’ve been messaging him once a day for the last few days.

I don’t want to be pushy, but I want him to know that what we had was real, and hopefully he’ll be open to talking to me and giving me a chance to explain.

As much as I was heartbroken that he wouldn’t give me a chance to do that at the moment, I have to put myself in his shoes as well and attempt to be understanding of how he reacted.

The situation we found ourselves in wasn’t exactly conducive to transparency from either of us.

Based on our brief history, he’s been programmed not to trust anything I say.

But I have to fix that. We’ve been speaking with our bodies for long enough, and I hope that with time, he’ll let me use my words.

Me: I hope you’re ok. I can’t stop thinking about you.

Pocketing my phone, I take a deep breath and head into the office, nodding to security and taking the elevator to the top floor, where my father’s office takes up the entirety of it.

All the worker bees are on the floors below.

Cynthia, the evil minion receptionist, gives me a look that would strike lesser men down, but I just return it with a cheeky smile.

“Good morning, Cynthia. Here to see Satan, I’m sorry, my dad. Same thing though, am I right?” I joke just to piss her off even though my mood is sour.

“He has appointments all day, Griffin. You’ll have to schedule something at a later date.”

“Yeah, see, that’s not gonna work for me, Cynthia. Because I just drove over three hours to see him. He is my father, and I’m not going to schedule a time to sit and talk with him.”

She huffs as my father’s office door opens and the man of the hour appears.

“I’ve got this, Cynthia. Thank you.”

“I know it’s unannounced, but I needed to speak with you.”

“Hopefully to share something I can finally be proud of,” he mutters, as if I can’t hear him a foot apart as we walk into his office.

I grind my molars and swallow my pride, saying the words that need to be said to smooth things over between us and buy me the precious time I need.

“I came here to apologize.”

His facial expression doesn’t change, the bastard.

“I’m sorry for how I treated Lexi, she caught me off guard and I had to put out a fire because of it. I apologize for the embarrassment it caused you, and I’m going to work on making amends.”

“It doesn’t change what you did or what you said, Griffin.”

“I realize now that—” The words practically die on my tongue, but I know I need to get them out. “I realize now that my feelings were not reciprocated and that I was being a fool. I’m going to fix it.”

“You came all this way to tell me that? That’s what you have for me? ”

Fuck.

“I wanted to be a man and apologize to your face.”

“Your apologies are worthless until your actions prove otherwise. Are you cutting ties with that pig?”

I dig my nails into the flesh of my thighs through my slacks at his insult.

“I already have. We aren’t speaking. Can you explain to me why you hate them so much? If I could just understand.”

His jaw tics, anger rising, but I need to understand.

“I told you, Griffin. It’s none of your goddamn business. Now stay away from them, focus on Lexi, and maybe I’ll reconsider having your ass replaced with Dion.”

I exhale a defeated breath, but I agree.

“I understand, Dad.”

“If you’re lying to me, Griffin, just to save face, I will find out. Don’t fuck with me. Last chance, or you’re on your own.”

I nod my agreement. “I understand. Thank you.”

With bile rising up my throat, I leave my dad’s office feeling like a slimy piece of shit for playing his sick fucking game, but the last thing I need is for him to ruin my name by blasting me publicly and bringing Carter into that.

I need to protect him at all costs, and I don’t trust my dad not to put me in front of his firing squad and let Carter go down in the crossfire.

Once I’m in my car, I pull out my phone and text Trey an update.

Me: Omw back. He seemed to accept my apology and I still have my job right now. If we’re gonna find something on my dad, we gotta do it now.

Trey: We’re going to figure it out. He’ll slip up somewhere and we’ll find it

Trey: You doin okay?

Am I? I don’t really know. I’m going through the motions to get shit done, but I don’t think I’m okay. Not really.

Me: I’ll get there, just not today

Trey: You’ve got me

Me: I appreciate you

Trey: Up for company tonight?

Me: Sure

Trey: I’ll bring the pizza

Me: Hitting the road, I’ll see you later

With that, I start the long-ass drive out of the city and back into the mountains with Carter on my mind the entire way.

I kissed my dad’s ass to buy me more time, to get something together to get us out of this damn position.

Whether or not Carter and I end up together, I’m still always going to do the right thing.

I didn’t think I’d ever be in a position where I needed to choose between the love of my career and the love of my life, but here I am, and it’s no competition.

I just need to make sure that when I go down and lose the job I’ve dedicated my life to, it doesn’t negatively impact Carter, and I’ve got myself set up ahead of time.

I need a game plan. Which means I need time.