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“You gonna teach me that fancy trick? The not-caring thing?”
“I am, baby. Because as much as I want to stand up for you, I want you to be able to stand up for yourself even more.” I kiss the top of her head and relax as the plane takes off.
“And you’re really not going to be mad if we keep us quiet and low-key for now?”
Yeah... That’s the other reason I need my girl not to give a flying fuck what anybody thinks about her.Because she’s not ready to share us with everyone else... Not yet.
Her words. Not mine.
But if that’s what she needs, that’s what I’m gonna give her.
She doesn’t need me making things harder right now.
“Yeah, baby. We’ll make it work,” I promise, even if I fucking hate this idea.
“One step at a time,” she agrees. “Let me get through this nightmare first.”
“You’re stronger than you think, Grace.”
“Guess we’re going to find out.”
After five hours on a plane, an hour waiting for our luggage, and another hour and a half driving down to the tiny shore town Grace’s family might as well own, so many of them have houses here, we finally pull up in front of Cross and Everly’s beachfront house. But once the ignition is off, Gracie doesn’t move to get out of the truck.
“I’m not sure I can do this.” Her frightened eyes dance between the house and me. “What if we just go back to Kroydon Hills and lie low until everyone comes home from the beach in a few days?”
I move around the truck then and open her door.
She turns toward me and spreads her legs for me to stand between them, then circles her arms around my neck. “I hate this.”
“There’s nothing to hate. Your family is just going to be happy your home.” I press my lips to hers and pull her chest against mine, knowing this might be the last time I get to do this for a while. “Come on, tiny dancer. You got this.”
“I’d rather have you,” she murmurs against my lips.
“Say the word, baby. All you’ve got to do is say the word, and I’ll tell the world you’re mine.” Fuck... that’s what I wish she’d do.
“No... One thing at a time. You’re right. Time to face the music.”
Grace
Ares and I walk up to Cross and Everly’s place and knock on the massive front door before letting ourselves in.She’s my twin.We don’t reallydoprivacy.
“Hello,” I call out and follow the sound of little-girl giggles coming our way. My niece, Kerrigan, runs by us, then skids to a halt in a lime-green polka-dot bikini with matching ribbons in her space buns and screams before launching herself at Ares. “Uncle Ares is here, Daddy.”
Her incredible hot uncle catches her and tosses her high in the air above his head until her giggles are deafening.And holy shit. I think my eardrums may have just burst, that was so high-pitched with excitement.
When she looks over his shoulder and sees me, she screams again. “And so is Aunt Gracie.”
“What?” Cross groans and walks into the room, looking exhausted and covered in...flour? “Good, you’re here,” he grumbles, then looks between his brother and me. “What the hell?”
“Hi.” I wave, and he wraps an arm around me. “Does your sister know you’re coming? Evie...” he calls out, then looks between us again. “What are you doing here? And why are you together?”
“We bumped into each other at the airport,” I lie. The first of many I’ll be telling for a while and suddenly realize Ares is right.
I’m a liar.
And I’m making him one too.
“What the heck is going on in here?” Everly asks as she walks into the room with Jax clinging to her. “Ohmygod. Gracie...Ohmygod.”
