Page 78 of Gravity

“Jesus, Christ.”

Although I’m not overly shocked by her brother’s behavior, I’m surprised he would go to that length. “I had no idea about that.”

“I got used to it after a while. The more guys avoided me, the more I just got my head down and concentrated on work. There was no point looking to date when I could never be dated.”

“So, you walked around all this time thinking no one wanted you because of who you are, yet you had no idea that I’ve wanted you to be mine all along."

“I’ve wanted you for so long, but I never thought you’d want me because of who I was. To me I was just your Shortcake—the little girl who used to cling to your leg when you’d come visit my brother. I never thought my dreams of you would become my reality. And now that reality has come true, I’m worried that it’s only a matter of time before he takes it away.”

I trace my fingers up and down her back, the words spinning around in my head. I want her to be mine. I want her by my side, but I know it’s not going to be plain sailing when it comes to Asher. Not only that, his behavior of late is also concerning. He’s not even called his family or to ask about his dad.

“I love Asher, Grayson, but sometimes I wonder why he’s so unhinged.”

I laugh. “Yeah, he’s not the easiest of people at times.”

She sighs, dropping her head down to my chest. The words that leave her next hit me hard because they epitomize everything I’m trying to figure out.

“Can you imagine how he’d react if he knew about us?”

“It’s not going to be a walk in the park. Regardless of the brotherhood he and I share, I’ll never be good enough for you in his eyes.”

“But it’s not down to him to decide.”

“But he’ll still never see it that way.” I hold on to her tighter when I feel her shoulders drop. “We’ll figure it out, Nora. I promise you.”

“We’ll have to. In the meantime, we best make the most of the short time we have together until he’s home.”

Whenever that will be.

Guilt claws at my chest from keeping the truth hidden. The words are on the tip of my tongue, wanting to tell her it’s likely going to be a while before he’s home— wanting to tell her that he’s struggling with his mental health but doesn’t see a reason to sort himself out. But I can’t. Because at the same time, Asher is also my best friend and I can’t betray his trust.

Which makes me fucking torn.

So instead, I divert the conversation to a topic I know will bring that smile back to her face. “Tell me about turtles. In all the years that I've known you, I've never asked you why you like sea turtles so much. Why is that?"

I feel her smile against my skin, but she doesn’t move. "I love the way they scoot along the sand before they hit the water. How they look so hard in terms of their shell but are soft overall. How they give this illusion of having a carefree life in the way they move. How they don’t have ears, but they are not deaf. Their—”

“Wait, what? They don’t have ears?” I ask curiously.

“Nope. They have thin flaps of skin that cover their internal ear bones. From that they pick up vibration and low sound frequencies.”

“Wow.”

“I love the fact that five out of the seven sea turtle species are right here on Chesapeake soil. And it drives me crazy that too many people take them and the ocean for granted because they can’t see the beauty in it.”

I could listen to her talk about what she loves all day. Not only does it help me relax, it’s the only time I know for sure she isn’t worrying about her dad.

“What species is your favorite?”

“You cannot ask me that.” The words come out in a way that sounds like I insulted her, and it causes a grin to spread across my face.

“Well, I did, and I want to know.”

She lifts herself up to look at me, her brows raised, causing my grin to spread wider with her lack of amusement. “Nice to know you’re getting some enjoyment out of this.”

“Which one, Shortcake? You’re suddenly in a life and death situation, and you can only save one species before it goes extinct. Which would it be?”

She’s shaking her head, a smile spreading across her lips, and I can tell that I’ve genuinely put her in an impossible situation because she doesn’t have an answer.