“They’re leaving from a gas station right now.” Grey didn’t sound particularly thrilled, but he left it at that. “We can give you a ride home.”
“No, I have a rental car.” Then, as if mentioning the car summoned everything else I’d failed to consider in the past halfhour, I remembered Piper. I had been her ride. I swore, my hand shooting to my pocket for my phone.
By the time I got there and looked at the screen, my sense of dread had peaked. There were seven missed calls from Piper and several texts. I swore again.
“What’s wrong?” Grey asked.
I groaned. “I might just be the biggest asshole in history.”
I opened my messages to see that Piper had sent her last text a couple of minutes ago. It just read,I made it home. I hope you’re safe.
Releasing a sigh of relief that she didn’t seem too upset, I sent a text back.I’m safe. Couldn’t find you, so I hid in the bushes from the cops. Glad you’re okay.
Headlights flashed across the trees, drawing my attention away from the phone.
“Looks like my ride’s here,” Grey said.
The black car came to a stop right next to the barn, and we climbed out from our hiding spot to meet them. Approaching the vehicle, I noticed the driver was someone vaguely familiar, maybe someone from Grey’s band. I’d stared at the Dreamscape posters enough that I should know, but I’d only ever really had eyes for one person on them.
Grey reached for the door only to pause and turn around. “Can I give you a hug goodbye?”
I hesitated, sensing a hidden meaning attached to his desire for a hug. Unable to determine what that meaning could be, I nodded. Grey pulled me into his arms. I could smell the scent that was so clearly him, felt the muscles under his shirt that flexed when he moved. His arms felt like home already, and I hated it. Because he was going to leave. And he would probably never talk to me again. That was what I’d said I wanted. He held me for a beat too long for an audience then finally released me. It felt as though he’d ripped out part of me and taken it with him.
Grey opened the door to the car and climbed inside. “I’ll see you around, Ethan.”
“Goodbye, Grey.” My eyes stung as tears formed at the words. Everything felt so final, like it would be our last goodbye. And it probably would be.What other option had I left us?
Grey closed the door on me, and the car drove off. I was left in the dust as the tears finally fell from my eyes.
Chapter 11
Befriending Grey
The triplet moons were high and full in the night sky. It had been several hours since the late sun had set, and in the absence of the two daytime stars, the light of the moons appeared vibrant. Beams of moonlight poured down from the heavens, caressing the tops of the monastery towers with a gentle hand…
This is terrible,I thought, resisting the urge to bang my head on my keyboard. Groaning, I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples.Why is writing so damn hard?
Because you’re still thinking about Grey,an insidious voice said in the back of my head.
I fought the urge to argue with the voice—there was no waythatwould end well. Especially since what the voice said was true. I was still thinking about him. And no matter how hard I tried to stop or ignore the thoughts, they made writing almost impossible.
It had been a few days since the Halloween barn party, a few days since I’d seen Grey other than in the fleeting moments when we made eye contact as I rushed out of class.
We hadn’t said anything to each other since that goodbye, and the memory of his hug conjured up a yearning that hadnowhere to go. I hadn’t been sleeping well. Food tasted like sand on my tongue. The bags under my eyes had grown to an impressive size over the past few days. I could tell Kellan and Josh were worried, but anytime they asked if I was okay, I lied and said I was fine.
And I didn’t even have Piper to talk to anymore, because the day after the party, she’d said she needed someone she could rely on and that clearly wasn’t me. It was fair, but it still stung. Partially because she had been really cool to hang out with, but mostly because she’d been a distraction, and I was in desperate need of one.
So, yeah, I was alone at the cafe, struggling to string sentences together about a location for my creative writing class. The sentences weren’t coming, and the clock was ticking closer to the time of my next lecture. There was no point in continuing to fight for what wasn’t there.
Maybe I needed to grab some liquor and go home to binge watchThe Nanny. Just disappear in my room in a drunken sitcom haze for a couple of days. I would email my teachers saying I was sick. They would understand. Plus, judging from my appearance the last time I’d been brave enough to look in the mirror, it was probably believable.
The thought was entirely too tempting.
“Ethan,” someone said behind me.
I hadn’t heard that voice since he’d said goodbye to me on the edge of the woods. Steeling myself, I turned to look up at a worried Grey. His eyes seemed darker today, more brooding. His brow furrowed, his mouth tilting downward—not his usual way of holding himself at all. Judging from the bags under his eyes and the unusual messiness of his hair, he, too, was having a hard time sleeping.
“Grey,” I said curtly.
