Cheshire Cat
Grayson Miles phone contact (496) 648-8369. There, before you bark about not having his number and try to back out.
Cheshire Cat
Love you too!
It’s just a text, Maisie. There's no need to freak out. Except there is every reason to freak out right now. I feel like a teenager texting her crush for the first time. What do I even say?Hey Grayson, give me your truck. Oh, by the way, this is Maisie, in case you didn’t know, since I’m a stalker and got your number behind your back.
Yeah, hard pass. What about a simpleHi! No, because he doesn’t have your number idiot, so he will probably ignore the text. Maybe aHey, it’s Maisie, remember me from the creek earlier when we almost kissed and then I ran away like a child, and oh, by the way you smelled really nice, and I think maybe I like you more than a little bit, and I’m an idiot who lives in delulu land who can’t go one second being alone because she has abandonment issues. Oh, and don’t forget the crippling anxiety to top it off.
Yup, that’s definitely the one!
Fuck me, this is going horribly. I’ve never been able to do something simply. I have to overthink every single step I take or thing I say and then spend the rest of my life overanalyzing it until it drives me insane.
I write three more sets of messages before I delete them all and throw my phone across the room. You know what, I’m just going to walk over there and ask him in person. Then, he doesn’t even have to know I have his number. Yup, that’s the only logical solution.
I bundle up, making sure to grab my discarded phone for a flashlight, and slip out my door with a promise to be right back to Evie. My walk turns into an Olympic sprint when my tits almost frost over.What a way to go out.
Grayson’s cabin looms, and my nerves skyrocket.It’s just one conversation. You can do this.Will I piss my pants in the process? Possibly, but food is more important at this point. Hangry Maisie is no fun to be around.
My hand is poised over Grayson's door to knock, but I can’t for the life of me bring myself to do it. I sit there for a minute, trying to hype myself up like I’m going into battle.
“You are a boss ass bitch, Maisie. You can do this. Men ain’t shit,” I whisper under my breath. Just as I’m finally psyched up to knock, I hear a voice that doesn’t sound like Grayson’s inside.
Shit. Does he have a woman over? It is the weekend, and the man has needs. Why hadn’t I thought of him having someone over before trucking my ass all the way here?
I should have just sent the damn text.
Fuck food at this point. I just want to curl up in a ball and never face anyone ever again. Adulting is too hard. A weird, uncomfortable feeling swoops over my stomach. That can’t be… Am I jealous there’s potentially another woman inside with him? Getting to touch him, maybe even kiss him?
It’s none of your concern. But it hurts all the same. Just as I drop my still-raised fist and turn around, the door flies open behind me. I’ve never been more mortified in my life.
“Maisie?” Grayson asks in a sexy rasp.
I can’t get my feet to move, like I'm in quicksand. I wish it would just swallow me whole.
The squeak that comes out of me is horrifying. “Uh, yup, that’s my name. Don’t wear it out,” I ramble, silently berating myself. Could I be more embarrassing?
I smooth my sweaty hand down my pants, giving him a half smile. “How did you, uh, know I was out here?” Is he part superhero? At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me. Think about the cute little superhero babies, though.
Not fucking helping.
A breathy laugh fans through his lips, and there go my thighs, clenching. To my mortification, he points up to a little blue blinking light above the door. “Twenty first century. It’s called a door camera.”
Oh, Jesus. Was he watching me spiral out of control this entire time? Was I talking to myself? Yeah, I’m pretty sure I was at one point. There’s no turning back now. “Right, cameras. I think I’ve heard of those,” I joke, shooting him finger guns.
Really, Maisie?
He leans casually against the doorframe. “So, are you just going to keep standing out there in the cold, or did you need something?”
I try to come up with an excuse, but he pins me with a raised brow, and I crack like a nut. “I was coming to ask if I could borrow your truck so I could go grab some food. I asked Ches first, but he’s busy, so he sent me here. And now, I feel stupid for showing up unannounced. Clearly, you have company.” My hands are flailing as I speak. A slight curve tilts his lip, like he’s in on some secret I’m not privy to. “I should let you get back at it. I mean, back to your…whoever is in there.”
My cheeks are on fire. Note to self: face to face mingling is not my strong suit. Sometimes, it is better to hide behind a screen. I give him a parting wave, that same shit-eating grinfirmly in place while I attempt to run for my life. One step, and I’ll be home free, but that step never comes.
“Waisie? Is that you?” Nova screams, sprinting up to Grayson and hugging his leg like a bear.
Oh, how wrong I was. That explains all the smiling while he got to witness the meltdown of the year. My heart does that little thing where it lightens a bit, maybe relieved it’s Nova and not some bombshell. It actually swells two more sizes, seeing Grayson taking care of his niece.
