“I’m two seconds away from breaking this door down.”
“Goodnight, Gray,” she calls, her voice even. “Oh, and don't touch yourself tonight,honey.”
Music starts up and blares through her door, drowning me out.Did she just silence me?A second later, I can hear, in full, graphic detail, Maisie falling apart, screaming and coming so hard, her moans can be heard over the music.
My head hits her door in defeat, wondering what that pretty face of hers looks like when she comes apart. I need it; I vow to myself I’m going to get Maisie all to myself and teach her a lesson on what happens when she defies me.
“Night, Maisie. I’ll be seeing you in the morning,” I taunt, heading back to my bedroom for a night of restless sleep.
Maisie Rae Brooks has flipped my world upside down in the best way.
maisie
. . .
THIRTY-THREE
Another week has comeand gone. I can’t imagine my life any other way now. My body is sore from working day in and day out, but Grayson's massages each night have helped ease the pain. They’ve caused aches in other areas too, but neither of us have crossed the line yet. I think we are both waiting until we know what this is, what this all means. I feel like I’ve fallen off a cliff, free-falling ever since. It’s scary and exhilarating at the same time.
Does he like me as much as I like him? Will he ever be free of his shackles and fully open up to me? Could this even work, with him here and my dreams elsewhere? It’s all so exhausting to think about.
I’m thankful I got to sleep in this morning, since it’s our off day. I lazed around all morning with Grayson and spent the afternoon writing in bed before falling asleep on my computer.
My door inches open, and Evie runs in from God knows where. Yesterday, she snuck into Grayson's closet and pulled down one of his hoodies she then turned into a bed. He was not pleased. He still gave her treats that night, though.Pushover.
She bounds onto my bed, rubbing her face on my cheek. “Well, hello to you too,” I giggle, giving her chin a scratch. Shepurrs in response. I notice a piece of paper tied to her collar by twine. “What’s this, sweet girl?” I untie it from her, rolling it flat.
Maisie,
Roses are red, violets are blue, I want to go on a date with you. Dress cozy and meet me by the front door in thirty. All you need to bring is your cute self. P.S. leave the hoodie-stealing feline behind.
See you soon,
-Your Gray
I think I might be having a heart attack—or is this what it’s supposed to feel like when you’re giddy over a man? This is hands down the cutest thing any man has ever done for me. I’m pretty sure it’s the only date a man has ever planned on his own.
For once, I don’t overthink my outfit, keeping it simple in a floral dress and a sweater with some white sneakers. I throw my hair up in a high pony and reapply my mascara before sprinting down the hallway a little too eagerly.
“Hi,” I breathe, an obnoxiously big smile on my face. Grayson’s stood like a gentleman by the door, a bouquet of lupine flowers in his hand. My heart melts at the sight.
“Hi, honey,” he hums, looking me over. “These are for you. I figured I would give them to you before we left so we could set them up in the kitchen.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I respond, taking them from him. They smell so good. “When did you even have time to go to the store?”
He follows me into the kitchen, grabbing a vase. “I didn’t. I picked them from the field. I know I didn’t need to do it, but Iwantedto, Maisie.”
A lump forms in my throat, and I struggle to swallow itdown. “Thank you.” He helps me get them situated in the vase before taking my hand and leading us to his truck. We are driving in no time, his hand still firmly gripped in mine.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I ask, looking over at him. He looks so fucking delicious tonight in a backwards cap, navy hoodie, and jeans.
“Not a chance,” he teases, kissing the back of my hand. “Shit,” he curses under his breath, ripping his hand from mine to jerk the steering wheel. The truck veers off the road, swerving around a deer that leaped in front of us. We end up in a small ditch, narrowly missing a tree.
A flashback of that night hits me like a freight train. I’m not in Grayson's truck anymore, instead strapped in the back of my parents’ SUV, hanging upside down by my seatbelt. My ears are ringing to the point I can’t hear anything. All I see is broken glass and blood everywhere. I see my parents’ unmoving bodies in the front of the car and an unconscious Lan next to me.
Let me out. Let me out. LET. ME. OUT.I remember screaming the words over and over, inconsolable.
“I can’t breathe,” I whisper, barely audible above the engine's roar. “I—I can’t...” My head spins. No matter how hard I try, oxygen refuses to enter my lungs.
