Page 20 of Shattered Hearts

“You’re my best friend. If something is wrong, then you can always tell me.” My heart squeezes involuntarily as he murmurs, “Even if it hurts me.”

I feel the figurative punch to my gut. I could tell him the truth right now, but there’s something stopping me. The small voice in my head telling me that this isn’t the right time. That I should wait until Scott contacts me back and I find out what he wants to do before Grayson is made known. I feel like I should listen to that voice. It feels safer.

“I wasn’t feeling too well, and I didn’t want to bother you. I know you’re busy as well, with the ranch and all…” I run a hand through my long hair, watching his eyes track the movement.

Grayson holds my stare for a long minute, and when I think he’s about to question me further, he gives a small nod. “I’m glad you’re feeling better now.” His tone as flat as a pancake.

My throat works, and I turn away before the guilt starts eating me alive. Can he sense my lie?

“What do you say we make something salty and unhealthy for dinner?” I suggest, needing the room to feel lighter again as my anxiety builds beneath my skin.

Grayson sniffs a laugh, releasing some of the tension set in my shoulders. “Funny you should say that.” He pulls out a packet of spaghetti from the pantry. “I specifically bought this for you to make it for me.”

“For you?” I question, arching a brow.

Smiling, Grayson opens the fridge, grabbing out some more ingredients. “I mean, I am your best friend, after all…”

Snickering, my head moves from side to side as my gut clenches. “I think Macie might fight you on that.”

“Never,” he mutters, pulling a pot out from the drawer and filling it with water. “Besides, she has Reid now.” The look he gives me is loaded, and I can see the unsubtle annoyance in his eyes. “Which means we only have each other.”

Lips parting, I realise that he’s right. Although Macie and I have been close since she moved to town, she’s found her forever friend to spend her life with. Grayson might still be a little salty about their relationship, but he’s definitely coming around. I think he sees how much happier they are with each other, and who would stand in the way of happiness?

“I guess you’ll have to do then,” I drawl with a grin.

Light eyes shine down at mine, ones I could definitely get lost in if he let me. A blush creeps up my neck at the thought. I turn my back on him, busying myself with the sauce to keep him from seeing how easily he affects me.

Freddie perches himself on the bench, watching the two of us like a hawk as we stand at the stove. I stir the sauce on the pan as Grayson grates cheese. My gaze locks onto his tattoo; the three mountains he chose after he lost a dare with Macie and I. It was right after we finished high school, and the three of us were in Rafter’s Falls one Saturday night. We thought of doing shots to celebrate the last of our exams, so we each dared each other to drink something putrid sounding, and if anyone couldn’t finish it, then they’d have to do something from their 30 before 30 list that we wrote when we were sixteen.

Macie ordered Grayson a cocktail that was a bright orange colour, and it didn’t look half bad, but it smelt so sickly sweet that even I wouldn’t touch it—and that’s saying something, since I’m the biggest sweet tooth of us all. Grayson got halfway through before throwing it up in the beer garden and getting us kicked out of the joint. So, as a way to remember the night, we chose for him to get a tattoo. Macie and I let him choose the design, at least. But Grayson has never explained what the mountains mean. Maybe it was the simplest design they had at the shop that he liked?

Lines appear beneath his skin, showing the clear definition of his muscles in his forearm, and I stare at them, mesmerised, when Grayson’s hand grabs a hold of my wrist. Blinking down at his fingers wrapped around my arm, I glance up to see his eyes watching me. The air is sweltering, and I can’t tell if it’s because of the heat from the stove, or our closeness, but either way, my body soaks it up as soft music plays through the speaker.

“Were you trying to burn yourself?” His deep voice breaks through the quiet instrumental notes.

My eyebrows twitch together before realising what he did. I was millimeters away from burning my hand on the open flame when he caught me.

Cheeks pinking, I break out in a soft chuckle, the warmth of his hand holding mine sends an electric current through me, waking up my bones. “It wasn’t intentional,” I answer softly. “Luckily I have you to stop me from doing something...” A nauseating feeling waves over me again.

I did do something stupid, and he still has no idea.

His smile relaxes my shoulders. “You’ll always have me, Biscuit.” His words are as smooth as chocolate.

Swallowing, my teeth dig into my bottom lip as the pasta water starts boiling over the brim of the pot. Grayson turns down the heat, and I step away, wiping my sweaty hands on my shirt as my mind starts to churn once again.

“I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t burn the sauce,” I squeeze out.

“I can handle pesto pasta, Laynie. If you recall, I was the one who suggested this, so I think I will be all right to dish it out.” His grey eyes meet mine from across the kitchen as he smirks. “And I wasn’t the one who almost caught themselves on fire, was I?”

Choking on a breath, I toss a tea towel at him, making him bark a laugh as I disappear down the hallway. I hear him shout out how fabric is a fire hazard, and a snort escapes me.

Shutting the bathroom door behind me, I rest my head against it, finally feeling how fast my heart is racing.

How has he always had this effect on me?

Giving myself a few seconds to collect myself, I walk to the basin hiding the cursed tests I haven’t looked at since I broke down on the floor two days ago. Every muscle in my body tenses as I reach for the handle, opening it slowly, as if something might jump out at me like a jack-in-the-box and scare the crap out of me. One of the tests rolls to the end, clanging against the wood, and all I can do is stare at the two taunting lines. Taking a hold of it, I look at my unplanned future.

Who knew two little lines could change everything in a mere moment?