Page 59 of All In

“Because I wanna get my dumb stuff done so I can get back to you.”

He smiles. “Alright, fine.”

When he climbs off me, I feel bereft. This is such ass. I’m already a clingy person, especially where Grayson is concerned, but this is a lot, even for me. I think it’s just gonna get worse, though.

Every time I get close to Gray, I just want to be closer. It’s always been that way, but now it’s… more. Amplified. I want to be touching him all the time. Holding his hand or snuggling into his side. Something. Anything.

Pushing to my feet, I sigh. “Alright, I guess I’m gonna go.”

Gray steps into my space, cupping my face as he searches my eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

I nod. “Yeah, I probably need to have a conversation with him at any rate. I can’t just pretend nothing happened.”

It would be nice if I could, but I know better. I haven’t been on social media all week, and the notifications started getting to where I needed to mute them entirely. But I know that doesn’t mean anything.

Just because I can’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

And just because I haven’t seen the fallout of things with Josh firsthand doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

I’m expecting the driveway to be empty when I pull in, but Andy’s car is out front. Makes sense, I guess. I’m happy that despite everything the two of them have been through, Andy showed up to support Josh.

I asked Josh once why it seemed like they didn’t get along, and he’d given me some bullshit answer about how sometimes brothers just fight and can’t get back to what they once were. It hurt my feelings a little, mostly because I could tell it hurt his.

Obviously, as an only child, I don’t know shit about what it’s like. I’ve had Gray for as long as I can remember, and while I don’t think of him like a sibling, we’ve had our fair share of arguments over the years. Mostly when we were young and dumb.

I can’t imagine anything bad enough to keep me away from him, though.

With a sigh, I push my car door open. Need to get this shit over with. I can’t fit everything in the car, and there’s a lot I need to pack up still, but I can get the majority of my clothes anyway. And maybe some shit from the bathroom.

For a second, I debate knocking, and maybe I should, but for now, this is technically still my house.

I push the door open and freeze.

Josh and Andy are on the couch together but spring apart when they see me.

“Uh… Hi.” Neither of them speaks to me. Josh looks a little disheveled, like maybe they were arguing and he was running his fingers through his hair in frustration, and his face is flushed. “Everything okay in here?”

There are a few more beats of silence, and then Josh nods slowly. “Yeah, sorry. I didn’t know you were here.”

“Clearly, I am.”

Andy clears his throat. “I’m gonna go to the guest bedroom.”

“Wait—” Josh says, but Andy is already walking away.

“Are you all fighting again?” I ask, staring at Josh as he watches Andy until he disappears from view.

He finally drags his gaze away, then looks at me and sighs. “Not exactly.”

Silence drags on, and the longer I stand here, the more awkward I feel. Maybe I should have had Gray come with me. Or maybe I should have called first or something. I’m not sure why I thought dropping in on the guy who left me at the altar would be a good idea.

“Did you need something?”

I nod. “I came to get some things. Clothes for work. Stuff.”

Waving his hand toward the bedroom—what used to be our bedroom—Josh sighs. “I haven’t touched anything. Take whatever you need.”

I know Gray better than I know anyone. Sometimes I think I know him better than I know myself. But I also know Josh, and I know when something is wrong with him.