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I sucked in a breath and finally looked to Knix. “Can you guys give us a moment?” I asked,beseechingly.
Knix frowned, his brows drawn down in concern as he took a glance between the two of us. He knew something was up—had been ever since the masquerade—but he merely nodded and gestured for the others to leave. Texas and Bellamy left willingly, but Marv paused between Grayson and me, shooting a glare atGrayson.
He pointed. “You make her fucking cry and I make you cry, got it?” he demanded. “I’m tired of this bullshit. You tell her the truth and I meaneverything.”
Grayson—full of surprises, today, apparently—didn’t even offer up a smartass comment. He merely sighed and nodded, acquiescing to Marv’s order. Knix clapped Marv on the shoulder and nodded towards the door. Marv nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m going.” But he paused and turned back, those cloud gray eyes of his finding my gaze. “He’s being hard-headed, Sunshine. I know you’ve been down, but just know…we’re here. We’re not leavingyou.”
My lips parted. I couldn’t stop myself. One moment, I stood there, ready and willing to battle with Grayson—to finally come to grips with his non-answer at the masquerade. To ream him a new one for breaking my fucking heart. And the next…I was grabbing Marv by the shirt collar and yanking him towards me. I slammed my mouth down on his, reaching up and shoving my hands through his hair—messing it up—as I claimed his lips. I kissed him like a wild creature, one that wanted to consume himcompletely.
And when I finally let him go, he merely stood there blinking at me in a dazed confusion. Knix chuckled and grabbed Marv by the shoulder again. “Come on, buddy,” he said as he pulled him from the room. Just before he completely exited, Knix turned and winked my way. “Give him hell, LittleBit.”
Oh. He didn’t have to worry about that. I would,I thought as I turned back towards Grayson.Let the reamingbegin.
* * *
“Harlow.”
I held up my hand as Grayson started. “Wait,” I said. “I don’t want to do this here.” I turned and left the room, heading towards the back of the house, away from where the others had gone. Grayson was still for a beat and then I heard the sound of his footsteps following close behind me. I led him out of the living room and towards the backdoors. We left through the back entrance and took the path towards the poolhouse.
“Why did you want to come out here?” Grayson asked as I stopped in front of the entrance to the pool house and waited for him to unlock and open the door. I gestured and he shook his head. “Open it,” he said. “It’sunlocked.”
I opened the door and let him go first. Grayson turned, looking at me over his shoulder as he moved. I shut the door quietly behind me and then gestured for him to start as I headed to the kitchen. The walls were still unpainted, but the place was lived in now that Grayson had been there a while. I went rummaging through the kitchen, almost confident that I would find what I neededto.
"Okay..." Grayson said as he approached the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen and the living room. I opened the fridge and when I didn't see what I needed, I went for the cabinets. Grayson didn't continue talking. He just stood there, watching me as I opened all of the lower cabinets and then the upperones.
I finally found what I was looking for. Unfortunately, the bottle of vodka was on the top shelf. I stretched up, putting a knee on the counter as Grayson's eyes widened and he came around the side of the counter. By the time he got to me, however, I already had two knees on the countertop and a hand outstretched, reaching for the bottle of clear liquid. I grasped it and brought it down as Grayson's hands closed over mywaist.
"What are you doing?" heasked.
"Getting supplies," I said simply, letting him help medown.
"For what?" When my feet were back on the ground, I turned, but Grayson didn't drop his arms, keeping me close to him with the bottle of vodka between us. He didn't look at it as he examined myface.
"For this conversation," Ireplied.
"You need alcohol for aconversation?"
"For this one, yeah," I said. And for this day, but I didn't tell him that. I stepped out of his arms and circled him, heading for the cabinet where I'd seen drink glasses. I paused as I opened it, considering...then I quietly shut the cabinet without retrieving one and headed for the living room. Grayson trailed behind, seeming to grow more and more confused with each of myactions.
I popped a squat on the floor and gestured for him to do the same across from me. Resting my back against the small, worn couch the guys had carried in some weeks back, I opened the bottle and took a drink. The fiery liquid slid to the back of my throat, held there for a moment, and continueddownward.
Grayson frowned and reached for the bottle. "I don't think I like you withthis."
I moved it out of his reach as I struggled to keep a straight face. "Too bad," I said. "Starttalking."
Grayson huffed out a breath and relinquished the vodka. When he looked away, I let the grimace I had been hiding show on my face as I downed another shot straight from thebottle.
"I'm going back to Teddi," Graysonsaid.
I paused, keeping the bottle pressed to my lips for another moment. I didn't like that so I let a little bit more vodka enter my mouth. It was almost like I was punishing myself as more fire burned a trail down my throat, but in actuality, I just wanted to stop feeling so much. After talking with Dr. Galston and walking back into the house to see Marv at Grayson's throat and even though I wasn't quite over Grayson's fuck up at the masquerade, I didn’t want to deal with this. So... bottoms up. I sucked back anothermouthful.
"Okay, that's enough." Grayson ripped the bottle from my hand, letting some of the liquid spill out onto mychin.
It dribbled down my neck and soaked into the collar of my t-shirt. I shot him a dirty look as I wiped the wetness from my chin. It was too late, though. I'd accomplished my objective. I could feel the light buzzing in my veins. I didn't drink much. I hadn't had a drink in quite a while. I blinked at him as he sniffed the open bottle—as though he wanted to check to make sure it was actually what the label said it was. He grimaced and then set it down at hisside.
"This is serious, Harlow," he said. "I know you're mad at me about what happened at the masquerade—with your brother and then... afterward,but—"
"I'm not mad at you," I said, interruptinghim.
