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16
GRIFF
It’s not serious, just a casual thing.It’s over now. Claire’s words reverberate around in my head as I walk numbly down the hall to my room. The past few months play through my mind like a supercut of us, and I just can’t get on board with that statement. The way she looks at me, the way she touches me. There is no way this was a casual fling for her.
The sense of loss I feel right now is crushing. My eyes burn with unshed tears. I’ve poured my heart and soul and mind and body into nourishing this relationship, and she shattered everything in less than thirty seconds. I have to tell my body how to breathe, everything hurts.
I push my door open in a fog, turning when it doesn’t close immediately after I walk in. Ivy closes it gently behind her and walks to me, wrapping me in a hug. She holds me there, swaying gently in silence.
“I only caught the end of that, but I am so sorry,” she breaks the silence after a couple minutes. Her hands rub my back in circles. I should step back, but I accept her offer of comfort for another minute while I make sure I’m fully composed. Breaking down in front my friend who just married one of my best friends would make for a shitty honeymoon send off.
“Shouldn’t you be on your way to Bora Bora?”
“It’s not like we have an actual flight to catch. We’re flying private.”
“I’m fine, you should go be with Levi.” I start tossing things in my suitcase.
“No.” She crosses her arms in a defiant stance. “I should stay right here because I know exactly how it feels to be the one left with no one after your heart gets broken. I’m not letting that happen. Levi wants me here with you.”
“Seriously,” I walk over and give her a peck on the forehead, “I’m fine. You can go. I’m getting ready to drive back to the city anyway.”
“Perfect. I’ll ride with you.”
I look up from the bag I’m zipping closed. “No.”
“It’s cute that you think I’m asking. And don’t try that tone of voice with me. I’m VP of an international bank, and you don’t fucking scare me. I wade through a swamp of toxic masculinity daily. This,” she waves her hand at me, “is like a fly on my shoulder.”
She’s as bad as Lilith. I know when to fold when it comes to the women in my life, and this is one of those times. I can tell by the hard set of her gray eyes that I’m not going to win this argument. “Do you need to grab anything before we go? Your purse or anything?”
“No, I have my phone. I’ll shoot Levi a text to grab everything on his way to the city. “
“Okay, let’s go then,” I say as I do one last sweep through the room, making sure I grabbed everything.
We take the stairs down to avoid any possible run-ins with an angry Connor. My palm still aches from where I blocked his punch. Luckily, he wasn’t swinging at full strength, otherwise I’d probably have a broken hand. I open the door for Ivy when we get to my car and wait for her to slide in before I close it.
Truthfully, I’m glad she’s here with me. It gives me something to focus on aside from Claire and how it feels like she reached into my chest and squeezed my heart until all that was left were broken pieces. There is a fucking ache inside my soul where she made herself at home.
“Are we talking about what happened, or am I distracting you?” she asks.
“Distracting,” I say quickly then add, “please.”
“Cool. I think I’ve let Levi talk me into a baby.” She launches into a story about how he’s been hounding her for just one, just the first, because he is relentless when he sets his mind to something. I chuckle when she mentions him putting together a presentation about why now is actually the perfect time for them to start their family.
Then she transitions into talking about business and how several of the older male VPs she works with are harassing her. I make a mental note of their names to look into them this week. I guarantee they each have some usable skeleton in their closet. Everyone does if you know where to look.
Somehow, she fills the entire drive back to the city with chatter. I’m not sure how she does it, but I love her for it. I pull up in front of her and Levi’s building to drop her off. She hesitates before getting out of the car.
“Do you want to come up and hang until Levi gets home?”
“No, I need to get home, do some work.”
“Okay,” she reaches over and rubs my cheek. “We’ll be available the entire time we’re gone if you need anything. The resort we’re staying at has reliable wi-fi, so if you need anything, even just to listen to the ocean, let us know.”
“Thanks,” I put my hand over hers and squeeze, “but I’m not bugging you on your honeymoon.”
“You’re family, Griff. Levi and I love you. We will be there if you need us.” She exits the car after giving me a kiss on the cheek.
As soon as the door closes behind her, I feel an oppressive emptiness. I start to head home, but then I remember that my apartment is full of reminders of Claire. I can’t do it yet, so I drive north, out of the city. There’s only one place I want to be right now, and that’s back at home in Founder’s Ridge.
