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"I would love to, Mrs. Bateman," Gracie cuts me off and moves beside me to place a hand on my arm. Her eyes dare me to argue.
"Perfect!" Mom beams, her gaze fixed on the not-so-subtle show of affection Gracie decided was the best way to get me to shut me up.
"Walk me out, would you Tyler?" she asks happily, almost as if she has no clue as to how I am really feeling, which she probably doesn't.
"I don’t mind walking you out! I need Tyler showered and ready to go as soon as possible," Gracie says, giving my arm a quick squeeze. She winks at me and ushers my mom to the front door. I sigh heavily once they are out of my line of sight and lean back against the counter, my body feeling weighed down. Listening for the click of the front door, I close my eyes and run a hand across my prickly beard.
"She's gone."
I nod my head in response, my eyelids not daring to open even an inch.
"I didn't know you had a brother."
I peel my eyelids open with a sigh. "Clearly, that was on purpose."
Watching as her shoulders rise and fall, a sudden feeling of guilt washes over me. I give my head a shake and walk towards her. I come to a stop when there is only a few inches of space between us.
"Thank you," I mumble, my eyes locked on hers before I pull her into my chest. Her body tenses from the odd action, but she relaxes quickly and wraps her arms around my waist. Our chests move perfectly in sync as we breathe in time. All thoughts of my brother are tossed from my mind as quick as the breaths from my lungs. I move my focus to the soothing motion of her hand, rubbing slow, wide circles on my lower back until I feel my eyelids start drooping.
"Are you planning on staying?" I mumble into the top of her head. I know that I shouldn't ask her to stay—it's not fair. But I don't care. Not right now.
She pulls away slightly, just enough to be able to look up at me. "Is that okay?"
"Yeah," I breathe, too exhausted to question myself.
"Then I'm staying," she murmurs, pressing her cheek against my chest.
I hum a response as I let my eyes close once again and move us back until I feel the edge of the counter against my lower back.
She's the first to pull back what feels like hours later. "Are you gonna pass out on me, Ty?" I grin sleepily before simply taking her hand in mine. I lead her out of the kitchen towards my bedroom. "You're not planning on getting lucky, are you? Cause I am so not ready for that right now," she says, all in a rush. Her cheeks flush a bright pink as she stares down at her feet.
I chuckle and shake my head, squeezing her hand. "I just want to sleep." She raises a suspicious brow. "Scouts honour." I wink, opening my door and leading her in the dark room before slipping my shirt over my head. After I adjust the covers I had so hastily discarded earlier, I hear her suck in a sharp breath of air. Turning around, I look at her, confused by her sudden change in mood.
The light, teasing energy has quickly morphed into a tense, hard-to-breathe one that I learn very quickly I don't like. Gracie's eyes are dull as she stares vacantly at the half-made bed, her bottom lip jutted out slightly before it's pulled rapidly between her teeth.
I scratch my neck awkwardly as I stare at the sad girl, my heart pulling painfully.
"Uh, Gracie?" I clear my throat with a cough. "You okay?" My question seems to snap her out of the trance. She shakes her head once and looks at me with a forced smile.
"It's just been a while since I've been in this room. I'm sorry."
Right. Since the time I completely abandoned you after a night of seemingly mind-blowing sex in my own fucking bed. Yeah, I know.
"You have already apologized. Please don't do it again. It was embarrassing enough the first time," she rambles as she strides over to the bed. Gracie slips under the covers , facing away from me as she pulls my duvet over her small body.
Swallowing down my apology, I nod to myself and crawl in after her. The heavy duvet wraps around me as I lay frigidly beside her, deciding to keep a smart amount of distance between us, not wanting to upset her even more. "You don't deserve to be left alone in anyone's bed. Especially not mine."
The room remains silent, our breathing the only sound in the space, taunting me almost, reminding me that I hurt her again. Maybe I should apologize? We both know she deserves it. But she deserves a lot more than some ridiculous apology after I treated her like a used puck bunny.
The air from my lungs evaporates when she turns towards me, her perfectly sculpted features illuminated from the faded hallway light. Her veil of blonde hair sprawls out on the pillowcase. She stares at me, the familiar gleam in her round eyes sparking a fire deep in my chest.
"I forgive you," she whispers and inches closer to place a cautious, gentle kiss on my lips.
My mind is a jumbled mess of guarded, unwanted thoughts as she pulls away, not giving me time to respond. She rests her head on my chest and lets out a deep sigh.
Fuck. What are you doing to me, Gracie Hutton?
