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“I can pay you in other ways,” he growls into my ear, and I whimper. He backs away from me with a smirk, and I roll my eyes, then place my hands on my hips.
“That was mean,” I mutter, and he laughs, following me up the stairs to my room. When I reach the top, I stop and turn, catching him staring at my butt. “See something you like?” I quip, and he nods, licking his lips.
“Yeah, I can’t wait to bite it,” he grunts, and I suck in a breath of surprise, then end up coughing and choking. He pats me on the back and laughs. “Come on, Gracie.” he gently shoves me to my room and through the door. I still haven’t made the bed from Dom being here, and King plunges onto the mattress with a groan.
“I’m trying to be good here, baby, but your bed smells like sex and you.” My cheeks are blood red with blush, and I bite my lip. I’m new to this, being with multiple guys. I don’t know what the protocol is.
“I have clean sheets in the closet. Move, and I’ll make the bed.” I walk that way, but King jumps up and gently grabs my arm.
“I wasn’t complaining. I was just trying to explain why I have a huge erection.” I glance down and swallow. He’s right. Moving closer to me, he kisses my temple sweetly and pulls me into another hug.
“I’m sorry I’m so awkward,” I mumble, and he laughs.
“I wouldn’t change a thing, Gracelyn. I have liked you for years,” he mutters, and I pull back a little bit to kiss him on the cheek. He doesn’t like that and wraps a hand around the back of my neck, pulling me to his lips, and then we’re moving.
I don’t know how he manages to walk us to the bed when his eyes are closed and we’re so squished together, but he does. The back of his knees hit the mattress, and he drops down, taking me with him. I squeal against his mouth as I land awkwardly on top of him.
Rolling away, I laugh breathlessly. He reaches for my thigh with one hand, placing it on top of his legs, and with his other, he grabs the remote and turns the TV on. I gaze up at him, his dark hair hanging in his face. Reaching up, I brush some of it away to look into his piercing green eyes.
“Tell me a secret, Kingston,” I mumble, and he sighs.
“I hate that name. Only adults call me it. Okay, a secret… I have never been in love before, but I think I’m falling for you, and it’s terrifying. I worry you’ll get your memories back and run to Ash, leaving us all behind.” He closes his eyes and places his arm over them, hiding from me.
“I wouldn't do that, King. Too many things have happened since the accident. Even if I get my memories back, which I don’t see happening, I’d never just abandon you, Carter, and Dom. You all have brought me back from the brink of depression.”
I move closer and rest my chin on his chest. “I think I’m falling for you all too,” I whisper and lean up to press a soft kiss on his lips. He sighs and nods. I return to my position, and he’s quiet for a few minutes.
“What do you want to do after graduation?” he asks, and I think it over. A few people have asked me that recently, and the only thing I can think of is freedom.
“I’d like to leave Willows Creek, and I’m not sure I would ever come back.”
“I’m joining the Air Force. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned that before,” he mutters, “It’s going to be a long road, but after I get through basic training and Tech school, I’d like you to come live with me.” I gasp and sit up.
“King, that’s so sweet of you to offer, but it’s way too soon. We’re not even dating…” I trail off because this is going so fast. He sits up and moves until his back is against my headboard.
“It’s fast for you, Gracie, because you don’t remember. But we have been best friends for years and years. Dom and Carter are also planning to move wherever they station me.” I nod because one of the guys mentioned this before.
“As for not dating… Gracie Nicole Rose, will you be my girlfriend… I mean, our girlfriend? We all really like you, baby. We want to love and protect you. We want to take care of you,” he says, moving closer to me.
I hadn’t realized I was crying until I feel tears drip down my cheeks. He wipes them away. “Good tears? Right?” he asks, and I laugh, nodding.
“God, I’m sorry. It’s just waking up from that coma and not knowing who anyone was… and then no one ever came to visit. I’ve been so alone. But now hearing that you actually want me to be with you…” I wipe my cheeks and give him a big smile.
“I don’t know about moving in together, but I would love to be your girlfriend.”
Ashton
“This is a really bad idea,” I tell Dom the next morning as he’s making coffee. “Gracie needs to stay far away from me, Dom. Not move closer. My mind is a fucked up mess when it comes to her. I hate her so much, but I also can’t fight that I love her and always will.”
He listens to me rant but doesn’t say anything, and it’s starting to piss me off. “What if my parents return and she’s here? They blame her for Mia’s death just as much as I do.” That gets him to stop stirring his drink and sigh.
“You haven’t been around recently, Ash. You haven’t seen how Gracie’s mom is always drunk and saying snide things to her daughter. How Grayson watches her but won’t even hug her, and her dad is never there.” He takes a sip and grimaces, then adds more sugar.
“You only know what the police told you and whatever conclusion you reached from the note she left, but I have a bad feeling, Ash. There’s so much more to the story of what happened that night. And yeah, moving her in here with us might not have any results, but she will be safe.”
He takes his mug and leaves my kitchen. I don’t follow.
Flashes of that night keep playing in my mind like some fucked up horror flick. I was just sitting there chatting with the guys. Gracie and Mia had been gone for a while, and I had started to worry they got lost. I was drinking. We all were. Then we heard someone scream. It echoed around the forest and chilled my blood. By the time we got to the cliff… Gracie was unconscious, her pulse weak, and Mia was dead.
