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“Hey,” Noah says. “Where’s Gray going?”
I shake my head, unable to keep the smile off my face. “I don’t know. Bathroom, I guess.”
Noah looks at me, his gaze searching, and I’m instantly nervous. He sits down next to me and grabs one of the towels, drying his hair.
“How have you been, Ari?” he asks, his voice soft. “Has Gray been looking out for you?”
I look away, unable to look my brother in the eye, knowing how much I’m keeping from him. How would he respond if I tell him about Gray? Would he be disappointed? I have no idea how this might affect their friendship, and I’m worried. Good things don’t last… At least not for me. At some point, Gray’s going to realize he can do much better than me. Everything that right now seems like a novelty is going to become tiring. When the infatuation wears off, he’ll move on with someone better suited to him. It’s only a matter of time. When everything eventually falls apart, I don’t want Noah to get hurt alongside me.
“He’s been great. Wonderful, really.”
“How do you feel? It killed me to see you so heartbroken. I know you loved Brad.”
I look down at my hands, my thoughts turning to the pain Brad put me through. I barely survived that. I can’t go through it again. If Gray ever cheats on me, I don’t think I’ll ever recover. The mere thought of him with someone else tears me apart.
“I’m not sure I did. I thought it was love, but in hindsight it wasn’t him I loved… It was the thought of having a relationship, a normal life.”
Noah nods, a hint of relief in his eyes. “I knew being here would be good for you. How’s the job?”
I smile, a genuine smile this time. “It’s amazing. I’ve never been happier. Working for Aequitas, the team I’m in… It’s a dream come true.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Noah says, looking up. I follow his gaze to find Grayson walking up to us, his eyes on his phone.
“Texting your girlfriend again?” Noah calls, his tone teasing.
I freeze, my stomach twisting violently. Girlfriend? A thousand thoughts whirl through my mind, each worse than the one before. Noah and Gray are close, and as far as I’m aware, they tell each other almost everything. Who is Noah talking about?
I grip the edge of the thin mattress, my nails digging into it deeply.
“No,” Gray says, his eyes on me. “It isn’t Nyx. It’s just work.”
Nyx?
“Aw, so it isn’t the girl you’re hopelessly in love with,” Noah teases. Gray sits down next to me, his thigh brushing against mine. Noah grins. “You are, aren’t you? You’re in love with Nyx.”
Grayson smiles at me, the affection in his eyes obvious. “Irrevocably.”
My heart skips a beat, and I force myself to look away. Will he always look at me this way? Will his eyes start to wander?
“So, are you getting anywhere with her then?” Noah asks.
Gray looks at me, his expression pleading, but I shake my head. I’m not ready. I’m far too scared things will go wrong. I can’t explain the paranoia I feel, but I can’t escape it either.
Gray runs a hand through his hair, frustrated. “I thought I was,” he says as he gets up and walks over to the barbecue in the corner.
Noah elbows me and looks at me with raised brows. “You know anything about this mysterious girl?” Something about his tone seems off, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I shake my head, and Noah looks away.
“Gray is a good man,” he says. “I hope Nyx gets her shit together soon. Gray’s patient, but he won’t wait forever.”
He turns to look at me, his expression serious. Does he know? He can’t, can he?
48
Grayson
I stare at the skyline from my sofa, unable to fall asleep. Aria is probably fast asleep in the guest room, while I gave Noah my room. Three days. It’s been three days, and everything feels fucked up. I haven’t even kissed Aria, and she’s given me no indication that she misses me at all.
I couldn’t even focus on the game I took Noah to. Fuck. I was looking forward to that for months, but all I could think about was the guilt I’m feeling, the things I’m keeping from him. I’m betraying his trust big time.
