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I donothave feelings for Grant Faircross anymore.
Especially when he’s hiding something and I need to know what.
“What do you know about my sister?”
“I told you. Nothing.” Grant scowls.
“Dammit, Grant. You’re acting like I’m still a kid and you have to protect me from potholes on my bike. If something’s going on with Ros, just tell—”
“Where the hell you getting this from?” he snarls. “I told you, I haven’t noticed shit. You got a problem with your sister, take it up with her. Don’t get mad at me about it, Butterfly.”
For a second, I stop and stare.
He shrinks back—as much as a human mountain like him can—knowing he slipped up using that old name I don’t dare acknowledge.
“That’s not why I’m—” I cut myself off, slapping my hands lightly on the table as I stand, shrugging out of his borrowed jacket. I drape it over the back of the chair, leave my tea untouched, and offer a sweet smile. “You know what? Never mind. Say hi to your parents for me, Grant. I’ll stop by one day to see them when I’m sure you’re not there.”
While he glares at me, I turn around and march into the living room, heading for the front door.
Only, there’s company.
Nell, just coming down the foot of the stairs. She’s dragging some kind of mangled blue floppy horse thing with rainbow yarn for a mane.
A unicorn, maybe?
It’s hilariously filthy and stained, but she clutches it like it’s the most cherished thing ever while she scrubs at one eye and blinks at me.
“Miss Ophelia? You’re going home already?”
That little girl makes my scathing smile genuine.
“It’s past my bedtime, hon. Pretty sure it’s past yours, too. Why are you up again, sweetie?”
“...I didn’t get to tell you good night.”
And there goes my heart.
“Oh, honey.” I step closer, offering my hand. “Want a goodnight hug?”
Nell nods drowsily.
So I sink down on one knee and pull her into my arms, painfully aware of Grant’s huge shadow in the kitchen doorway, watching us in vibrating silence.
“Promise me you’ll be good, all right? No more running away. If this big dumb jerk is mean to you, if you’re good and stay at home, then I’ll take you out for ice cream.”
Nell’s woebegone look is a little too calculated.
“He’s mean all the time. That’s a lot of ice cream...”
“You’ll have earned it. Becausehe is mean all the time,” I throw back over my shoulder before standing again and ruffling Nell’s hair. “Good night, munchkin.”
“Good night, Miss Philia.”
“Good night,Philia,” Grant rumbles, stressing his pronunciation in a way that tingles my heart.
Nope.
Not tonight.
