Page 42 of Accidentally Forever

I hum against her skin, letting my lips drag a little lower before pausing, fingers tracing idle circles against her hip. "Yeah? You ever think about doing this for real?"

There’s a beat, a moment where I feel her hesitation before she turns in my arms, tilting her chin up, her hands pressing against my chest. “Maybe? Never thought about it.”

I clear my throat, forcing my brain to shift gears before I forget what the hell we came here for. "I’ve seen all I need to see," the words come out rough, like my voice hasn’t fully recovered.

She blinks, still dazed, still trying to catch up. "Huh?"

"The job," I smirk because I know damn well she forgot all about it.

"So, we’re heading back home now?" She asks as I lead her back out to the car. “You don’t have to talk to Nolan or whatever?

"Nope. I send him a small map of the room, where everything needs to move and it seems that my job has already been done for me because I cataloged all your suggestions. So… it’s time for a date.”

Her reaction is instant. Her whole body stiffens, her jaw practically unhinges, and she turns fully in her seat, blinking at me in surprise. "A what?"

I barely bite back a laugh, keeping my eyes on the road, hands steady on the wheel, but I feel her stare, the way her disbelief practically burns through me. "I’ve been dreaming of this goddamn moment for too fucking long. The others said it was okay if I steal you away for a little while.” I chance another look, meeting her gaze head-on, daring her to fight me on this. "Please let me have it."

She swallows, her lips pressing together, something flickering behind her eyes as she searches my face like she’s looking for a reason to say no. She doesn’t find one. “Yeah, okay.”

A slow grin spreads across my lips, and I reach over, giving her thigh a squeeze. "That’s my girl."

Chapter thirty-four

VIOLET

I prop my phone up against the dashboard, angling the screen just right before hitting the video call button. It rings twice before Sofie’s face appears, flushed and damp, strands of wet hair sticking to her cheeks. Behind her, Hawk and Lance sprawl in the oversized tub, their broad shoulders bracketing her small frame, looking entirely too pleased with themselves. Lance’s arm is draped across the edge, fingers tracing slow, idle circles along the water’s surface, while Hawk leans back, eyes half-lidded, his hand resting on Sofie’s thigh.

The image is obscene in the most unintentional way—too intimate, too easy, too much like something out of a dream. I shake my head, snorting. “Jesus, I leave you alone for a few hours, and this is what I come back to?”

Sofie giggles, tilting her head to nuzzle into Lance’s chest, her fingers trailing lazily over his skin. Hawk doesn’t even open his eyes, just keeps rubbing slow, possessive circles against her thigh like he’s memorizing the shape of her.

“They’re taking care of me,” she murmurs, voice warm, drowsy, satisfied in a way that makes my throat go tight.

“I can see that,” I say, watching as Lance plucks a piece of fruit from a nearby dish and presses it to her lips. She parts them easily, letting him feed her, the sight so soft it almost doesn’t fit the rest of this fucked-up world.

Gray, silent up until now, glances over at me. Amusement flickers in his blue eyes, but he doesn’t say anything, just keeps his attention split between me and the road, like he’s giving me the space to process.

Sofie’s gaze finds mine again, something quieter settling in her expression. That bright, youthful giddiness shifts, dims just a fraction, turning into something deeper. Something certain.

“We can be happy, Violet,” she says, no hesitation in her voice now. “We can have them too.”

I exhale sharply, forcing a small smirk, needing the moment to be lighter than it is. “Let them pamper you, baby.”

Sofie hums, her fingers tracing lazy patterns along Lance’s collarbone. “I am. But you have to do the same.” Gray chuckles, a low, knowing sound that vibrates through the car, and I barely get the chance to shoot him a glare before Sofie continues, her expression turning smug, but still deadly fucking serious underneath it all. “Let Gray take care of you.”

My mouth opens—ready to argue, ready to brush it off, ready to turn it into something easier—but the moment I do, Sofie’s expression shifts again. The teasing edge fades.

“You deserve it, Vi.”

Gray’s fingers curl around my thigh, like he’s been waiting for this exact moment to remind me I’m not alone in this anymore. I exhale through my nose, roll my eyes because it’s the easiest thing to do when my chest feels like it’s caving in, when raw emotions are scratching their way out into the open. “Fine. But don’t get used to it.”

The call ends, the screen going dark, and I sink back into my seat, exhaling like I can force this feeling out of me, like I can push it away before it settles too deep.

Gray doesn’t say anything at first, just keeps his hand right where it is, thumb tracing slow, steady circles over my jeans, like he’s waiting for me to shatter and isn’t in any hurry to rush it. Then, after a beat, he asks. “So… you gonna let me take care of you, princess?”

“If you’re good,” I throw back at him.

The diner hums with low conversations, the clang of metal spatulas against greasy grills, the occasional burst of laughter from the corner booth where a group of truckers are probably swapping stories about the worst roadside stops they’ve ever been to. The air is thick with the scent of sizzling meat and deep-fried everything, the kind of smell that sticks to your clothes and lingers under your nails.

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