Page 75 of Always Been Yours

“Nope. Doesn’t beat horny teens. Sorry, babe.” Lexi suddenly sits up a little straighter, sniffing the air like a bloodhound on a scent. “Why does it smell like pot in here?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Vivi

Grady and I are sitting like two kids in the principal’s office—another adolescent experience we missed out on together.

“You promised.” Lexi points an accusing finger at me.

I cringe in response. “I know. It wasn’t planned. I completely forgot Asher left it in there.”

“I didn’t forget,” Lexi snaps, pointing at her chest. She finally turns her attention and finger toward Grady. “Andyou. I hope you had fun. Vivi’s one of the funniest people to get high with. You better know how lucky you’re.”

The handful of times that Lexi and I smoked together were always fun, but I’ve almost always felt somewhat paranoid at some point, no matter who I was with. It has happened with Lexi, Asher and Calypso. Even when I was with all three of them. After the giggles and random thoughts, the worry and dread always came next. It’s a major reason why I don’t smoke pot—and you know,myjob.

Except for last night.

I felt comfortable and content with Grady. I feltsafewith him. In a way I don’t think I ever have with anyone else.

“Do you remember the first time we smoked together?”

“Yes,” I say in a flat voice. “I had only been living there for like a week, you fucking twat.” Lexi’s booming laugh is her only response. I turn toward Grady and give him an exasperated shake of the head. “It was a week after I moved into Lexi’s studio apartment. We got way too high, and I just wanted to eat my Jell-O cup in peace, but this bitch wouldn’t give me a spoon.”

“She forgot where they were and was on the verge of a meltdown.” She chuckles at the memory. “I was laughing too hard to offer any sort of help.”

“Do you know how hard it is to eat a Jell-O cup without a spoon?” A few giggles pop out at the memory, but I bite my lips to hold together my annoyed demeanor.

His face is lit up with amusement and I hate how much I love that goofy grin.

“That was the night I decidedfor surethat I would keep my little stray,“ Lexi says in a genuinely affectionate voice.

“Not the first night? When we got drunk? We really let each other have it.”

“Nope. Too much crying.” She looks at Grady and points at herself. “Not me. I don’t cry.”

Rolling my eyes, I ask, “How about when you brought your boy toy Troy to force me out of my dorm?”

Grady’s eyebrows raise in question, but he doesn’t stop our banter.

“No, I wasn’t one hundred percent yet. I just knew you couldn’t staythere.”

“Huh.” I sit back and consider that. “That’s fair. I was sure I wanted to stay after we got drunk.” Lexi shrugs me off and I smile in response. Not saying it never happens, but it’s rare that Lexi and I hurt each other’s feelings anymore.

Gradydoesn’t look as convinced of our good standings.

He clears his throat and waits for both sets of eyes to fall on him. “I have some questions.”

I suck in my cheeks, looking at Lexi with a raised brow.Knew this was coming.

Lexi glances at me then back to Grady with a shrug. “We figured you might at some point.”

“Go ahead and ask, Grady.” I look at his face, but I can’t get myself to meet his eye. Instead, I stare at his flawlessly proportioned nose, letting my eyes skim over the light sprinkling of hair along his jaw. It was trimmed when he came back with breakfast, but I can tell by morning it’ll be back to my favorite scruffy length.

Looking back at Lexi, I can’t help but think about the last ten years we’ve spent together. Even though it’s strictly platonic between us, I’ve never been more committed to anyone like I’ve been to Lexi—not even my ex-fiancé.

I love her so fucking much but I hate that the beginning of our friendship is tangled up in so much bullshit. And I don’t even meanourbullshit.

A decade later, I still hate talking about this. I hate the insecurities it brings up and the numb feeling in my bones. I hate the memories I have with Brody and Molly and the memories from the weeks after without either of them.

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