Page 4 of Grumpy Darling

Unfortunately, by the time I realized the true extent of my feelings, I’d already been stuck in the friend zone for years. And even if, by some miracle, Paige suddenly did start seeing me differently, I knew I wasn’t worthy of her. She was the human embodiment of sunshine, and what kind of selfish jerk would I be if I dimmed her glow with my dark, stormy clouds?

“I don’t want anything to change. I like things how they are.”

“Okay, man, whatever you say.” Matt shrugged, and I hoped that would be the end of it, but then Reed spoke up.

“Things are going to change, though,” he said. “And soon, whether you like it or not. We’re committed to play for Ryker, but what’s Paige doing next year?”

Coach Ray entered the locker room and called us to attention before I could respond. Reed already knew the answer to his question. Paige had no clue.

But, eventually, she’d have to make some decisions. And those decisions could lead her somewhere I wasn’t. We might not be in the same town or even the same state. Paige could end up in a different country for all I knew. She’d seemed to enjoy learning French for her bucket list a couple of months ago; what if she suddenly decided to move to Europe?

Coach had started addressing the room, talking about some new player joining the team next week, but I wasn’t listening. Instead, I was repeating Reed’s words over and over in my head.

Everything was going to change at the end of this year. And I didn’t like it at all. Still, that didn’t mean I was going to do something stupid that could ruin my friendship with Paige. She was the girl I wanted in my life forever, and even if that was only as a friend, it would have to be enough for me.

Chapter 2

Paige

“Come down here, Paige. I’ve got something important to—” Instead of finishing her sentence, my mom let out a blood-curdling scream. It was quickly followed by a shocked yelp. “What the hell is that?”

I was slowly making my way downstairs, but the sound of my mom’s panicked voice had me racing to the kitchen. I’d never heard her scream like that before. Something must be horribly wrong.

I burst into the kitchen and found her pressed up against the fridge, one shaking hand pointing across the room to a spot on the floor. Her face was pale as my dad appeared in the doorway behind me.

“What’s wrong now?” he demanded.

“M . . . M . . .”

Whatever it was, my mom couldn’t seem to get the words out to explain. I glanced in the direction she was pointing and smiled when I saw something small and fluffy on the floor.

“Aw, is that a mouse?” The poor little guy was probably terrified from all the screaming. But as I went to walk over to it, my mom finally snapped out of her state of shock and reached out an arm to stop me.

“Paige, no. It’s dead.”

“What? Really? How?” I couldn’t help but feel sad, especially given the relief in my mom’s voice as she announced his passing.

“All that screaming over a dead mouse?” My dad shook his head. “I thought there was a real problem.”

“I was taken by surprise, Steven.”

“I don’t have time for surprises, Deborah. My flight’s in just over two hours, and I have a stack of emails to get through before I go.”

He stalked from the room without another word. My mom took a deep breath, straightened her jacket and smoothed a hand over her perfect dark hair that was slicked back in a tight bun. In an instant, her expression had transformed, and I almost forgot she’d been quivering in the corner only moments ago.

“Right, like I was saying, I’ve got something important to tell you.” She turned and retrieved her cup of coffee from the counter as though nothing had happened. “Your father isn’t the only one going on a business trip.”

“Oh, okay.” I failed to see how that news trumped the mystery of the mouse’s tragic end. My parents were always traveling for work, so this was nothing new. Had she no respect for the dead?

“I’m leaving tonight.”

That got my attention. “Wait, you’re both leaving today?”

“Yes.”

“How long will you be gone for?”

“They need me in Seattle first thing tomorrow,” she replied. “And then Chicago the week after that. It’ll be at least two weeks, maybe longer.”

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