Page 59 of Grumpy Darling

Paige

“Breathe, Paige,” I whispered to myself. “Breathe. It was just a dream.”

I was standing in the hallway with my back pressed against Grayson’s closed bedroom door. I felt like an idiot after fleeing his room like a frightened mouse, and I was trying to convince myself that what had just happened was no big deal.

But it wasn’t just a dream. It was a dream about my best friend.

The details of it were foggy now, but I was certain Grayson had been there. And, despite the fact I was now wide awake, I could distinctly remember the feelings. Nerves. Excitement. Breathlessness. I felt hot and was still sweating a little, but there were also faint shivers shooting across my skin. Even though I couldn’t recall it clearly, I knew for sure this was not the kind of dream you were supposed to have about your closest friend.

The funny thing was, these sensations weren’t totally new. I’d also felt the same nerves and excitement when I’d flirted with Gray on the ice earlier in the day. Right now though, it was a lot more intense.

Maybe that was it; all the flirting practice had messed with my head. Plus, I’d been lying in Grayson’s arms, watching a romcom. It was no wonder he’d managed to sneak his way into my dreams. It was nothing unusual. Nothing to worry about. Right?

My phone buzzed again, breaking the silence in the hallway, and I glanced down at the screen. I’d already missed the first call from my mom, and she hadn’t waited more than a few moments before trying again. She wasn’t kidding when she’d said she’d be checking up on me, and I’d been getting at least one of these calls a day. I knew she wouldn’t quit until she got hold of me.

Still, I didn’t answer right away; I didn’t want to disturb anyone. The house was unusually quiet, so I crept through the hallway and down the stairs. I poked my head into the living room and found it empty, so I collapsed onto the couch.

While I’d been searching for a private place to take the call, the buzzing had stopped. Mom didn’t hesitate to try again and this time, I answered immediately.

“I asked you to do one thing, Paige,” she said as soon as the call connected. No “hello, Paige, how are you?” just straight down to business.

“I received an email from your career counselor,” she continued. “You didn’t attend your appointment with her last week, did you?”

Ugh. I’d gotten the email too, but I’d been hoping Mom would be too busy with work to check for emails from school. Or that perhaps by some miracle the counselor had decided not to inform my parents. It was seriously wishful thinking, since my mom practically had the woman on speed dial.

“Sorry, Mom. I totally forgot.”

She released a heavy sigh. “You can’t just forget these things, Paige. This is important. Especially since you missed the jobs fair a few weeks back.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You need to start focusing on your future.”

“I know.”

Another drawn-out sigh came down the line. “Clearly, one week without me and your father is derailing you even further. I told him he needed to reschedule his trip so one of us was at home. But would he listen? No...”

It sounded like my mom was about to launch into yet another rant about the failings of my father. And to be honest, I didn’t blame her. He was addicted to work and had been for most of my life. My mom wasn’t much better though. I suspected that was the only reason their marriage worked. They were both too busy to realize our homelife was a shambles.

“I’ll have to see if I can get out of my meetings next week and come home sooner,” she said.

“No!” I almost shouted, then quickly calmed myself. “I mean, you don’t have to do that. I’m sorry for missing my session with the counselor, Mom. It really was an accident. I know how important your trip is. Please don’t cut it short for me. I won’t miss my next appointment, I promise.”

The other end of the line went quiet for a moment. “Okay,” she finally said. “It’s been rescheduled for Wednesday at ten a.m. Make sure you’re there. The decisions you make now will affect your whole future.”

No pressure, Paige. It’s only your entire life that’s on the line if you don’t choose the right pathway now.Such a cheery thought to end the weekend on.

“I’ll be there,” I said.

“Good. I’ve got to make another call, so I’ll check in with you tomorrow. Good night, Paige.”

“Night, Mom.” The words were only halfway out of my mouth when the line went dead. My mother had a true talent for making me feel like crap, even from hundreds of miles away. I closed my eyes and took in a long breath before releasing it as slowly as I could, trying to push out all the negative vibes that were now prickling my skin.

“You okay, Paige?”

I opened my eyes to see Grayson’s dad had entered the living room. He’d been out all evening helping someone with an emergency tow and must have only just arrived home.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you frown before,” he added.

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