Page 188 of Wicked Minds
He nods, seeing it, before nudging me past the office and into the dressing room. And throughout the rest of the night, when I’m on the stage, and I feel that shield weakening, I catch his gaze, then what I see staring back at me… tempers me.
53
RILEY
“What are you doing here?” I blurt, spotting Grayson leaning against the side of his slick black sports car on Tuesday morning. I didn’t think Logan had hockey practice this morning, and usually, when he does, Royce picks me up.
Grayson… Grayson doesn’t pick me up. Not ever. He sits with us at lunch, but unless we’re all going to The Depot—something the guys all did together before I came along—or when he’s on babysitting duty at Lux—like last Friday—he’s blissfully absent from my life.
I like it that way.
Grayson has this way of stealing all of my attention and I don’t like it. I don’t like how, with each passing day, I catch glimpses of the boy I used to know. It makes it difficult to remember that only six weeks ago he was holding me against my will inside his house.
Pushing off the side of his car, his eyes drop, taking in the boots, black tights, and knee-length skirt I’m wearing before raking over my puffy winter jacket and finally coming to rest on my face. “Taking you to school.”
He gestures toward the car as though it should be obvious, but it’s really not.
I don’t move from the doorway. “Why?”
He huffs out a breath as though I’m being deliberately obtuse. “Royce and Logan are busy today.”
My brows furrow because neither of them mentioned that to me. Although, I’ve barely spoken to Royce. He hasn’t crawled into my bed in the middle of the night all week and I hate how much I miss it. How much I miss him. I’m clinging to hisI love youlike it’s a lifeline that will bring him back to me because I have no idea what’s going on, and it’s worrying me. Whenever I’ve tried asking Logan about it, he assures me he’s just busy and everything is fine, before promptly changing the subject or distracting me.
“Busy with what? What the hell is going on? Because despite Logan’s assurances, I knowsomethingis going on.”
He averts his gaze, lips pursed. “We’ll explain everything later.”
My eyebrows hit my hairline. I was expecting more evasive bullshit. And while that’s still technically what he’s doing, he’s now officially set a deadline. “Tonight?” I clarify.
He nods, lips still pressed into a thin line and expression unreadable.
I lick my lips nervously. “Is, uh, everything okay?”
My voice wobbles and he picks up on it, gaze snapping to mine and latching on. I’m not sure I’m breathing. Seconds. Minutes. Hours. I’m not sure how long we stay locked like that before something in his expression gives. A softness creeping in at the edges. “Yeah. Everything’s going to be fine. Great, hopefully.”
I don’t understand, but I nod anyway.
Hitching a thumb over his shoulder, he points at his car. “School?”
“Oh. I can walk.”
He closes his eyes as though praying for patience. It mustn’t work, though, as he barks, “Get in the car, Riley. Now,” before pinning me with a stare that promises punishment if I defy him.
Trapped inside the small confines of his car, I’m cocooned in the smell of his aftershave—something decadent and oaky. It smells good.Reallygood, and I scowl out the window because it’s not helping me keep a level head when I’m around him.
The journey to campus is quiet, but not awkwardly so.
“Thanks, uh, for the ride,” I mumble when we reach campus, not entirely sure how to navigate this new dynamic. It’s one thing when we’re all together, and the guys are a buffer between us, and our back and forth is mostly snarky. Another is when we’re at Lux, and there’s no talking at all. But this feels entirely too intimate and… boyfriendy.
Assuming this is where we part ways, I give him a stiff smile as I get out of the car and head toward my first class. Except, my brand new shadow continues to follow me as I traverse the campus paths.
“What are you doing?” I bark, whirling on him when I’ve had enough of feeling his eyes on me, his presence at my back.
“I’m supposed to walk you to class.”
I huff out an aggravated breath, because it’s sweet when Logan does it but overbearing when Grayson stalks behind me like I’m an errant child incapable of making it there on her own.
“I’m a big girl, Grayson. I can get to class all by myself.”
