Page 80 of Nerdelicious
He signs something to her, and I don’t catch all of it with my limited knowledge, but he promises her something.
“I know,” Grace says. “I promised never to leave you again either, and I’m sticking to it.”
I squeeze her hand and let go. Even though I know it’s the only way things can be, any lingering hope I might have had that Beast would come to New York with me shatters and my heart pinches tight at the unfairness of it all.
“It... it sucks getting close to people because then you get hurt,” Grace mutters.
Granny reaches out and puts her hands over Grace’s knee. “My darling. Life without connection is no life at all. And since we’re here now, and being honest, there’s something I’ve been meaning to bring up.” She sits back and clears her throat, her hands clasping in her lap.
I exchange another glance with Beast. Granny is never nervous. Stubborn, eccentric, annoyed, impatient, yes. She definitely runs the gamut of moods. But never this.
“You should all know.” She pauses for a long moment and panic twists in my stomach. What if she’s sick or something? “I’ve been seeing someone.”
We stare at her.
Grace is the first to speak. “Seeing... someone?”
“Romantically,” she confirms.
“Why Granny, you’re breaking my heart,” Jude deadpans, the perfect response to make everyone, including Granny, chuckle.
She swipes at him. “You’re a rascal, Jude boy, and that’s what I love about you.”
“This is why you’ve been sneaking out all the time?” Grace asks. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Now, Gracie, don’t get upset. I wasn’t hiding it from you because you don’t matter, I was hiding it because you do. I don’t want to bring anyone into your life that isn’t going to stick around long-term. If it ended up just being a quick flirtation, there was no reason to get too attached. You understand.”
Grace’s eyes are wide, still reddened from her earlier upset. “So you’re saying it’s serious now?”
“It is. And I want to invite her over for supper so y’all can meet her, if that’s okay.”
My brows lift. “Her?”
Granny squints at me. “That’s what I said.”
I lift both hands in surrender. “I, for one, would love to meet her. Who is she?”
“Elaine Kilgariff.”
Jude grins. “That lady you’re always trying to get the fried chicken recipe from?”
Granny nods. “We’ve been friends for a long time, but things have escalated. That’s all I’m sayin’ about it now, ya hear?”
I wrap an arm around Granny’s shoulder. “I think it’s wonderful.”
“Me, too,” Grace says.
Beast nods.
Grace clears her throat and then bites her lip, her gaze darting around us. “Since we’re doing this whole sharing thing, I should probably mention I lied about the kids being mean to me at school. I didn’t want friends because I didn’t think we’d stay here this long.”
“Oh, Grace,” I say.
“This one guy tried to sit with me at lunch and I might have barked at him.”
I can’t hold back my laugh, and Grace gives me a watery smile. “I just figured, if they think I’m crazy, they’ll leave me alone.”
Jude shifts on the couch, turning to face her. “Why would you want to be alone when you and I both know how desperately you want friends?”
