Page 62 of Falling Into Forever
She lifts her phone and taps away. I’m almost nervous to find out what she’ll say that will send Grady running. When she’s finished, she flashes us a smile that makes me nervous.
“Quick,” she says, jumping down from her stool. “We need to make it look like books fell off the shelf.”
“What did you tell him?” Saylor asks but hurries to the far side of the store with Lilly.
“That I was putting away books, and a shelf broke. I said I’m fine, and Kai is coming to check on me.” She glances over her shoulder with a shit-eating grin. “It’s not that he dislikes Kai, but there’s not a chance he’ll let him check on me without chaperoning.”
She and Saylor pull down a row of books. “When he gets here, I’ll sit on the floor. You’ll have to be quick to get the clothespin on him. But he’ll be a little ragey thinking I might have gotten hurt, so he won’t be as vigilant about his surroundings.”
“That’s…”
“It’s not nice, but neither was he when he chaperoned homecoming and kept pulling Kai back by the collar when he got too close while dancing with me. A little payback never hurt anyone,” she says.
“He’s definitely going to kill me,” I groan. “So much for getting him on my side.”
The overhead bell chimes when the door crashes open. “Harrison, I swear to God, I will end you if you come near me with that pin,” Grady roars.
I peer around the bookshelf as Lilly drops to the floor. Grady scans the store before landing on me. The muscles in his shoulders eat up the space between his chin and chest as he stalks closer. Behind him, Harrison and Adam smirk.
I glance at my watch. I can’t make a move until the final minutes, but guilt hits my chest when Grady pushes past me.
“What happened? Where’s Kai?” The words fly from Grady’s mouth as Harrison and Adam flank me on either side.
“Genius,” Adam whispers.
“Getting Lilly to rope him in was both impressive and fucking du-umb. He’s going to kill you,” Harrison says.
Harrison was one of the few people I considered a friend when I lived here. Even when I came home from college for the summer, he was the only one besides Saylor I did anything with.
He’s someone else I owe an apology to for cutting him out of my life. But it’ll have to wait for another day.
“Yeah, he’s going to be pissed,” I admit, even as I inch forward.
There are less than five minutes left in the competition, so I make my move. Placing a hand on Grady’s shoulder, I lean over him, pretending to check on Lilly. His low growl has me lifting one hand even as I clip the pin to the material of his shirt with the other.
“What happened?” Grady demands.
“I said I’m fine. Nothing even hit me. Admit it, you came running because I said Kai was coming,” Lilly says with more than a little sass. Maybe letting her hang out with Saylor wasn’t the best idea he’s ever had.
“Then why are you on the floor?” His face is pinched with concern, and I don’t think Grady can say anything without growling.
“Ugh, Grady.” She gives the kind of annoyed shrug that would make Saylor proud. “I’m organizing the books so we can reshelve them.”
Saylor snorts when she’s unable to hold in a laugh, and it makes Grady suspicious. He stands quickly and glowers at the room, assessing the situation with his back to a bookshelf.
Two more minutes.
“Lilly, what the hell is going on?” he asks, glaring at me.
Somehow, he’s figured out this is my doing, and I’m thankful for all the hours I’ve spent in the gym. There’s no way I could take Grady, but I’m almost confident he couldn’t actually kill me, either.
One minute.
Lilly stands, and the flash of her purple sundress must grab his attention because he finally stops glaring at me.
“Epic,” Harrison laughs.
“Admit it, Grady. You came running because you thought I’d be alone with my boyfriend,” Lilly taunts.
