Page 67 of Falling Into Forever
“Good luck,” I mouth to my sister. When I turn back around, we’re stopped by a human wall of Reids.
Awesome. This night cannot end fast enough.
“Grady, what are you doing?” I ask.
“Book club’s waiting for you, Sass,” he says in a much gentler tone than he uses for anyone else. I guess when you see someone at their worst, you tend to treat them with kid gloves forever.
Placing my fists on my hips, I wait until he stops glaring at Dante. “Are you going to be an ass?”
“Nah, Sass. We’re going to come to an understanding, is all.” Grady’s stern expression doesn’t give much away, but the ticking of his jaw means he’s grinding his teeth.
“Ease up, Grady. I’m a big girl.”
His face softens for a fraction of a second. “Yes, you are.”
“Fine. I’m going to be right in there. Don’t start anything.” I glance between the three Reid brothers and Dante. “Any of you.”
Each man gives a different version of okay, and I begrudgingly walk away. Instantly, I miss the heat and security of Dante’s hand.
How quickly things change.
“Poker table. Now,” I hear Grady demand. I turn and find Dante’s gaze roaming my body. A lazy smile hooks the corner of his mouth upward. He’s not worried.
But maybe he should be.
CHAPTER18
DANTE
“Ithought we were playing poker,” I say.
Grady’s assembled a crew at a long, rectangular table instead of the customary round one. With three chairs on one side and one on the other, it looks more like a trial.
“We are,” Harrison says. “Eventually.” He stands behind Grady with a lazy uptick of his lips but he’s the only one smiling.
Grady sits left of center at the table. To his left is Matty Miller, who was always the most-liked kid in town, and to his right is James, but his attention is singularly focused on Cassie—who appears to be the center of attention in the tasting room where book club is taking place.
Guess I’m not the only one aiming for a do-over.
Behind them, Harrison and Adam stand like security guards.
With the exception of Haphazard Harrison, I was never very close with any of them. I only moved here during my sophomore year of high school, and Saylor consumed my entire world from the moment I saw her. But I can’t deny the twinge of jealousy that they’ve all been able to remain friends after all these years.
Would I be part of the group if I hadn’t cut them all off?
In college, I came home and stayed with Saylor during the summers. My father had already moved on. Two years in the same place was a record for him to begin with, but Saylor’s family felt like home, so I stopped chasing him all over the country.
“It’s about time you came back to fix your shit,” Grady grumbles as I slide into a chair opposite him.
Harrison’s chuckle makes Grady growl, and I sit back in my chair with a smirk.
“Since you’re here, let’s air it out. You took off and cut everyone out of your life. Now you’re back, and you have amends to make.” Grady cuts a pointed glare in my direction. “So, make them.”
“No offense, Grady, but who died and made you sheriff?”
“You did,” he says through clenched teeth. “The day you vanished and hurt people I care about, you brought this on yourself.”
Everyone remains silent and staring while they wait for me to respond.
