Page 98 of Falling Into Forever
He chuckles. “Only when there will be a ton of kids and not much to do after dark. I like to be prepared. Plus, I’ve been wanting to try it out.”
The air shifts, and the chair next to me groans with new weight. “Hey,” Grady says. He leans back and lifts his head to the stars. “You doing okay?”
I shake my head with a smile. He and Dante couldn’t be more similar, but they would never admit it. Angling my body toward Grady, I catalog his appearance. Tightness in his jaw, check. Squared shoulders ready for a fight, check. A scowl that could scare ghosts—well, it might be there, but his head is on a swivel searching for someone, so I’m not really sure.
“Yeah,” I say. “This is better than I expected. But…”
He turns his head toward me and raises one brow while he waits for me to continue.
“Are you okay? You look tired.” I lean in and lower my voice. “Are you having nightmares again?”
His gaze darkens, then he shuts his eyes for a long second and effectively shuts me out too. “No,” he finally says, then places a hand on my forearm. “Just been sorting through a lot of—history lately. Don’t go worrying about me, Sass. I’m good. You’re good. We’re going to be fine.”
When I don’t reply, he lifts his head with a pointed stare. So why does it feel like he’s lying?
He quickly changes the topic. “How’s writing going?”
I purse my lips until I’m sure I can answer without demanding he tell me what’s wrong, and he chuckles.
“Writing’s fine,” I say while staring into the fire, even though it’s not. I have three different stories going, and I can’t finish any of them.
On the other side of the firepit, I watch Lena fall into a chair with Poppy in her lap. When I turn back to Grady, his attention is on Lena as well.
Interesting.
“But I do have a question,” I say. When his jaw clenches, I smirk. “About my contracts.”
Slowly he drags his gaze away from Lena while stifling a yawn. What the hell is going on with him?
“Are you sleeping?” I demand. My tone is harsh, and I try again. Old habits die hard and all. “Well, are you?” This time my voice pitches high enough to gain the attention of everyone in our circle.
Maybe I’m not ready for parties after all.
“Yes, Sass. I’m sleeping. What’s your question?” he asks. Dante squeezes my hand. It’s a warning of some kind, but I can’t heed it. Stupid social cues, I never did quite understand them.
“Then why are you so tired?”
“Sassy,” Grady growls. “I’m. Fine. What. Is. Your. Question.”
My entire face pinches as heat climbs up my skin. Pointing a finger in his space I say, “Fine. But we’re not done talking about this.”
He gives one curt nod, so I return one.
“Fine,” I say. “Good. Then my question is, my contract says Malimar owns Sara and Danny, right? But…” I bite my lip because I’m not even sure I want to do this. There’s a song that talks about stories being unwritten, and it plays loudly in my head. Maybe my story with Dante was never meant to have an ending, but I need all the information just in case.
“What if I write the ending—the third book—like a complete stand-alone novel and change the character names, location, etc.? Could I publish it then? I never gave them an outline or plot points or anything, but readers would know it was their happily ever after because of what the characters will go through.”
He taps his fingers against the armrest of his chair. “I’d have to go over it again, but one thing is for sure, I would strongly encourage you to use a different name. Either your real name or a new pen name. Honestly, Sass, publishing isn’t my forte, but I can probably tell you if anything would prevent you from creating a new world to end your trilogy without blatantly finishing your trilogy. Give me a few days to review it and consult with a law school acquaintance, then I’ll get back to you.”
“Thanks, Grady.” I allow my face to twist into a full smile, which shocks us both. He bursts into a belly laugh that has everyone turning in our direction again.
“You’re welcome, Sass. It’s good to see you like this.”
“It’s nice to be like this,” I whisper like a confession.
“I’m proud of you. Take things one day at a time, and you’ll be fine.”
His brother Adam interrupts us, and Grady stands to help him with the grill, so I turn my attention back to the lively conversations happening around me.
