Page 73 of Unspoken Hearts
“Right you are, kiddo.” Holden can’t get away from me sooner, knowing that he’ll have to explain himself.
Reid is going to save me a baby cow in the spring?
Standing, saliva sticking to the back of my throat, I quickly disappear upstairs, needing to change out of my clothes for the movie tonight.
Reaching my room, I pull out a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt. My door creaks open.
“Are you decent?”
My eyes roll. “Yes.”
Grayson walks in, shutting the door behind him. “Where have you been? Laynie said you left the cafe ages ago, and I couldn’t find you.”
“Oh, sorry. I was helping Reid fix the fence, then he showed me his new place.”
“His new place?” Grayson echoes warily.
I nod. “He needed help choosing paint colours, and I offered. You know how I like being creative.”
Staring up at my friend, my mind betrays me, thinking back to the kiss we shared in Reid’s kitchen. The smell of him, the feeling of touching his skin, the weight of his mouth on mine.
I feel my cheeks heating again. I dip my chin, avoiding Grayson’s eyes.
“You chose paint?”
“Yes,” I drawl, dousing that memory in cold water to keep myself focused. “It was fun.”
My eyes lift to his again, the tightness in his jaw evident when he asks in a low voice, “You wouldn’t lie to me, right?”
My head shakes as guilt burns in my stomach. “No.”
“So there’s nothing going on between you two?”
I shake my head again. “No, I just didn’t want to be alone when I came back, and you were still out, then we just lost track of time.”
Grayson sighs heavily, raking a hand through his hair. “You had me thinking that you were sneaking around or something.”
Biting down on my lip, I shake my head a third time, my toes wriggling as I push away the guilt.
“Next time, text me, though. Just so I know where you are. I don’t want something to happen to you.”
“Right,” I whisper, pushing hair behind my ear.
Grayson shuffles his weight. “Did something happen, M?”
My chin lifts to look at his concerned face, the one I’ve seen so many times. It’s genuine and oddly comforting now, but I feel the hole in my insides growing as I explain to him about Sandra’s phone call, leaving out the fact that I have basically no money to afford a new place.
Grayson murmurs out a curse, digging his fingers through his hair. “You’re staying here, Macie.”
My stomach twists as I shake my head. “I can’t stay here forever, Gray.”
“Why not?” He looks genuinely confused by my answer.
I dampen my lips. “Because this is your family. I’m just a visitor.”
“You’re not. My parents have wanted you here for so long. And I want you here.”
My stomach knots at that, wondering if he’ll still be saying that when he finds out about Reid and I, because we can’t keep that a secret forever.
