Page 76 of One Good Move

And I feel a little less numb.

Grayson

My blood pressurerises as I type out an annoyed response to an email from Blair. It’s the third one in the past week asking me to meet her in her office for some ridiculous reason or another. This time she wants to discuss a strategy I worked on to maximize sales efforts— something that can definitely wait until tomorrow morning. It’s past 6 p.m. and I’m itching to get out of the office.

I hit send. Pigs will fly before I waste my time in a bogus meeting with that woman. It’s bad enough that I have to attend this stupid work event with her tomorrow night. I had been on the fence about it, but my mind was made up for me when I received an email from Blair stating that my attendance was mandatory now that Max Collins was going to be there. Beck’s orders.Just fuckinggreat.Working with Blair is testing my patience and remaining professional around her is getting harder and harder every day.

For now, I’m doing my best to just stay away from her.

Sort of like Sierra is doing to me.

The two of us seem to be on pause. She hasn’t come out and said she wants to put space between us, but she doesn’t have to. It’s clear in her actions.

Three nights ago, I was buried deep inside of her on her couch. Since then, I have seen her once, and that was only because I showed up at her door with takeout, pushing her to have dinner with me. I ended up staying the night, but when we woke up the next morning she was off again, quiet and distracted. My heart deflated like a balloon in my chest as I watched her leave for work. After spending every waking minute with her for months, the distance between us is feeling like some form of torture.

I miss Sierra. I miss her so much, my bones ache. We’re not us. It feels shitty and I want things back to the way they were, back before I was afraid every day that I’m going to lose her.

I scrub a hand over my jaw. I can’t stand this. Why am I holding back when everything in me is telling me to fight for her? Fight for us.

Suddenly I’m flying out of my office, and into my car, on the way back to Haven Harbor.

I slam my truck into park in front of my house, noticing Sierra’s car parked in her driveway. I try her front door, but it’s locked, so I knock and wait, but there’s no answer.

“She’s not home.”

I whirl around at the sound of Tucker’s voice.

“Where is she? I need to talk to her.”

He points to the beach, and I see Sierra about 10 feet from shore paddling towards the purple and pink horizon.

She’s standing on her board, her golden skin shimmering under the late summer sun.

I’m about to grab my paddle board from the garage and make a run for the beach when Tucker stops me with a hand on my forearm.

As if sensing my presence, Sierra turns at the same time, her eyes locking with mine over her shoulder. My pulse races like it always does when she looks at me.

“Let her paddle,” Tuck says gently. “She needs to clear her head.”

As I watch her, a million things I want to say to her hang in the air between us.I need you. I love you. I’ll love you through it all.But I let her go. I’m back to being…patient.

Does she have this constant ache in her chest that never goes away, the same way I do? It’s devastating.

“You really miss her, huh?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe. I thought it would get a little easier but every day that goes by, I only miss her more. Fucked up, right? I was never that guy. I barely recognize myself anymore.”

“It’s okay to fall in love, Gray,” he says quietly. “I’m not surprised you did. You have a heart bigger than any of us. You’re the guy who has always loved his friends, his mom, his sister fiercely. You’re a big old sappy mush, destined to fall for the girl. So no, I’m not surprised.”

I breathe out a laugh. “I fell hard,” I shake my head. “And then I fucked it all up.”

Tuck sighs. “Sierra is one of the best people I know. She’s kind and empathetic and she sees the best in people. She’s been through a lot—more than any of us—and she’s been through some majorly tough moments with Jake. It’s killing her that he won’t speak to her. But I know Jake, he just needs some time to cool off. He’ll let her in again. And when he does, she’ll come back to you.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. I never planned on finding love but somehow, I found it with Sierra. “I’m so fucking scared she won’t.”

“It’s okay to be scared,” Tucker says. “Tell her how you feel and when she’s ready, you’ll be waiting for her.”

I feel like a heartsick teenager, missing her so much even though she’s only 100 feet away.

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