Chapter 13
Thirteen
Kingston
Ican’t stop smiling at my phone. Elise wrote me back. Not only did she make it to France safely, but she admitted she’s also been thinking about our kiss. She felt it too.
Now, I just need to determine what that means.
I set the phone down on the bench press beside me. My Saturday evenings are predictable—workout, protein shake, and maybe a late-night run if the weather’s decent. Simone is off, so it’s mostly just me and the silence. Tonight is no different until Greyson’s name lights up my phone.
Greyson: Hall pass. Anyone free?
I wipe the sweat from my forehead with a towel, grinning. Leave it to my brother to turn fatherhood into a tactical operation, sneaking out like he’s breaking curfew.
Me: Depends. What do you have in mind?
A bubble pops up almost instantly.
Greyson: As long as there’s no baby duty, I’m good for anything.
I laugh. I can picture him, already halfway out the door.
Me: Meet at Mom and Dad’s? We could hit Mikey’s. Grab a drink. Play pool.
Greyson: Perfect. Seven?
I send him a thumbs-up and rack my weights, still buzzing with energy that has nothing to do with the workout. Elise’s email is swirling within me, and a beer and a couple of rounds of pool with Greyson is exactly the kind of distraction I need, so I don’t spend the evening analyzing and agonizing.
After a quick shower, I change into jeans and a button-down, rolling up the sleeves. I lace my boots and climb into the helicopter, lifting off toward my parents’ place. The restless edge in me hasn’t gone anywhere.
Greyson’s waiting out front when I land, leaning against his brand-new Mercedes SUV. It gleams under the porch lights, the kind of car you buy when you’ve traded bachelor freedom for midnight feedings.
I spot the car seat strapped in the back and can’t help grinning. “You’ve gone full dad,” I call as I walk up. “A dad car, Grey. Next thing, you’ll be wearing cargo shorts.”
He smirks. “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. And hey, you can join me in wedded bliss whenever you want.”
“With whom?” I laugh, shaking my head. “Tried that with Cara, remember? Look how well it turned out. She left me for my best friend.”
His eyes darken, just for a second. “He wasn’t your best friend if he’d act on his feelings for your wife.”
I shake my head. The truth of it still stings, five years later. But I’m not ready to crack that scar open tonight, especially since Elise has thrown my whole defense mechanism into shambles.
We climb in and make the short drive into town.
Mikey’s is buzzing when we walk through the doors—warm lights, music in the background, Shoreline Brewery’s latest seasonal blend pouring from the taps.
Half the crowd is people we grew up with, and we shake hands, clap backs, and trade a few stories before finally making it to the bar.
Two pints later, we’re in the back room, settling in at our usual pool table. The clack of the balls echoes against the wood-paneled walls, muffled by the conversation bleeding in from the main bar.
Greyson racks the balls with deliberate precision, like he’s setting up a surgical tray. I lean on my cue, watching the triangle fill.
“You’ve really gone soft,” I say as he lines up the break. The cue ball smacks, scattering solids and stripes in all directions. He sinks one, then scratches, and I grin. “Completely settled.”
He straightens and gives me that calm little smile he’s worn ever since meeting Trinity.
“Settled and happy. There’s a difference.
And I hope you find it too.” He leans on the table, casual, easy.
“Trinity and I are already talking about taking the baby to Tokyo Disney when he’s old enough to enjoy it.
Can you believe that? Me, standing in line for rides with a toddler. ”
I blink at him. “Tokyo Disney? Since when did your vacations stop involving cocktails on the beach and whatever nightclub stayed open latest?”
Greyson laughs, the sound warm. “Those trips were fun. But this—this is better. It feels like building something instead of chasing something.”
I chalk my cue slowly, the dust clouding my fingers.
He’s right. He seems happier than I’ve ever seen him.
Part of me envies that ease. The other part tightens, the old scar throbbing where Cara cut me open.
Her betrayal still burns, years later. I can taste the bitterness of it.
So when Greyson talks about happiness, about building a life, all I think is how easily it can crumble.
And how do you ever know for sure? How do you take that risk?
“What about that lawyer in Vancouver? Thought you were serious about her.” Greyson bends low over the table, cue sliding through his hand. He doesn’t rush.
“Naw. It’s casual. We’re both focused on our jobs. Plus, she doesn’t want to live outside the Vancouver area.”
He hits, misses by an inch.
“I always feel anxious there,” I continue. “It’s not for me. So there’s no future with her.” I circle the table, fingers skimming the cool edge.
“If you loved her, you’d move.” Greyson repeats back to me what I told him when Trinity returned to Vancouver.
“I suppose that’s true,” I agree as I line up, exhale, and sink another stripe. The ball rolls true, crisp against the back of the pocket. “And I never said I did.”
Grey found the person worth bending for. I thought I was done with that. Though if I’m honest, I don’t feel quite as certain as I once did.
That thought startles me. For years, I’ve told myself love is a slow collapse, something you survive, not something you seek. But when I think about Elise, I feel different.
“What about you?” he asks. “What are you doing to meet women?”
I laugh once. “Look around, Grey. I’m in a closed room playing pool with my married brother. I’m clearly just waiting to see who I meet.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “It’s not like someone’s going to show up on your doorstep.”
Elise did, my mind counters immediately. Snowstorm, vines, everything. She’s been part of our family forever. And she’s not just my little sister’s friend anymore.
I roll the cue ball in my palm, gripping it before I set it down. I bend low, aim, and drive the eight into the corner. The sharp crack reverberates through the room, leaving silence in its wake.
“Guess I’ll wait and see,” I tell him, not willing to divulge any more.
Greyson claps me on the shoulder. “You always were stubborn.”
We finish the game, order one more round, and then step out into the cool night.
The neon glow of Mikey’s spills across the pavement, laughter and music following us out.
Greyson drives me back to Paradise Hill and my helicopter.
I watch him drive off to his family, and a hollowness settles in my chest. I had that once—or thought I did.
Cara proved me wrong, proved how fast a promise can turn to ashes.
I fire up the engine, the blades chopping the night sky. Despite my fears, and my vow never to hurt that way again, Elise’s email rings through me like a secret song. She hasn’t stopped thinking about that kiss. Neither have I.
As I rise into the sky and head for home, I let myself wonder what that means.