7. Gracie
They both turn to me, their eyes wide with the shocked look etched into their faces. My chest heaves with the force of my breathing, and I nearly forget to breathe when Trevor’s eyes narrow down on mine.
“You!” I continue, sucking in a deep breath to keep my chest from caving. I point at Trevor and don’t bother hiding the grimace on my face. “You know there’s no way I’m getting married to you,” I say to him, then tilt my head to one side. “Keep your proposal.” I face Jace next and wag a finger at him. “Come with me.”
Jace follows me into Espresso Books” inner office. He slams the door after him, then levels me with his furious look.
“What are you thinking, Gracie?” Jace questions as he closes the distance between us in quick strides. “You know Trevor. He’s not the kind to ever take anything seriously. I love him, but we both know he’s crazy sometimes, and a fake marriage with him will only end in disaster for you. So what are you thinking?”
My brother’s brows furrow together in worry as he questions me. I can’t think of the best way to explain to him that I’m not considering Trevor’s proposal, because the truth is that I am.
Trevor might be a lot of things, but the one thing I know is that he’s not a total jerk. Unlike the sides of him everyone else knows, I know he has a good heart, and he hides behind his hard exterior to protect himself.
He’s a jerk sometimes though,I think, remembering one time in high school when he tricked me into jumping into an icy pool after lying it was a warm one. I grit my teeth as the memory of his mean prank slashes through my mind.
Trevor and I have had our moments. Both sweet and annoying. Most times I choose to remember the annoying because that way I can keep my heart from bursting in two each time he’s near.
“Gracie…” Jace calls insistently and pulls me out of the path my thoughts travel down.
“I know, I know,” I chant. “I’m not accepting his proposal, Jace. It’s a stupid one,” I say with a laugh. “I’d be crazy to think I can fool anyone into believing Trevor is in love with me. The man’s a known playboy all over the country. He has the attention of like a million women all at once, and every week, there’s a new scandal of him in the papers with some new model or female sports player. He’s not going to fool anyone? Not even the blind.”
My eyes flicker over to the doorway as I speak, and I spot Trevor standing there, his eyes wide as he stares at me and Jace. He has a broken expression that falls over his face as his hand falls from the doorknob.
“Why, because I’m damaged goods?” Trevor asks in a shaky voice that instantly makes my heart snag with the whiplash of guilt.
“Trevor,” Jace and I chorus, moving towards the door at the same time.
“You believe those articles about me? You really think the media cares about the truth when they write those articles? You really think it’d be so terrible to convince anyone that I’m a good guy simply because I don’t believe in the concept of love and fairytale romances?”
Jace shrugs a little and I shove my elbow into his side to keep him from saying anything stupid.
Trevor scoffs, and the pained look in his eyes intensifies before he shakes his head.
“That’s not what we meant, Trevor,” I whisper as he enters into the office fully and shuts the door.
“I need this, Gracie. No matter what you two think of me…I need to make sure I get my spot back on my team and play in the finals. This is about my career and not what anyone thinks about me. I don’t believe in love, yes…I think it’s a foolish concept made up by high school kids and it never lasts. But everyone else seems to think otherwise and I can’t control what they think, but I can control my fate in the club.”
Trevor closes the distance between us, and his nearness makes me forget my brother is in the room. I inhale the whiff of his scent and tremble because of it.
“It’s not going to work,” I murmur, holding my breath because of the dizziness climbing through me.
“But what would it hurt to try?” He looks at me solemnly, and I kind of feel pity for him. I mean, if he’s this desperate to change how people see him, then it means he really needs me, right?
He touches my arm, and I sigh before shifting out of his reach a little. “This could be your chance to leave Golden Bay, Gracie. There’s a whole new world outside of this town, and you could explore all of that—I could show you all of that if you give this a chance. You’d meet lots of new people, publishers, celebrities … People who can make your dreams come true, Gracie.”
It”s not just his words that draw me in. It’s his soft tone and the sweetness of his scent lingering around me.
Jace interrupts us now putting his hand on Trevor’s arm to stop him from coming closer to me.
“Back away, Trevor,” Jace warns in a sterner tone. “I mean it this time.”
Trevor only shakes his head as he moves away, then walks to the door. “Think about it, Gracie. This is your decision, not his.”
When he finally walks away, I let out the pent-up breath I didn’t realize I held and nearly sank to the ground because of my weak knees.
I’ve always been content here in Golden Bay, but I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit that I’ve wondered what the rest of the world was like. Reading books opens my mind to the prospects of a different life.
One away from this small town, in some large city bustling with like minds and talents.
I’ve dreamed of one day finding my way in the world, regardless of whatever town it might be. Publishing my own books, traveling the world, and writing more. These are dreams I’ve shared with Trevor in the past.
He knows my passion.
“Gracie…”
“I need to think about this for myself,” I say to Jace before he gets the chance to discourage me again. “This has to be my choice, Jace, not yours.”
Jace’s grim look is enough to worsen the tight knots already digging into my guts. “Trevor’s hurt you once, Gracie, and I watched you withdraw into a shell, not willing to risk your heart with anyone for a long time. If you do this…Play this game with him, then you risk getting hurt all over again. I forgave him once before…I don’t think I can do that again.”
When Jace finally leaves the office, too, I sink to the ground and burrow my face into my hands. What do I do?
***
Trevor’s house has always been the biggest in Golden Bay. Back in high school, a lot of us referred to it as ‘The White House’ because of its aristocratic design and the majestic view of the beach it had.
I didn’t expect Trevor to move back in there when he returned to town. The house had been empty long before he left Golden Bay to follow his passion for basketball.
He is sitting on the front porch with a can of soda when I arrive, and he shakes his head while staring at his phone’s screen. Trevor doesn’t notice my presence as I walk up to his porch. The wind ruffles my hair and makes me struggle to keep my strands in place with both hands.
Each time I stroll down this beach path, I enjoy the crispy scent in the air and how it trickles down my lungs, leaving a relaxed sensation creeping up my nerves.
I clear my throat to get Trevor’s attention when he still doesn’t raise his head to look at me. There’s a deep frown furrowed into his face when he finally does, and he murmurs my name with ease.
“Three months,” I say to him, folding my hands across my chest. I had time to think about Trevor’s proposal and even though it’s a crazy one, this is my one chance to experience the world outside of Golden Bay for myself.
“You’re saying yes?” he asks, his eyes lighting up as he stands and bursts into a light chuckle.
“Three months and it’s over. We make it like a clean break, with no drama in the media or whatever. We can say I dumped you if that helps.”
He chuckles, and the sound draws a smile to my lips.
“I want my privacy always. I get to choose if or when I want to show up for any interviews with the press of any sort. No physical contact when we’re alone, or flirting, and definitely no falling in love!”
No falling in love is the most important part.I can’t have my heart doing crazy things while Trevor is close because I know fully well that he’s not the kind of guy I should fall for. He has hurt me once before, and I’ve not forgotten the sting of his rejection. The truth is, Trevor’s rejection made it difficult for me to open up to anyone else. I haven’t dated in years or even allowed myself the freedom to let anyone into my heart.
Because I’ve been scared of rejection.
Everything about Trevor screams danger! It always has, and I must protect my heart at all costs.
“Do we have a deal?” I finally ask after sucking in a deep breath to ease the quake in my heart.
Trevor nods as he extends a hand to me. The corners of his lips tip towards a smile, and my insides quiver from the look in his eyes.
“Deal,” he says just before I place a hand in his warmer ones.
My rule is no falling in love! But why does my pulse take a leap towards the heavens at that moment? Why does being this close to him make me forget the past eight years?