Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Grayson
I stare out the window waiting for Roxy to walk back across the street. I should be putting the finishing touches on my composition that Pierce and Wade wanted for the ending credits, but instead, I’m hoping to get just a small view of the woman I’ve fallen for. Shit. Do I love Roxy? No. It’s too soon. It’s hardly been two months since we first met.
A knock at my door pulls my attention from the street. I look through the peephole and sigh.
Opening the door, I glare at my friend. “What?”
“Wow. Good to see you too. Uh, any chance you can watch Ava? She’s off school today and I just got called into the ER early,” Bray says as I look down and see Ava peeking through his legs.
“Hi, Mr. Gray,” Ava says shyly as she looks inside my apartment. She’s been in here a few times. Mostly, she just wants to play the piano or watch television. I did teach her Three Blind Mice on the cello a few months ago, but she bored of that after twenty minutes.
“Hi, Ava,” I reply as I step to the side and put a hand out, motioning them inside. It’s then I notice Bray has a small pink book bag. Ava giggles and runs through his legs and into my apartment.
“Aves! Do not run!” he yells after her. But she’s already spinning in circles so her skirt puffs up.
“Look at my skirt, Mr. Gray! I’m a ballerina!” she yells.
“Did you fill her up on sugar before bringing her here?” I ask as I stare at the whirlwind that is Ava.
Bray smirks. “Nope.”
“We got ice cream!” she yells as she stops spinning and falls on the ground, spreading out her limbs like a starfish and making a fake snow angel.
“Great,” I say sarcastically, glaring at Bray who just hands me the bag.
“Thanks. I owe you. Carly will be home in like two hours. Later, Aves!” Bray says.
She gets up and runs over to hug him. He picks her up and twirls her around and she laughs. Then he sets her down and they do some ridiculous handshake thing that ends with bumping hips.
I roll my eyes as Bray leaves.
“Whatcha doing?” Ava asks as she looks around my apartment.
I run a hand through my hair. “Well, I was going to work on some music.”
“Can I help?” she asks as she points to my cello. “I think I still remember that song you taught me.”
I chuckle as I watch her walk over to examine the bow. “Unfortunately, I have to play something a little more complicated than that song. How about we go to the park? I can finish this later.”
“Really?” she asks, her eyebrows shooting up as she walks back over to me.
“Sure. Why not?”
She does a fist pump. “Yes!” Looking up at me, she adds, “I love the park. Can we feed the ducks?”
At the end of the trail in the park, there’s a duck pond. And all the kids love feeding the ducks.
“I suppose. Come on,” I say as I grab my keys and set her bag down. Fortunately, Licorice has remained elusive or we’d never be leaving.
We walk downstairs and she runs out the front door.
“Ava! Hold up!” I call out as I shut the door. I freeze when my eyes lock with Roxy’s.
“Miss Roxy!” Ava calls out as she runs over and wraps her arms around Roxy’s thighs.
“Oh, uh, hey, Ava,” Roxy stammers as her gaze continues to stay fixated on me.
“We’re going to the park. You wanna come with us?” Ava asks with a big smile. Fuck. This kid is adorable. She has zero idea that an entire building of adults would gladly step in front of oncoming traffic for her. “Please!” she adds while giving her best puppy dog eyes.
Roxy slowly changes her focus from me to Ava. “Well, cutie pie, I have to work. But maybe another time. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of fun with Mr. Gray.”
Ava waves her hand at me. “Mr. Gray is just Mr. Gray, but you…you’re much cooler.”
“Hey!” I protest, suddenly feeling very jealous of Roxy for completely unrealistic reasons. I’m about to say more when the door opens and Al walks out. Ava spins around and runs straight into Al’s open arms. He chuckles and tosses her into the air as if she weighs nothing and he’s half his age. Then she wraps her arms around his neck and nuzzles her face against his cheek.
“Good afternoon, Miss Ava,” Al says in his gravelly old voice.
“Do you want to come with Mr. Gray and me to feed the ducks?” she asks as she leans back and looks at him. I swear their interaction makes me want a kid and at the same time I feel bad that my future kids won’t have a grandparent like Al. He’s the best.
Al glances over at me and I shrug. “The more the merrier,” I say.
“I suppose I could use a walk. Lead the way, young lady,” he says as he sets her down. He looks over at Roxy. “You joining us?”
She shakes her head and motions to the store. “Not today, Al. I have some things to get done. But you guys have fun.”
Al looks between us and I can see him trying to figure out what is going on. Great. Now, I’m about to get the Spanish Inquisition.
“Let’s go find these ducks, then. See you later, Roxy,” Al says as Ava grabs his hand and they begin walking down the street.
I pause next to Roxy. I want to talk to her, but I can’t do that and babysit Ava.
“Have fun,” she says and quickly darts around me and into her store. I stare after her, filled with regret. Damn. I fucked up.
I hurry along to catch up with Al and Ava.
“What’s going on with you two?” Al asks.
“Nothing,” I mumble.
“That didn’t look like nothing,” he quips.
“It’s just a…misunderstanding,” I say, trying to remain vague because I don’t want to get into it.
He opens his mouth to speak again but my phone buzzes. It’s Pierce. “Can you take her down to the pond? I’ll be there in a minute,” I promise.
He nods but pauses as he steps toward Ava. Turning back to me, he says, “Don’t let a disagreement disentangle you from the best thing that ever happened to you. Whatever it is between you, it’s very real. Anyone can see that you belong together. Remember that.”
He gives me a knowing look and then he turns and the two of them continue down the trail. I sit next to the now-empty bench. Someone must have taken the flowers today.
“Hey,” I answer before the call goes to voicemail.
“So, how’s that piece coming along? I was hoping you’d be able to send it over tonight,” he says. “Wade and I want to listen to it.”
“Sure. I just have something to finish up here and then I’ll get it over to you,” I assure him. Carly better not be late.
“Great.” He pauses. Fuck, is this where he’s going to bring up the Roxy thing which I one hundred percent am sure Haven has told him about. “About Roxy,” he starts. Yep. Damn it. “I really don’t care if you were together or not. You could have just told me, man.”
I run a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry, Pierce. I sort of over-spoke and then it blew up into this thing. It’s my bad. I should have just been upfront with you.”
“Yes. You should have been.” He pauses again. “I hope this isn’t overstepping, but for whatever it’s worth, you two are perfect together. I sort of figured out that first night that you weren’t really together, but any idiot could see you both were attracted to each other. Don’t let that one get away, Grayson. She’s the real deal.”
OK, well, that wasn’t what I thought he’d say. And damn, is it that obvious to everyone that we were so good together?
“Oh, uh, right. Thanks, Pierce,” is all I manage to say.
“We’ll talk later,” Pierce says and he ends the call, leaving me sitting on the bench in total confusion.
“Now what?” I say to myself.
Hutch’s voice comes out of a nearby tree. “Now you need to figure out how to get the girl, you big dumbass.”
“Hutch?” I ask as I look around.
“I’m on this video monitor,” he says. “Freaking thing hasn’t caught anyone yet. It somehow got disconnected this morning.”
“Fuck, you need to let this go. Just let the flower thing be a mystery,” I say into a small camera I find tied to a nearby tree.
“No can do. Also, you need to win Roxy back. Pierce is right. She’s the real deal and you were so happy when you were with her,” his voice says.
He’s not wrong. And I sort of hate myself right now.
“How?” I ask.
I can practically hear him grinning. “That’s the spirit. No idea. But we’ll figure it out.”