Chapter 28 Paige
Chapter 28
Paige
I had finally ticked my first kiss off the bucket list. Never could I have imagined it would be with Grayson. Never could I have dreamed that I’d wish for him on a star, and he’d be mine just moments later. That we’d spend the entire night watching the stars together until we fell asleep in each other’s arms, waking the next morning to a perfect pink sunrise.
“Next time I see a shooting star, I’m wishing for a million dollars,” I said as we pulled up outside the Darlings’ house. “Do you think it’ll just appear in my hands like you did, or will I have to wait several business days for it to land in my bank account?”
Gray smirked and shook his head as he put the truck into park. It was still early morning, but the Darling house almost always seemed busy. We just had to hope everyone was getting a late start today.
With a sigh he turned to me. “We should probably head inside.”
“Probably,” I agreed, but I didn’t move to leave. Even though it had started the previous evening, I wasn’t ready for our date to end.
“Come on.” He opened his door and climbed out, making the decision for us.
“Okay, okay.” I hopped out of the truck and into the brisk morning air. Somehow it felt colder now than it had all night. Admittedly, cuddling up next to Grayson was like falling asleep in a furnace .
“On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble do you think we’ll be in?” I asked as I walked around the truck to meet him. We hadn’t stayed out all night on purpose, but I couldn’t imagine Grayson’s mom and dad being thrilled about it.
“I doubt my parents have even noticed,” he said. “But it’s probably best they don’t find out. We’ll have to be quiet going inside.”
“I can do quiet. I’m practically the James Bond of stealth mode.”
“Of course you are.”
I wasn’t sure he believed me, but he reached out and took my hand. It was such a simple gesture, but it legitimately made my heart sing.
“What?” he muttered as he caught sight of my broad grin.
“Nothing.” I was smiling down at our interlocked hands like an idiot, and I quickly wiped the expression from my lips. I shared everything with Gray, but perhaps it was better if I didn’t reveal quite how crazy I was about him just yet.
He eyed me with some suspicion, but thankfully didn’t dig any deeper. “Okay, 007. Let’s go.”
We tried our best to stay silent as we made our way around the back of the house, but as we neared the kitchen door, I slipped on some snow and released a squeal. It seemed to echo through the entire neighborhood, and even a few birds that were perched on the garden fence took flight. It was lucky Gray was still holding my hand, or I would probably be stretched out on the ground right now .
“That’s your stealth mode?” Gray scoffed.
“Maybe my spy skills need a little work.”
“A little?”
“Okay, a lot.”
A light chuckle left his lips. He’d been smiling and laughing a lot since last night, and it was something I could definitely get used to.
“Maybe no one heard,” I said as Grayson led me the final few steps to the back door. My optimism was misguided.
When we tiptoed into the kitchen, we found every member of the Darling family sitting at the counter, eating breakfast. The room fell silent and they all glanced up from their food. Parker, Cammie, and Reed each gave us a knowing look. Danny seemed like he was trying to cover a smile. The only person who looked upset was Amy, but when she noticed the way Gray was holding my hand, I could see a little of the concern melt from her eyes.
“How was your early morning jog?” Reed asked.
“Jog?” Gray replied.
I subtly elbowed him, and he quickly corrected himself. “Oh yeah, it was great. We both really needed the fresh air.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I love to jog.”
Parker laughed but quickly covered the sound with a cough as he gave my clothes a critical look. I was wearing the same flowery pink dress as last night. The only difference was I now had Grayson’s red Devils sweatshirt over the top. It clearly wasn’t jogging attire.
“But today I felt more like a walk,” I quickly added, as if that would help to explain my outfit. “We both did.”
“Well, it’s a lovely morning for a walk,” Danny agreed with a smirk, before turning to Gray’s mom. “Remember when we used to go for early morning walks together, dear?”
I couldn’t decide if Gray’s dad playing along made this better or worse. It was obvious everyone knew we were only just getting home from the night before.
“A walk, huh?” Amy asked.
“I’m sorry!” I blurted, unable to contain my guilt. “We were out all night!”
“Paige,” Gray muttered.
“But we were stargazing, and we accidentally fell asleep. We were being good, I promise. It really was an accident.” Clearly, I had no hope of ever holding up under torture.
Danny laughed into his coffee. “It’s okay, Paige.”
Amy shot him a look and he quickly cleared his throat.
“I mean, it’s not okay to be out all night, and we’re very disappointed.” He glanced back at Amy, as if he was checking for her approval.
“Yes, very disappointed.” She nodded in agreement, but her expression and her words didn’t match up at all. “Just don’t do it again, you two.”
“We won’t,” Gray and I agreed in unison. It felt like we were getting off far too easy.
Everyone returned to their breakfast, the boys still smirking into their cereal, but Amy’s attention remained on us. “Paige, your mom messaged this morning to let me know she’d landed. I think she’s concerned she hasn’t heard from you yet today.”
The news my mom was back made me grimace; I only hoped the reaction wasn’t too noticeable. My phone had died yesterday evening, so I probably had a dozen missed texts from her updating me on her travel arrangements.
I wasn’t ready to go back home, especially after last night. But Amy had at least given me the perfect excuse to leave the room.
“Thanks for letting me know,” I said. “My phone’s dead, but I’ll go charge it now so I can text her back. I should probably start packing too.” Dreading what was next but happy to escape the kitchen, I made a quick exit and dashed upstairs.
Once I reached Cammie’s room, I plugged my phone into the charger and started gathering my things while I waited for it to power back on. The more I thought about packing, the less I wanted to go home. Especially when I was facing a grilling from my mom about why I’d missed my career meeting and what that meant for my future. I was floating so high on the fluffy cloud Grayson had placed me on, I wasn’t ready to come back down to earth.
“I think they might be on to us...”
I smiled and turned to find Grayson leaning against the doorframe.
“Oh no, you think so?” I feigned surprise. “How could that have happened?”
Gray laughed and walked into the room. He wrapped his arms around my waist and nervous jitters leaped in my chest as I gazed back at him. Even though things had changed so much between us since last night, being in his arms felt like the most natural thing in the world.
“What are the other spies going to say when you get back to MI6?” he asked. “First you squealed while sneaking into the house, then you took one look at my mom and told her everything.”
“One: I slipped. That could happen to anyone. Two: your mom’s a master interrogator.”
“Master interrogator? Really?”
“Okay, fine, I’d make a terrible spy. But I wasn’t exactly dressed for stealth mode.” I gestured toward his bright red sweatshirt.
“I happen to think that’s the perfect outfit for stealth mode,” he replied. “It’s also perfect for you to wear while eating, sleeping, going to school; anything really.”
“I get the feeling you like seeing your name on my back...”
“I’ve always liked it,” he said. “But right now, that word doesn’t begin to cover what I feel.”
“So, what word would you use?”
“Let’s just say, it makes me want to steal you away for another night and never give you back.”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to keep wearing it then.” Gray was welcome to steal me away whenever he wanted, though perhaps next time we should try a little harder to not get caught.
I sighed as I glanced down at my bags. Living out of a suitcase sucked. Packing it up and leaving Grayson sucked so much more. I’d loved staying with him and the whole Darling family. But despite my reservations about going home, I had kind of missed my mom and dad. They might not be the easiest parents, but it felt strange to have been so far from them both for so long.
“You ready to go home?” Gray asked.
“Not really. My mom’s going to be so pissed. I’m the reason she cut her trip short, and I’ve probably missed a million messages from her this morning. I should have gone to see that counselor.”
“Paige, it was an accident. And sooner or later, she’s going to have to realize that you’re the one in charge of your future. Sure, she can help you, but you’re going to decide how it plays out on your own terms.”
“I don’t think she’s ever going to believe that. She wants everything mapped out now.”
“Well, if all else fails, just tell her we’re dating, and you’re planning to become an NHL WAG.”
I burst out laughing. “You really think that’s a good idea?”
“Sure.” Gray shrugged. “All I have to do is get through one more game, and by the end of today, I’ll have signed with Ryker. I’ll be one step closer to my dream career, and you can tell her you plan to ride shotgun with me the whole way.”
“Yeah, I don’t think she’ll like the sound of that.”
“Exactly,” he agreed with a wicked smirk. “She’ll be so worried that you don’t have any aspirations of your own, she’ll agree to just about anything else you suggest.”
I smiled at him. “And people say you’re just a pretty face.”
“Nobody says that.”
“Don’t they? I could have sworn—”
He cut me off with a kiss, and I smiled against his lips. Grayson was an amazing kisser, and I truly struggled to believe that he’d never done this before. When he kissed me, it made me wonder if this was what coming home should feel like. Every part of him felt familiar, and being enclosed in his arms gave me a sense of comfort I’d never experienced anywhere else. He made me feel warm, secure and loved; like I’d arrived in the one place I would always be welcome. Like I was exactly where I was meant to be .
His kisses weren’t just coziness and warmth though, and I was quickly learning that under his stern exterior he was hiding a seriously passionate side. If Grayson was my home, then it sometimes felt like we’d left too many candles burning, and the house was about to go up in flames. Things with Gray could get kind of steamy, and the more we kissed the more I was beginning to discover a whole new side to the boy that had my heart. I felt like I could spend a whole lifetime exploring Grayson Darling.
When he drew back from me, I was practically gasping for breath. “What was I saying?”
He grinned. Seeing that lopsided smile on his lips immediately made me want to drag him in for another kiss.
“Gross,” Cammie groaned from the door.
I tried to jump back from Gray, but he only held me tighter and kept his eyes locked on mine.
“We’re a little busy in here, Cam.”
“You know you’ve got your own room, right, Grayson?”
Cammie’s expression made it clear she wasn’t joking around. I’d gotten through two weeks without incurring Cammie’s wrath, and I didn’t want to ruin that now.
“We were just leaving,” I said, pulling out of Grayson’s arms. “Thanks so much for letting me stay in your room, Cammie. I got you a little something...” I walked over to my bag and pulled out my gift for her .
Cammie took the box and opened it, a smile gracing her lips as she pulled out a snow globe with a small ice skater in the center of it. It was one my mom had given me years ago. The girl at its center was dressed all in black and had reminded me so much of Cammie.
“Thanks, Paige. You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“It’s just something small, and I really am grateful.” As I was speaking, my phone started lighting up where it sat charging on the bedside table. I didn’t need to check to know it would be my mom, probably wondering where the hell I was. “I better get going.”
Gray reached for my bags before I could tell him not to worry about it. He leaned in as we left Cammie’s room. “I knew you had at least one snow globe in there.”
Of course he did. Gray knew me too well, but that was what made starting a relationship with him so special. We had something no one else had. It had kind of always been that way, but now we could take our unique relationship to a whole new level.
But forging our friendship into something new came with its own risks, and as I considered all we had to lose, I started to worry. What if this didn’t last? It was the first time the thought had truly entered my mind since the date, and I let my anxiety bubble up as we made our way to my car. This thing between Gray and I was still so fresh, and I didn’t want to do anything that might spoil it. But this felt too important for me to stay silent. He was too important.
“What if we don’t work out?” I said as we stopped by the trunk of my car. “I don’t want to lose you. ”
Gray’s expression was serious, and he placed my bags on the ground so he could take my hands in his. “You’re never going to lose me.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“It may not always be,” he agreed. “But fighting is one of my strengths. I’m always going to fight for you. For us.”
“You don’t think we’d be better staying friends?”
“I’ve felt this way about you for a long time,” he said. “Keeping those feelings bottled up and hidden from everyone was a struggle. But now that they’re out in the open and I know you feel the same way, it’s like a massive weight has lifted. I think if we just promise we’ll always be honest with each other about what we’re feeling, then whatever happens, we’ll be okay.”
“Whatever happens?” I frowned. “So, you’re saying we could lose each other...”
His thoughtful expression was replaced by the bright smile I’d been seeing more and more of recently. “No, that’s not what I’m saying.” He laughed. “You’re stuck with me forever, Pidge. I promise.”
“I’ll be holding you to that.”
“Good.”
He pulled me in for a hug, and once again I was surround by Gray’s warmth, his smell, and the strength of his embrace. They were such familiar sensations, and they instantly cleared my mind of worry. We were still us, but we also weren’t. Things had changed, but that was okay. It was more than okay.