4. Grady
GRADY
Damn, man. Trying to avoid Blake Wilson is impossible.
Seeing her standing in the bathroom bleeding put a vise around my chest.
Watching her cute little ass hover in the doorway of my bedroom nearly did me in.
I’m losing my fucking mind.
Running a hand over my head, I pace my room, from the poster of Half Dome in Yosemite to the edge of my bed and back. I try to regulate my thundering heartbeat, which is insane because she should not be affecting me this way.
I’m still in love with Teah.
Glancing at the photo of me and my girlfriend—ex-girlfriend—makes me feel like shit, and I move to my corkboard, slowly unpinning it and laying it face down on my chest of drawers.
I should have put the damn photo away weeks ago.
She’s not mine anymore, but my heart can’t seem to let her go, and now Wily’s sister— his little sister! —is wreaking havoc on my body .
I don’t need this shit.
What I need is a run, but my PT has made it clear I’ve been pushing it too hard, and I can’t risk an injury. The sound of Wily’s knee popping still echoes in my brain, and I shudder at the memory.
“If you can’t fucking run, you can at least walk,” I mutter, quickly changing out of my sweaty clothes and snatching a hoodie off the end of my bed.
Throwing it on, I wrestle with the zipper and walk out of my room, checking the hallway is clear before darting down the stairs. My heart spasms when I reach the bottom and find Wily waiting for me, leaning on his crutches with a frown.
“Hey, man.” I try to play it cool, wondering if he’s about to bawl me out for talking to his sister… or thinking about her naked body and what I wanted to do to said body if I’d lost all willpower and invited her into my room.
Fuck!
“Hey.” Wily gives me a distracted nod, looking up the stairs in obvious frustration. “You seen my lil’ sis up there?”
“Oh, uh…” I glance over my shoulder, swallowing and trying to keep a level head on this thing.
Yes, you saw his sister. That’s it. You just saw her and talked to her. No crime in that.
“She took off, and I want to make sure she’s okay. She hurt her finger.”
“Yeah, I saw that.” I nod, forcing a smile to try and ease his tension. “I patched her up, and I think she’s gone to her room to study.”
“So she’s okay? The cut wasn’t bad? ”
“Nah, just a decent nick. Those things always bleed a lot, but fingers heal up quickly.”
Wily’s shoulders slump in obvious relief. “Thanks, man. I got…” He huffs. “Distracted. And then when I looked up to find her, she was gone.”
“No problem. I found her in the bathroom, probably looking for a Band-Aid or something. Anyway, I gave her one from my stash. Made sure the wound was clean. You know.” I shrug, trying to play it casual and not let slip that feeling her breath skim across my cheek when I leaned over to wrap the Band-Aid around her finger was the fucking sexiest thing ever.
Which is insane, because scientifically, breaths are nothing more than nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Throw in a little water vapor and I should be repulsed by the idea of gasses hitting my skin like that, but fuuuuuuuck.
Yep, losing my mind. That’s what is happening right now.
But I’ve got to keep that shit on lockdown, because I can’t go complaining to Wily that his sister is too damn sexy and I need her to move out because being around her is awakening some kind of primal instinct inside me that I didn’t even know existed.
“Thanks so much for looking after her.” Wily gives me a half-hearted grin.
“I hate that I’m injured right now.” His lame smile turns into a wince.
“And I got shitty with her when she couldn’t reach the first-aid box in the kitchen and she wouldn’t let me get up and help her.
” He lets out a heavy sigh. “I fucking hate this, man.”
“Hey.” I rest a hand on his shoulder. “This is temporary. Those crutches will be gone soon, and you’ll be running up and down these stairs just like before.”
Wily flashes me a closed-mouth smile before nodding, then shouting up the stairs, “Hey, butt face! You okay?”
I can’t help a soft snicker as we wait for Blake’s reply.
It takes a moment longer than I thought it would… unless she didn’t hear?—
“All good, shithead! Now leave me alone. I’m trying to study up here.”
“Got it. I’ll help Satch with the rest of the dinner prep, then,” Wily calls back up to her.
Her laughter is muffled as she shouts back, “Probably safest. Unless you want your salad with a side of Blake.”
Yes, please.
I swallow, darting my eyes at Wily and hoping he can’t read minds.
But he’s too busy laughing. “Gross. No thanks.” He shares a bemused look with me before calling up the stairs again. “Love you, loser!”
“Yeah, yeah, love you, too, jackass.”
He snickers and grins at me, obviously relieved that his little fight with Blake has been resolved so easily.
“You sticking around for dinner?” He points at me.
“Nah, I’m gonna go for a walk.”
He gives me a quizzical frown, but I just shake my head and walk past him, not wanting to explain.
How can I?
He’ll never be cool with me lusting after his sister. Not when my heart is still hurting over Teah. It’s messed up, and I won’t go there.
Which means I have to get out of this fucking house .
Closing the door behind me, I trot down the stairs, embracing the cool night air. I need that shit to wake me up, slap some sense into me.
Thank fuck spring break is only two and a half weeks away. Coach is giving us a long weekend, meaning spring training doesn’t start until Tuesday afternoon. That’ll give me three entire days in the forest… and I can’t wait.
It’ll be good for me to get out of Nolan and hike my favorite trails.
It’s a much-needed getaway with my buddies.
Unfortunately, not all of them can make it anymore.
Which sucks. Big-time. It was Wily’s idea, and now the poor guy is injured.
I offered to cancel, but he told me no way.
He’s gonna spend the weekend with Satch, and I think he’s looking forward to having the house to themselves.
Zander wanted to come, but Sienna’s parents are taking them away in the camper van, and I told him that family time was more important. So he’s doing that, which just leaves me, Carson, Tyrell… and I invited my dad too. Because the guy is awesome and taught me everything I know about the outdoors.
Since my breakup, I’ve only seen him once. I went down and spent a weekend with him and his girlfriend. It was good to get away, and he let me mope around his house, not asking anything of me. But I couldn’t hide away there forever, so I forced my butt back to Nolan.
It’ll be good to see my old man again.
He asked me if I wanted to invite my big brother, Owen, and was probably bummed out when I said no. But I’m going away to feel better about myself, and bringing that dick along will only ruin shit.
He wouldn’t want to come anyway .
Ever since the divorce, Dad’s been trying to get back into Owen’s good graces, but I say it’s an impossible task.
My brother made the choice not to forgive. He sided with Mom, whereas I supported Dad. It caused a rift we all have to live with now.
That idiot is missing out on a relationship with the best father in the world. That’s his loss.
Still, it breaks Dad’s heart, which then pisses me off.
Yes, my old man made a mistake. He fell into a one-night stand that he instantly regretted. It destroyed his marriage. But only because Mom couldn’t get past it.
He was instantly remorseful and would have done anything to make up for his mistake.
Mom wouldn’t have it. Not one tiny bit, and I can’t help wondering if she used it as an excuse to bail, because within one year of the divorce, Mom was married to Emilio and pregnant with my half-brother, Jamar.
I was fucking salty over that one, and as soon as I was old enough to choose for myself, I moved in with Dad.
I didn’t sign up to live with an overactive toddler and a crying baby.
My two half-brothers aren’t all bad. Now that they’re ten and eight, I’m starting to like them a little more, although Luis can still be a pain in the ass. But Mom’s happy, and so I do my duty and spend a few weekends there each year, like the good boy I am.
But Dad’s the guy I spend the majority of my time with, because unlike Owen, I refuse to hate on him.
He made a mistake.
It was a shitty one, but he tried to fix it, do what he could to make it right, and Mom wouldn’t let him .
Even at the age of ten I understood that. I don’t see why my brother can’t.
Picking up my pace, I speed-walk away from Football Frat, hating this restless, antsy feeling inside me. I want to break into a sprint and burn this shit off, but it never works, and now my PT is on my ass telling me I’m doing too much.
I have to rest or my body is gonna hate me for it.
So I’ll fucking walk like I’m supposed to.
But damn… this energy inside me is burning hot lava.
I just want things to go back to the way they were.
I miss Teah.
I miss how uncomplicated it all was.
She wasn’t related to any of my friends; she was simply a sweet sorority girl who caught my eye. We knew each other from school, and I’d hang with her at sorority parties or college events. And then last spring break, things shifted between us.
I didn’t fall in love with her instantly. Sure, I was attracted to her. Who wouldn’t be? The girl’s a hottie, and she knows how to dress that body of hers in all the right ways.
She’s got an amazing laugh. She’s kind and smart and…
Damn, I miss her.
I miss having a girlfriend who I can share my life with.
I miss texting her when something funny happens or I get a good grade on a test or assignment. She was always so awesome at celebrating with me.
I miss picking her up and taking her out on dates.
I miss holding her hand as I walked her to class .
I miss her in my bed.
Shit.
I sigh, shaking my head and trying not to relive the last time she was in my bed, that uncertain look on her face just after we’d made love. I didn’t know what it meant… and when I asked her if she was okay, she said yes.
She fucking said yes!
Only to break my heart two days later.
I know what that look meant now.
She knew.
I lay on top of her, fucking clueless, but she knew it was the last time we’d ever be doing it. Because she was just trying to find the right time to dump me.
“Fuck!” I spit out the word, burying my fists in my pockets as I head down the dark street and make my way to Offside.
I don’t even know why I’m going there.
To get drunk?
Not really my scene. I’ll have the odd beer, but I’m not a big drinker.
It’s not that I’m opposed to it, I just don’t love the idea of not being in control of my senses.
I’ve seen Carson lose it way too many times.
Stupid shit happens to drunk people, and if I’m wasted, who the hell is gonna step up and help the other guy, you know?
Checking the street, I wait for two passing cars before crossing to the other side.
Bring on spring break.
I need fresh air, forest, some quality time with people who aren’t gonna break my heart or do my head in.
Thank fuck for Carson, Tyrell, and my dad. They are gonna be the perfect balm. They’ll keep me distracted, and I can have a break from all the shit that’s eating me up.
Pulling the big wooden door open, I step into Offside, glancing around the sports bar and taking in the action.
It’s the usual energy for a Wednesday night—not too busy, but still pumping with the regular crowd and an indie artist who is getting his turn onstage.
I watch him for a second, shuffling farther into the room before looking at the bar.
His sound is pretty cool, like a mix between Jason Mraz and Adam Levine.
Yeah, I can dig this.
Walking around the first pool table, I make my way to the bar, figuring this is the perfect distraction… until I angle my body to avoid a pool cue in my eye and find myself looking at the last girl I need to see right now.