27. Grace
Grace
I wait until the weekend passes, and during that time, I keep my distance from Maddox the best I can.
There are moments where we find ourselves alone—the hallway outside the kitchen, the dining room after dinner when Blane and Meri are in the kitchen—and each time, we wordlessly drift toward each other before footsteps or voices pull us back.
We don’t talk about it.
We don’t talk about much at all.
By Monday, the house has settled back into its quiet rhythms, and Maddox and Meri have returned to their routines.
The one-month mark is only days out, and Blane is already making calls about the memorial.
The decision I’ve been itching to pull the trigger on hums beneath my skin, and time is no longer something I get to ignore.
Blane moves about the living room, crouched near the wall next to the armchair, reorganizing gear that’s been packed and unpacked more times than necessary.
“I’ll need a few more minutes to gather the rest of my equipment.” He doesn’t look up as I enter the room. “After the speedway, what do you say about lunch? We’ll be close to Prospect and could check it out.”
He thinks we’re getting more shots of the racetrack, but that was just a ruse to keep him busy until we were alone.
“We won’t be going to the speedway.” I jingle the key in my hand.
He slowly looks up at me. “What do you mean?”
“There’s been a change in plans. I’ve got things covered.”
He straightens, studying me now, head tipped slightly to the side like he’s recalibrating. “You seem… decisive.”
“I am.”
“What’s up?”
I lean back against the edge of the sofa and wait him out. Silence has always made him uncomfortable, and truthfully, a part of me hopes he’s smart enough to put the pieces together on his own. But I already know I’ll have to spell it out for him.
“You know.” He stands and smiles softly, as if trying to rekindle a time when we were close, yet he fails because this feels patronizing. “You can talk to me, Grace. I’ve been doing this a long time. Patterns show themselves.”
“Patterns?”
“People change when they stop pretending they’re unaffected.”
He still gets nothing from me, and this does what I want it to do. Unnerves him.
His gaze sharpens. “There’s a… growing attachment here. Between you and Maddox.”
There it is.
I’m not about to acknowledge that truth or give him any indication he’s on the right track.
“Is that what you think?”
“I think that lines are blurring. Emotions are getting involved, and when that happens, it tends to complicate things.”
“Complicate how?” My tone remains even, almost bored.
He smiles, but it’s thin. “Professionally. Personally. You’re here to tell a story, Grace. Not become one.”
“What are you getting at Blane?”
“I think you know exactly what I mean.” His smile twists. “Toby wouldn’t love hearing about certain… complications.”
I straighten, my voice calm enough to be dangerous. “Don’t think for one second I’d let you even try to smear me with your lies. Try it, and I’ll make sure no one ever believes you again.”
He scoffs, dismissive. “That’s a little extreme.”
“Maybe.”
“Like you even could. Come on, Grace, what is this? All I’m trying to say is if Toby were to get wind of this—”
I don’t wait for him to finish. That’s the second time he’s mentioned our boss.
“What exactly would Toby get wind of? And better yet, how would Toby even know about whatever it is you’re insinuating?”
“I’ve got a front row seat.” He shrugs.
“Let me paint this by numbers for you.”
He frowns. “Paint by numbers?”
“Yeah, you know, since you seem to be having a hard time grasping I’m not joking. First, I’ll call Sarah.”
The color drains from his face so fast it’s almost impressive. I don’t really need to go on, but since he’s being a dick about this, I continue.
“I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t take much for her to leave you, and didn’t you say she was… What did you call it?”
I tap my finger on my lips, pretending to search my memory. “Ah, yes, high strung. I don’t even want to know what she might do if she were to find out we stayed under the same roof while you were here.”
His mouth opens, then closes.
I circle him like a shark, not enjoying this but wanting him to get my point. “Oh wait, she doesn’t know I’m here, that it was me you dropped everything back in LA to come help. What would Sarah do if she found out? Burn all your clothes? Change the locks and kick you out? Key your car?”
These are all things he’d said to me when lamenting how much he wanted us to get back together, but he just didn't know how he’d leave Sarah without her losing it.
Please. She’s high-strung when he’s the asshole?
“Secondly, I’ll tell Toby about the Adelaide—”
“That’s not fair.” He shakes his head, knowing the truth about the Adelaide story is far worse than anything he could do to me. He falsified evidence he claimed was fact, despite having none, just to get his name on a co-written byline. “Grace—”
“Neither is blackmail.”
“Let’s talk about this. You don’t have to do something you’ll regret.”
“I already have. You.” I lift my bag onto my shoulder, any guilt for telling him to leave already gone. “Your flight leaves in four hours. I’ve emailed you your ticket.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
“What about the feature? And the memorial? You’re going to need me. I had it all planned. Videos. Town voices. The community—”
“I’ve got it covered.” I move toward the door. “Thank you for everything you’ve done. You did help, but it’s time for you to go.”
For a moment, he just stands there, stripped of the confidence he wears like armor. Then I head for the front door.
The air is sharp, the sky bright with the winter sun, and I get into my car, start the engine, and pull away.
Several hours later, when I get home from meeting with Zoe, Blane is gone, and Meri’s in the kitchen.
“Hi, there.” I peer at the dish she’s sliding into the oven. “Do you need any help?”
“No, no. It’s all good.” She folds the kitchen towel and hangs it on the rail near the sink. “Katie’s coming for dinner. Maddox has something he wants to talk to us both about.”
She pauses, her gaze drifting toward the hallway. His truck is in the driveway, so she’s checking if he’s nearby.
“You don’t happen to know what that’s about, would you?
” She leans on the counter, studying me, and as I open my mouth to respond, she hurries on.
“I’m sorry, dear. That wasn’t kind of me—putting you on the spot like that.
I’m just worried. He was very serious when he said it, and that boy.
..” She shakes her head with a rueful smile.
“Man. He’s a man, but to me, he’ll always be my little boy.
He carries so much, so much of it not his to bear, and that’s what this feels like. ”
My fingers curl into fists at my sides to stop them from shaking. I have no idea what Maddox wants to say to his mother and sister, but the not knowing leaves an acrid taste in my mouth.
He wouldn’t tell them about us, would he?
We haven’t been alone since the night we slept together, so I don’t know where his head is at.
There were moments over the past few days—the hallway, the back porch—where it seemed like one of us might finally say something.
But every time, before either of us could, Meri or Blane would wander through, and the moment would dissolve.
“Meri, I honestly don’t know what he wants to talk about.” I uncurl my fingers and try to look at ease. “But listen, I can go out for dinner tonight. I’ve been meaning to check out Romeo’s. Percy says their pizza is amazing.”
“Their pizza is the bomb.” Maddox strolls into the kitchen, hair damp from a shower, and the easy way he fills a room makes my chest tighten. “Is that what we’re doing? Did someone order?” He pats his stomach. “I can go pick it up.”
“No, no. The chicken bake is in the oven.” Meri turns back to the sink, busying herself with the dirty dishes. “I was just telling Grace Katie’s coming. That you wanted to talk to us.”
He glances at his mother’s back with a small frown, and I get the feeling I wasn’t supposed to know this.
I clear my throat. “And I said I’d love pizza and would check out Romeo’s.”
“You don’t have to leave.” His gaze swings to mine and holds. “Stay for dinner. Afterward, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to speak to my mom and sister alone.”
“Of course, but I am craving pizza.” I step toward the doorway, already thinking about melted cheese and a glass of red. “What’s good?”
His hand wraps lightly around my forearm. The touch is casual. It shouldn’t stop me the way it does.
“That’s up to you.” His voice is low, unhurried. “You’re welcome here. But if you do go”—the corner of his mouth lifts—“you like it spicy, right?”
The words land somewhere they were meant to. My core heats, insides quiver, and I can’t help it—I lick my lips. His gaze follows the movement.
Before I combust in front of his mother, I step free of his hand and nod, not trusting my voice.
“Then get the Diavola.” His smile slays me.
“Grace.” Meri’s voice rises from the sink. “There’s plenty of food here.”
I drag my eyes from his. “I know, and I’ll have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.” I give her my most convincing smile. “Seriously. I’ll see you later.”
I turn to go, and this time, Maddox steps into my path, easy and unapologetic, looking down at me with his quiet smile that does nothing good for my self-control.
“We won today.” His voice drops just enough. “We missed you, Grace.”
My knees go soft, and it takes everything I have to stay upright.
Behind him, I can practically feel Meri’s gaze burning into the back of my neck.
“I’m sorry I missed it.” I press my lips together. “That’s fantastic. I’ll be at the next one.”
“Good.” He takes my hand and squeezes it gently. “We need you there.”
I want to lean into him. Instead, I step back and glance at Meri, who’s watching us with open delight.
Heat crawls up my face. “I, ah, I couldn’t make the game because I had a meeting with Zoe.
” I slide my hands into my back pockets, unsure who’s safer to look at.
“Blane left today. She’s going to help me finish the feature. ”
Maddox’s mouth splits into a grin he doesn’t even try to contain.
Meri, on the other hand, frowns. “Oh. He never said goodbye.”
“He felt terrible.” The lie comes easily, if only to comfort her. “It was sudden, another assignment, more pressing. They needed him right away.”
“That’s too bad.” She softens. “Well, at least you have Zoe. You sure you won’t stay?”
I shake my head before I can change my mind, though standing this close to him, I’m already wavering.
She nods and turns back to the sink. “See you later, sweetheart.”
“Bye. I’ll see you later.”
Maddox leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead—soft, deliberate—and my heart does something embarrassing.
Then he glances toward his mother, checks her back is still turned, and dips his head to my ear. “Thank fuck you got rid of him.”
I nearly choke on a laugh—
And then his lips brush slowly along my jaw, and I forget what laughing is.