34. Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Four
“M hm,” I mumbled, stretching my arms above my head before clutching the fluffy down comforter. If my eyes weren’t open, I would’ve sworn I was wrapped up in the biggest, softest cloud in the sky. “I’m pretty sure I dreamed about the pizza from last night,” I said as I turned to face Grey.
He was tangled up in the dark gray sheets of his king-sized bed, only revealing his right leg and his naked upper body, which was enough to have me wanting to scale him.
“All the events of last night, and that’s what you dreamt about?” There was skepticism in his voice as his tongue lightly trailed his lower lip.
My god.
That man had magic laced in that tongue.
“Among other things.” I winked playfully.
Grey’s apartment took up the thirteenth floor of an old picturesque brick building on the Upper East Side. But despite the worn exterior, the inside was anything but. He’d done a complete remodel, transforming it into a modern but endlessly cozy apartment.
It boasted beautiful dark wooden floors, a fireplace that looked large enough to heat the entire city, vaulted ceilings that made the space feel even bigger than it already was, and a view of Central Park that many would kill for.
I couldn’t help but picture this view in every season. The amber colored leaves falling. The softness and serenity of the first snow. The bursts of colors that signaled spring. The thought alone was magical.
“Thank god. I was afraid I didn’t do a good enough job last night,” he said, his eyebrow darting up. “I thought I might have to try again.”
“Well, now that you mention it…” I trailed off, doing my best to hold back my giggle.
It didn’t take long before he was rolling toward me, tickling me from every angle as we tumbled around on the bed, making a mess of the sheets, blankets, and ourselves. I didn’t care though, because everything felt right.
Grey wrapped me in his arms and pulled me to his chest, my giggling tapering off as I found myself once again tracing that permanent mark.
I quickly went to retract my hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—”
He trapped my hand under his, pressing his scar right against my palm.
“Remember when I mentioned that I had some health issues growing up?”
“Yeah, at the waterfall.” I nodded my head.
“My health issues were actually pretty serious, and they were the main reason why I hadn’t gone back to Montauk in so many years. Well, that and my own selfishness.”
I snuggled in closer to him, meshing my fingers with his.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“When I was twenty, I—”
“Grey?” a familiar voice echoed through the bedroom door, but I couldn’t put my finger on whose it was. The sound of footsteps ricocheted off the vaulted ceilings, coming closer.
“Shit.” Grey catapulted from the bed and ransacked the room until he landed on his pants from last night. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” He was more serious than I’d ever heard.
“Grey…” I began, but he’d already slipped through the door.
I was overcome with a wave of vulnerability as I stared down at my mostly naked body. Slinking myself out of bed, I grabbed some clothes from my suitcase and shuffled into the bathroom.
Everything was hot. I was flustered and I hated the rush of doubt that infiltrated my thoughts. Things with Grey were so damn good, but that was the scary part. Maybe it was all just a little too good.
Our expiration date was fast approaching with the end of summer looming, and here I was, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Pulling on my black leggings and shrugging into my merlot-colored half-zip, I re-slicked my hair. After putting on my white socks and sneakers, I gave myself a quick little pep-talk, just enough to get me out of Grey’s room and see who’d let themselves in.
“Grey, you need to take this seriously and quit fucking around. This is your career we’re talking about. Being in politics isn’t a regular forty-hour-a-week gig. You’ve got to be on twenty-four seven. That means you can’t just go galivanting around Montauk pretending like you don’t have any responsibilities. I’ve put my damn neck out there for you to get your foot in the door, and this is how you thank me? By spending the last month fucking around like a teenager? I need you in New York for at least the next week while the re-election efforts ramp up,” he said.
“Okay, Father, I get it,” Grey responded, sounding defeated. “Jesus, you don’t have to be such an asshole about it.”
Father.
I creeped around the corner, doing my best to go unnoticed. I silently shut the door behind me and pressed my back against it before letting a deep sigh empty from my chest.
The uneasiness was persistent after listening to Grey’s father speak to him that way. It almost made me nauseous. I moved to the elevator, in search of an extra-large coffee.
Exiting his building, the bright summer sun scorched differently between the towers of the city, and thankfully, within no more than fifty steps, I stumbled across a quaint coffee shop.
The entrance was small but romantic, with an arched wooden door that stood out like a sore thumb among the typical glass ones lining the streets. The neon glowing sign overhead read A Second Cup , and a dainty coffee mug was perched next to it.
Inside, the scent of coffee beans tingled my nose. Looking around, it appeared that I’d been transported someplace else, someplace magical. It was painted almost entirely in a deep dark green. The cabinets, the walls, and even the ceiling. Everything was dark, except for the trees towering over the different-sized tables and chairs. Weaved baskets used as chandeliers dangled from the ceiling and dimly lit each table.
I no longer had to wonder why so many authors talked about writing in New York City. If I lived here, I would’ve written at least five books by now. The vibes were immaculate.
Taking my place in line, I continued to admire the tiny but perfect space around me. The barista’s voice was the only thing that brought me back to reality.
“Hi there, what can I get started for you?”
“Hi! First off, this place is incredible. Secondly, I’ll take a hazelnut latte with almond milk, please.”
“Well, thank you. It is pretty great,” she said, tapping the tablet screen in front of her. “Is that all?”
“Yes,” I responded. “Actually no, I’m so sorry. It isn’t.” I couldn’t go back empty-handed, but I had no clue what kind of coffee Grey liked. Panicking, I said, “Um. Can I just get a vanilla latte, please?”
“You got it.”
On the walk back to Grey’s apartment, I stressed that I’d ordered the wrong thing. Luckily, it was a short walk, because if it was even a minute longer, I probably would’ve turned around and got him something else.
Anxiety never slept.
Creaking the door open, I snuck inside, not wanting to interrupt him and his father if they were still arguing.
“—and then you bring back some charity case from Montauk? To what? Let her experience the city how we do? Show off all your shiny things just so you can sleep with her?”
My stomach sank as I listened in on a conversation I knew wasn’t for my ears.
“Fuck off,” Grey spit back. “She’s not a charity case. She’s a human being, and an incredible one at that. Maybe you could learn something from her,” he scoffed. “She’s not just another pawn in your game, and that’s what pisses you off.”
“Watch your mouth, son. Sometimes I think you forget just how much I’ve done for you. How many strings I’ve pulled to get you to where you are today. The calls I’ve made to make sure you were still standing right here. Don’t you forget, without me, you wouldn’t be here.”
“You can pull me down all you want, you’ve done it my whole life, but don’t bring Miller into it. Like I told you at the Fourth of July party, she’s my girlfriend. That’s not going to change, so you might as well leave her out of it and move the fuck on.”
The silence was deafening, but despite the venom spewing from his father’s lips, Grey had stood up for me. And in spite of the circumstances, my heart swelled.
“I’ll be at the meeting next week. I know that’s why you showed up here. So, if that’s all, you can leave now.” Spite filled Grey’s voice.
“Very good. I’m happy to hear it. There will be a lot of important people there.”
The sound of footsteps startled me as they moved closer, pausing just before they reached me. “Good to see you, son. Remember, this is your second chance. I’d suggest you use it wisely, because you won’t get another one.”
How did someone like Grey come from a man as vulgar as him?
I slipped into another room just as his father was pulling the front door open. When I was confident he was gone, I worked my way into the kitchen to find Grey standing with both hands gripping either side of his sink, staring out onto the city.
“I got this for you.” My voice was soft and filled with uncertainty as I stood in the middle of his kitchen, two piping hot cups of coffee in hand.
He turned around until he was able to rest against the sink with his arms crossed. Still shirtless, his navy pants dipped low.
“An angel sent from above,” he said, reaching for the coffee and putting it up to his nose. “And a vanilla latte.” His mouth opened slightly, allowing the warm substance to flow to his lips. “I think I’ll keep you.”
It was odd, almost, how Grey managed to pop back into himself even after the shitty exchange with his father.
He may have appeared okay, but I could see the hurt hiding under the surface. I eased his cup from his hands and placed both our coffees on the counter before wrapping my arms around his middle.
I just wanted to squeeze him, as if I could squeeze all that hurt out. His once rapid heartbeat seemed to gradually settle the longer we were intertwined.
“That sounded brutal,” I said.
“Oh, that? Yeah, as you’ve now witnessed on multiple occasions, that’s just a typical conversation between my father and me,” he breathed. “How much did you hear?”
I wanted so badly to thank him for standing up for me, but that would mean admitting I’d heard more of the conversation than I should have, and I didn’t want to make him relive any of his father’s malicious words.
“Not much. I snuck out shortly after you got out here and just got back.” I kissed his cheek. “What was it you wanted to tell me before your father got here?”
I plopped myself onto the kitchen counter.
Grey’s hands moved to his temples, rubbing them aggressively. “Can we talk about it later?” he asked. “I just want to be in the silence with you for a bit longer.”
“Of course. Come here,” I insisted.
His body sank into mine as I pulled his head to my chest.
“We can sit like this for as long as you want. I’m not going anywhere,” I assured him as I ran my hands through his hair.