38. Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Eight
A t seven o’clock on the dot, a knock came at my front door. “Come in, I’m just finishing up,” I shouted from my bathroom.
I dabbed at the bright red lipstick, a nod to that tiny stitching detail that hid under my dress.
“It’s even better than I imagined. You’re absolutely stunning.” Grey’s voice was low, but the sincerity in it dropped my nervousness to a tolerable level.
“Really?” I asked.
He stepped closer to me, placing his strong arms on the small of my back. “Really. I still can’t believe that I’m the lucky one who gets to have you on their arm tonight.”
I planted a soft kiss on his lips before pulling back.
“You’re lucky you’ve got that lipstick on.”
Want fluttered through his words, making me grin as he grabbed my hand and led me to the door.
Daniel was waiting for us downstairs, and our drive to Grey’s house was quieter than normal.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yeah, of course. Why?” His thumb brushed my palm.
“I don’t know. You just seem a little quiet. I wondered if maybe you were nervous about tonight? And whether you’re sure about having me come as your date? I know your father isn’t my biggest fan and—”
He moved so his entire frame was facing me. “MJ, I’ve never been more sure of anything than I am about having you by my side tonight.”
I squeezed his hand tight, the only response I could muster. I believed him, I really did, but something wasn’t sitting right with me. I could tell Grey felt the same, but I couldn’t figure out what he was hiding.
“Sir, where would you like me to drop you off? There are a few unwanted cameramen at the front of the property, I could—”
“The front is fine, Daniel. Thank you.”
Cameramen? I knew this party was a big deal, but that seemed a little excessive, even for the mayor of New York City.
“I want to show you off to anyone who wants to look.” Grey tugged me into his side and planted a kiss on my temple. “Ready?”
My chest swelled as I took a deep breath in. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Grey stepped out of the car first, extending his hand to me. Deliberately slow, I made my way out of the back seat. My heartbeat picked up with each movement I made, mimicking the sound of the cameras clicking all around us.
I felt silly for feeling so anxious, but I’d never been a part of anything like this in my life. The closest I’d come was the junior prom when Olivia and I somehow snagged dates at the last minute and our moms obsessed over getting 1,000 photos.
Fortunately, Grey didn’t even acknowledge the madness that surrounded us, and within a few seconds, we were walking through the front doors of his house. Though, if I’d known about the chaos that awaited us inside, I might have preferred never coming in. At least when we were outside Grey ignored the people vying for his attention.
His house was familiar in the sense that I’d been here before, but right now, it was almost unrecognizable. As we moved through the front entryway, it just didn’t feel the same.
This was a party, but the feeling in the air wasn’t one of anticipation and excitement like it was at the last party I attended here. Instead, it was stiff, almost suffocating.
The linens were stark white and pressed to a pulp. The all-white roses overwhelmed the entire house, large bouquets placed in every nook and cranny. The music was dull, something you’d find in an elevator in some quiet old building that doubled as a dentist’s office. The guests were loud, but their voices were quiet. Their conversations appeared dim and lifeless as most of them stood with blank stares and fake smiles.
That is, until they spotted Grey.
All eyes were on him, which meant all eyes were on me too, and suddenly I was a fish out of water. It was obvious I didn’t belong here.
I did my best to cling to Grey’s previous comment about him never being more sure of his decision to bring me, hoping it would provide a sense of comfort.
Grey gripped my hand tighter, leaning toward my ear to whisper, “The only reason they’re looking at me is because they can’t take their eyes off of you.”
A barely audible giggle fell from my mouth, only loud enough for the two of us to hear.
With his mouth still to my ear, he almost growled, “Good thing you’re mine, and those little red initials prove it.”
Chills sprinkled down my back and a shot of confidence flew to the surface. With all eyes on us, I smiled and wrapped my arm in Grey’s. If I was going to be here, I might as well pretend to fit in.
I scanned the room, hoping I might spot someone I recognized. And I did. Just not who I’d hoped for. Instead, I landed on Stanley and Lisa Prescott. He was loud and boisterous; she was soft and quiet. She looked beautiful, elegant, but she was no doubt in her husband’s shadow. I watched as she stood silently next to Stanley, smiling and nodding but never speaking.
Grey and I settled into a conversation with a couple who were around our age, which was a little breath of fresh air if you asked me. The husband, Scott, worked on Stanley’s team and appeared fairly close to Grey. His wife, Ava, seemed genuine enough that I planned to stick by her side as long as I could.
“MJ, we’re going to go grab some drinks,” he said, kissing me on the cheek before walking away toward the bar with Scott.
“I have never seen Grey Prescott this smitten with a woman, and I have known him a very long time.” Her voice was kind, and I really believed her intention was good, but the pressure of the comment had me stressed.
“Oh! You’re the sweetest, but I’m sure there have been other women in Grey’s life.”
“Other women? Sure. But none that he would’ve ever dreamed of bringing to a party of this status. Especially on a night like tonight.” She beamed back.
“A night like tonight?” I repeated.
“Yeah, you know, with him announcing he’ll be joining his father’s campaign. I mean, everyone knew it was coming. Stanley has been hinting at wanting his son to join him since before Grey could walk, but it’ll finally be official.”
The sinking feeling punched me right in the gut.
“Oh. Right,” I quickly responded. The last thing I wanted to do was look clueless.
“One dirty martini. Extra dirty,” said Grey, now back at my side.
“Thanks.”
I watched him mingle with his guests as the night continued on, and I realized that this was a side of him that I didn’t know. One that was very different to the person I’d grown quite fond of. His conversations were about laws, policies, and a bunch of other stuff that flew over my head. And as much as he’d shared his distaste for politics with me, he was doing a pretty damn good job of convincing everyone else this was exactly where he was supposed to be.
While Grey conversed, I stood quietly next to him, nodding here and there, adding to the conversation when it seemed appropriate. Despite my best efforts, he knew something was up. He was constantly pulling me closer, sending me doting looks, and doing his best to wrap me into the conversation.
The heaviness lingered, a little more than I bargained for.
“Excuse me. I’m going to run to the restroom.” I smiled at the couple we’d been standing with.
Grey whispered into my ear, “Use mine.”
“Okay,” I muttered.
I turned on my heels and shuffled to Grey’s room, feeling grateful as I passed by a long line of women standing by the main bathroom.
Entering Grey’s room, I quickly shut the door behind me, pressing my back against the door and letting a large sigh escape my body. The silence and familiarity of his room brought a solace that I desperately needed.
After using the restroom, I took a much-needed moment to catch my breath and sort through my thoughts. I stood in front of the mirror, wondering how I got here. I thought I would be able to handle this party, that I might even enjoy myself, but the longer I was here, the more that I realized I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.
I was twenty-eight years old, working as a bartender at my dad’s bar in the same small town I grew up in. I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. And honestly, that had never really bothered me until I stood in a room full of people who had their shit so much more together than I did. Everyone we talked to tonight was someone with a long list of achievements that far exceeded anything I’d ever done.
I’d always had big dreams, but they’d taken a back seat after losing Liv. Nothing really seemed that important anymore. Everything I’d ever known changed in an instant, and the only way to stay close to her was to stay here.
“Liv, what the fuck am I doing here? I don’t belong in a place like this. I wanted this thing with Grey to be real, but I think I’ve always known it wasn’t realistic. And seeing him in this kind of environment has only confirmed my fear. As much as he tells me he doesn’t want a life in politics, he’s a natural at playing the part.”
It was moments like this when I would do absolutely anything to hear her voice on the other end of the conversation. But instead, I was greeted by silence, like always. I bowed my head, letting it fall between my shoulders, contemplating my next move.
“MJ?” Grey said, his voice drifting in from the bedroom.
Shit. I took too long. Now I really had to pull it together.
I swiped my pointer finger under my eye and fixed my hair before meeting Grey in his bedroom. I looked at him, seeing concern etched with desperation on his face.
“What’s going on with you?” he asked.
I really wanted to say nothing was wrong. To put a smile on and go back out there like nothing was bothering me, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t.
“I hear you’re making a pretty big announcement tonight, huh?” The words came out harsher than I anticipated.
Stunned, he threw his head back, placing both of his hands behind his head. “MJ, I can explain. I—”
I cut him off. “Grey, what the fuck are we doing?” I threw my hands in the air. “Despite the fact that this summer has been incredible, we both knew this thing between us had an expiration date and this announcement of yours only confirms it. This could never work, we could never work, our worlds are just too different.”
His face shifted, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on the emotion. He took a seat on the edge of his bed. The same one we’d slept together in.
“MJ don’t do this. Please. You don’t understand,” he said, ashamed. “I’m nothing without him.”
Behind us, the bedroom door creaked open and a familiar, hate-filled voice said, “You’re right. Without me, you are nothing.”
Stanley.
“And if you don’t get your ass out there and quit worrying about her,” he said, his finger pointing right at me, “then you’ll never amount to anything more than a pitiful little rich boy who hides in the shadow of his successful father. I’ve given you everything, even a second chance, and you can’t even show me the decency to show up with a more respectable date than her.”
His attention shifted to me. “MJ, is it?”
I couldn’t respond even if I tried, but I didn’t have time to anyway.
Grey lunged toward his father, ending up only a few inches from his face. “You can say whatever you want about me, everyone knows that always makes you feel better about yourself. But you keep MJ’s name out of your fucking mouth. You got it?”
“Simmer down, Grey.” Stanley arrogantly shook his head. “She’ll never last in this world. She doesn’t belong here. You and I both know that.”
His chuckle was almost sinister as he slipped back toward the door.
The anger roaring through him was unlike anything I’d ever seen—his body tense, his eyes dark, and his jaw clenched.
Gazing back at us, Stanley kept antagonizing. “I suggest you chalk this one up to loss and get your ass back to the party. People are waiting for you, and if you keep them waiting too long, they’ll get impatient.”
Grey’s movements were heated as he attempted to go after him, but I put myself in between him and the door. “Grey, he’s not worth it. He’s trying to provoke you. Let your actions speak louder than his words.”
“He doesn’t get to talk to you like that. No one does.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I fucking hate him.”
“Hey.” I grabbed his arms. “His words don’t define who I am. People who feel that small have to make everyone around them feel small too,” I said, trying to crack a smile but lacking the energy to do so.
I believed what I was saying, but that didn’t mean that Stanley’s words didn’t hurt.
“Grey.” I shimmied closer to him as I took his head in my hands. “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. I get that. And it’s important to me that I be there for you, no matter how much I wish this was going to end differently. You’ve been there for me this summer and I’m going to do the same,” I said, holding out my hand, waiting for him to grab it.
“I don’t want to lose you. I can’t. You’re just going to have to trust me on this one. I know it doesn’t make sense right now, but it will. At least give me a chance to explain everything after the party. Please?”
I knew nothing he said would change my mind, but the building anxiety of losing him was too much to face at the moment.
“Okay.” I nodded, and with our hands clasped we walked back to the party.
To no one’s surprise, Stanley Prescott was standing on some makeshift stage at the front of the living room with a microphone in his hand. The light reflected off his obnoxious gold watch as he adjusted his suit, and his voice boomed through the house, leaving no one safe from the sound.
“I just want to thank all of you for being here tonight. The support I’ve received since announcing my re-election was more than I could’ve imagined. My wife and I are thrilled to continue supporting the city that we love most.” A grimy grin spread across his face as he locked eyes with Grey. “But tonight, we have something even more special to celebrate…” His free hand motioned toward Grey and me. “Tonight, I get to officially welcome my son, Grey Prescott, to my campaign team. It’s been a long time coming and a dream come true for the both of us. Grey, would you like to say a few words?”
He started to release my hand but hesitated. I squeezed it in response, in a sign of comfort and solidarity. I didn’t want him to go, but he had to make that decision for himself, and regardless of what he decided, I wanted him to know I was there. His hand dropped from mine as he stepped forward, but not before turning back to look at me one more time.
As he moved away from me, the room spun in slow motion. Everything around me blurred except for him, crystal clear as he stepped onto the stage and took the mic. His anger had dissipated, or at least been masked.
His face went blank but only for a moment before his eyes locked on mine. Then, he smiled. “I couldn’t be more excited to go on this journey with my father by joining his campaign team.” Grey fired a death glare at his father. “Look, Stanley, it’s everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Stanley moved up to meet him, taking Grey’s hand into his. The handshake looked like something you’d see between two business partners, not a father and son.
“A dream come true,” Stanley confirmed.
Everyone cheered, whooped, and hollered, followed by a loud bang that sent red, white, and blue confetti floating through the air. The chaos of the crowd sent an understanding through me that would’ve brought me to my knees had I not forced myself to stay upright.
She’ll never last in this world. You and I both know that .
It wasn’t Stanley’s words themselves that hurt, but rather the realization that he’d been right.
Looking around at all the people, all I could see was their fake smiles and hidden motives. Grey was good personified. He was kind and genuine. But unfortunately, he was stuck in a family that didn’t want kind and genuine; they wanted selfish and money-hungry. And while I believed Grey was stronger than that, Stanley had dug his claws in so aggressively that Grey saw no way out.
I’d been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and standing here as the party continued around me, my world had stopped.
In order for Grey and me to be together, this would have to be my life, and that was something I didn’t think I could accept. I may not have everything figured out, but one thing I was certain of was that I didn’t want to end up like Grey’s mom.
I wouldn’t.
If I’d learned anything from Liv’s death, it was that life was simply too short.