“Why?” I demand when no one else does.
Cas is frowning. Caroline looks caught off guard. Some of the color has drained from her face and she’s tensed up slightly.
“Because…” He turns toward Caroline. “When we were in New York, I loved telling everyone in the office you were my girlfriend.”
“You told everyone she’s your girlfriend?” Cas asks.
Caro nods. “Yes. To get Felicity off of his back. She’s been aggressive in her pursuit of Grayson.”
“Exactly. And I loved it. Not because it sent a strong message to Felicity, but because I wanted it to bereal.I wanted you to be territorial because I’m yours and your mine and we’re together, raising Evelyn.” Grayson takes her hand and massages her knuckles with his thumb. His voice softens. “I’m in love with you, Caroline. Completely and totally in love with you.”
Caroline’s mouth drifts apart on a soft sigh. “Oh. I…”
“No, don’t say anything.” He stops her. “That’s why I’m breaking things off. We all agreed this was casual, this was temporary. I want to respect that and I would love, absolutely love, to share this last week or two in bed with you all, but I can’t because I’m in too deep. Way too fucking deep. It would just be…painful.”
“I see,” Caro says softly.
“You do?” I ask. “Because I don’t.”
Evelyn gives a shriek, like she doesn’t understand what the hell is happening either.
“Are you sure this isn’t you mistaking what you’re feeling for me?” Caroline asks. “You’ve been through a really tumultuous time and I…”
Grayson doesn’t let her finish. The softness on his face evaporates. “No. Oh my God, are you kidding me? Do you know how often I’ve told a woman I’ve been in love with her? I don’t. I’m not that guy. I know what I’m feeling, for fuck’s sake. So I’m out.”
He suddenly stands up and stalks over to me. He holds his hands out for his daughter. “I have this little girl now and she’s been through a lot. She was dumped at my office like she doesn’t matter and she’s already had so much change and new nannies and all of you being around. I can’t be dicking around with who she gets attached to and I can’t…” His voice cracks. “Icannotfuck this up. She is my priority. She has to be.”
Caroline nods. “Of course not. I understand.” She stands up, and I can see her hands are trembling a little and her face is pale. “I never meant to…I never thought that…”
“That I would fall in love with you?” Grayson asks.
She nods again.
He gives a soft laugh. “Sweetheart, the real question is, how could I not? You’reeverything. Adventurous and caring and intelligent. You see joy in everything and everyone. How could I not fall in love with you?”
There are tears in her eyes. “Grayson.”
My chest is tight with emotion. Grayson is right. He really sees Caro. He gets her.
I understand exactly how he feels because I’m in love with her, too.
My heart is going to break when she leaves and yet, I have a husband and a son and I have an incredible life. That’s the rub, though. It doesn’t mean I don’t love Caroline and I see what Grayson is doing—he’s protecting himself as much as he can, even though it’s already too late to stop what he’s feeling.
Maybe it’s more he’s attempting to protect Evelyn.
But unlike Grayson, I want to steal every minute I can with Caro before she leaves.
“This was always what we planned,” Caroline tells Grayson softly. “The four of us until I leave.”
“I know. But plans change.” Grayson bends down and strokes her cheek, kisses her softly. “I didn’t plan on falling in love.”
Evelyn grips Caroline’s hair and stares at the two of them with big, solemn eyes.
It’s intimate and heartfelt, and I feel like a spectator.
“Do you two need a minute?” I ask, gesturing to Cas that we should take Noah and go into our bedroom.
But Grayson shakes his head. “No. This was about all of us. And I’m leaving.” He takes a step back and runs his free hand through his hair. “Jesus fuck. This is hard. Maybe…in a few years, when you’re done with your assignment, we can circle back to this.”
