I hold my breath as it shows that she’s typing, more than a little apprehensive of what her reply will be.
My Gracie
Who says I can’t want you both?
That mollifies me a little, since it’s me that she wants in my entirety, but I still can’t help but be a little hurt that she would do this to her poor, unsuspecting friend turned lover, Noah.
I throw the phone, still more than a little agitated before picking up my usual phone and sending a quick text to Harley letting him know I’ll be home later than expected.
I put the car in drive with only one destination in mind: Gracie.
Iknock gently on the door, even though all I really want to do is let myself in, pin her to the bed and demand to know what the fuck is going on.
It takes a moment, but the door slowly opens to reveal Gracie, wearing fuzzy pajamas with a pencil in hand and a look of confusion on her face.
“Hey,” I say, my temper calming a little at the sight of her.
“Hey,” she says and frowns a little. “Did we have plans tonight?”
I shake my head, a slight smile on my face, thankful that she doesn’t seem to be acting strange, proving that she didn’t get a note or anything like I did. “We didn’t, but I was on my way home from Logan’s game and wanted to see how you were doing.” I shrug, attempting to appear nonchalant.
Gracie used to come to Logan’s games with us in high school, but not so much now that we’re in college. She doesn’t like the crowds, since too many people stress her out, so she only really comes to the more important games.
A wide smile lights up her face, leaving me a little breathless as she opens the door fully and invites me inside. I follow her to the little lounge area, where she sits down on the sofa, and it’s only after a closer look that I realize what she was doing.
She has a sketch pad resting on the coffee table with pencil’s scattered around it, and what I see on the page has my blood heating.
“What’s that?” I ask and nod towards the book, even though I know exactly what it is, but she doesn’t know that.
Because right there on the page is a drawing of me. Only, it’s not a portrait of me normally. No, she’s drawn me wearing themask. I guess she really was telling the truth in the messages she sent, and that has a myriad of emotions whirling around inside me.
“Huh?” she asks, blinking up at me before her eyes go to the drawing. “Oh, it’s just something I saw somewhere, and inspiration struck, I guess.”
Yeah, I bet.
I move closer to get a better look at it.
Fuck, she really is talented.
“It’s amazing,” I murmur. “You really should think about switching majors. A business degree would be wasted on you, little one.”
She shoots me a shy smile and delicately shrugs one shoulder. “Maybe.”
“There’s nomaybeabout it, Gracie. You’re incredibly talented. Just think about it, yeah? Cole and I will be fine at the company if you decide to take a different path.”
Her eyes widen, but she remains silent and nods once. I know that she’ll think more deeply about it, she’s been thinking about it forever, and hopefully my words of encouragement will give her the push she needs to take that step.
I grin and take a seat on the sofa beside her. “You don’t mind me turning up here, do you?”
She rolls her eyes. “Just so long as you’re quiet while I draw, you can do whatever you like.”
“Perfect,” I say with a smile before picking up the TV remote and put a movie on with the sound off, content to sit here and covertly stare at her while she draws a version of me that she doesn’t actually knowisme.
I’m still jealous of myself in some fucked up twist of fate, but at least I get to sit beside her as I stew on my feelings and thoughts filled with who could have been the one to leave me the note.
THIRTY-NINE
GRACIE
