My friends. I shake my head. “Honestly, we sort of drifted apart. I’m not sure any of them care all that much.”
Drifting apart is probably the wrong way to describe what happened. It’s more like I threw myself into a relationship I thought would be long term and let Jared take up all my time outside of work. I put too much stock in his opinions. Acquiesced when he whined about spending time with my friends instead of his.
Tale as old as time. Girl meets boy. Girl loses all sense of self. Boy takes advantage. Girl ends up alone.
Again.
I paste a tight smile on my face when I notice Griffin studying me. Like he can see through all my bullshit and straight down to my soul.
But then his serious expression morphs into a blinding smile and he boops my nose. Again. “Well, you’ve got us, now.”
“Yeah,” I say with a chuckle. “I’ve got a bunch of big, sweaty hockey players.”
“And Isla.”
“Hopefully. What if they don’t get back together?” I hate even voicing it out loud. My brother’s girlfriend is amazing. Sweet, fun, and she totally puts Maddox in his place. Part of me expected him to propose and for Isla to become my sister. A built-in best friend guaranteed to stick around.
Griffin waves a dismissive hand in the air. “They will. I have a plan.”
That piques my curiosity. Griffin is way more invested in Maddox and Isla getting back together than I thought he’d be. “Do I get to hear this plan?”
“Not yet.” He flashes me another of his disarming smiles. “Still working out the kinks. But you’ll be a part of it, don’t worry.”
“Oh, yeah?”
He nods. His shaggy golden hair flops around atop his head. “Someone will have to sit with her at the hockey game so she doesn’t run away.”
“Right.” I laugh. “Well, of course, you can count me in.”
“Good. Now what movie should we watch? A rom-com?”
“No.” I may not be all that cut up about things ending with Jared, but I’m still disappointed that my dreams of finding love came tumbling down once more. “Horror movie?”
“Slasher or suspense?”
Easy question. “Suspense. I hate all the gore of slasher flicks.”
“Fair enough.” Griffin turns on the TV and begins searching. We land on one neither of us has seen and snuggle in to watch. It’s good—and plenty scary—but I’m tired enough that my eyes grow heavy and little shivers make me tremble.
“Do you want me to turn this off so you can go to bed?” Griffin murmurs.
I force myself to sit up a bit and blink owlishly at him. “No, I’m good.” I dig into the popcorn bowl and bring a few salty kernels to my lips.
Griffin chuckles. “If you say so.” He doesn’t try to convince me to go to bed, but he does grab a throw blanket from a basket in the corner, which he drapes over my chilly form. “Let’s at least make sure you’re warm.”
I catch maybe another fifteen minutes of the movie before I lose the fight with my eyelids. The TV is dark when Griffin gives me a gentle shake. He must have finished it.
“Come on, Lil’ Gravesy. This couch is great, but it’s not as comfortable as your bed.” He laughs when I groan. “Need me to carry you?”
“No,” I grumble. He lets me struggle with the blanket for a few minutes, his chest shaking with silent laughter, before strong, calloused hands engulf mine and pull me to my feet.
“Never thought I’d see the day when Mira Graves was as grumpy as her brother.”
“Shut up,” I say as he leads me toward my bedroom. There’s no heat behind the words, and he knows it, which makes him laugh out loud this time.
“So grumpy.” Griffin pauses at my bedroom door, watching me. Probably to make sure I don’t trip on a box and face-plant on the floor.
If that were to happen, I’d just stay there, I’m so tired.
