"Hey, I gave you the chance to tell the story. You can't get mad at how I saw it from my point of view."
She scowled and folded her arms.
"When the emergency lights came on, we heard the gears of the elevator engage, but the elevator didn’t move. That’s when we realized we were stuck." Damon was really getting into the story now. "I tried pushing the buttons, but nothing happened. We finally managed to get a custodian on the phone, but the connection was bad, so we couldn't understand everything he said. But basically, the backup battery for the elevator had failed."
"Which left us in darkness again after only a few minutes," Grace added.
Paige gasped. "You guys were trapped in the dark for a whole hour?"
"No. Initially, I used my phone's flashlight, but then Grace started digging through her basket and realized there was a candle in there."
"And Damon just happened to have a lighter in his pocket." Grace jumped in again. "Can you believe that?"
"Yes." Daniel, Riley and Paige said in unison, not at all surprised.
"I told you I'm always prepared for anything." Damon gave Grace a broad grin before returning to their story. "We had no idea how long it was going to take to rescue us, so we made ourselves comfortable."
Paige's brow puckered. "Comfortable where? Elevators don't have seats."
"On the floor."
"Ooh. That's gross." Riley grimaced. "Do you have any idea how much bacteria is on hospital floors? It's even worse in elevators, since I doubt their floors get cleaned regularly."
"That's what I said." Grace pointed at Riley.
"She called me gross." Damon nodded. "But she joined me on the floor anyway."
"Only because I got tired of standing."
By the way she hugged her knees to her chest, Damon thought her choosing to sit had more to do with her claustrophobia and anxiety than being tired of standing, but he doubted she wanted him to point that out.
Damon picked up the story again, telling everyone how they snacked on Grace’s goodies and talked about bucket lists.
When he finished, Riley smiled and nodded. “I'm glad neither of you were stuck in the elevator alone." Riley pointed at Paige. "I want to hear about you throwing yourself into Gabe's arms the first time you met him, but first, I need to pee."
Grace shot Damon a look of relief and gratitude as they rose from the table. He didn’t want to talk about their kiss any more than she did, but he doubted it was for the same reason.
They all stood and worked together to clean the table and the kitchen while Riley went to the bathroom. Damon was finishing clearing the table, when Paige stepped close, holding a washcloth. She blocked his path as he turned to step away with a handful of napkins, a serious expression on her face.
"Something on your mind?" he asked.
She looked over her shoulder to where Gabe and Grace loaded the dishwasher. "I think it's great that you're spending time with Grace. You guys make a cute couple, and I'd love nothing more than to see you two end up together." She kepther voice low as she poked his chest. "But don't toy with her, Damon."
"What do you mean?"
"She's been through a lot, and with her mother being so sick, she's very vulnerable right now."
Paige knew what Grace had been through—what Marisol had hinted at this afternoon. Damon could see it in her eyes. He wanted to press Paige to tell him what happened to Grace when she was a teenager.
Despite knowing he should respect Grace’s reticence, he asked, "What has she been through?"
She glanced over her shoulder again then shook her head. "Grace doesn't know that I know. I can't betray Gabe's trust or her privacy."
Riley walked back into the kitchen and stuck her head close to Damon and Paige's. "What are you two whispering about?"
"Nothing." Damon stepped back.
Paige kept her voice low as she slapped his shoulder. "I was just warning Damon not to hurt Grace."
