There didn’t seem to be any reason not to tell him, so I took a few minutes and, without any of the particulars, filled Grayson in on the recent shift in relationship dynamics between Jess and me.
“So Brody was right.”
I hated to admit it. Still, I nodded.
“You agreed to just one night?”
I nodded again.
“But it’s more than that to you?”
Again, I nodded.
“And her?”
“She voted yes,” I said, the words bitter on my tongue.
He didn’t say anything right away, but after a moment, he said, “Okay. But did she choosehim?”
“What?” I looked up sharply. “That’s not what this is about?—”
“Isn’t it?”
I shook my head, but Grayson wasn’t buying it. “She ran away from her wedding.”
“That doesn’t?—”
“And you were the one she ran to.”
“That wasn’t intentional.”
“Maybe not consciously,” he agreed. “But it still says something.”
I clenched my jaw. “That doesn’t change the fact that when it mattered, she went against me.”
“Or maybe she made her decision independently of you.”
I growled. “That’s what she said.”
Grayson laughed. “Do you know what I think?”
I groaned. “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me whether I want you to or not.”
“Pull your head out of your ass, little brother,” he said without preamble. “You’re acting like a stubborn idiot, and you’re way too smart for that.”
“Screw you.”
“No,” Grayson said. “I don’t think so.”
I huffed a breath and glared at him until he laughed.
“I’ve never seen you so worked up, Pres.” He nudged me with his elbow. “And that’s how I know this really matters to you. So try thinking about it a different way, okay? Just for a second.”
He wasn’t totally wrong; I was being stubborn and idiotic, which didn’t even begin to describe my behavior. I knew that—I just couldn’t seem to stop.
“I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit,” he said after a moment, his voice softer.
I dropped my head. “I was stupid to think I could ever really mean anything to her.”
