Maybe if he’d explain what’s up his butt, I might. “Just spit it out.” What am I missing? I had coffee with a friend, what’s the big deal?
Zach studies me for a second and then unfolds his arms, shoving his hands in his pockets. “What did Grady say about it?”
“Nothing. I asked him if he wanted to come, but he had to work. I already said that.”
“He had to work on a Saturday?”
“He does that sometimes.” It’s not the first time he’s needed to do that. Hell, sometimesIhave to head on base for a few hours over the weekend if there’s something pressing that I need to get done. Why is Zach asking pointless questions? He’s supposed to be helping me with my problem.
“You don’t think he might have had a problem with it?” Zach asks slowly.
“Why would he?” That doesn’t make any sense. If hedid, he hadn’t said anything. And it’s not like I have any interestwhatsoever in Sadie. I haven’t thought about her in a long time, and Grady consumes my whole world. Not to mention, she’s getting married. It’s like Zach’s not even listening.
“Riddle me this,” Zach says. “If Grady said he was going to catch up with his ex Mal, what would you think?”
“I’d question his sanity.” I have nothing nice to say about Grady’s ex, either of them for that matter, and neither does he. The less we think about him at all, the better. He can rot for all I care. Grady’s mine now.
“But you wouldn’t care if he insisted on it?”
I shift on my feet uncomfortably. “I don’t…” Just imagining Grady staring over the table at someone that had once touched him intimately, that knows what he looks like naked, and the magic of his tongue, is unpleasant, at best. It makes me want to hit something, and I’m not generally a violent person. “I wouldn’t tell him that he couldn’t.” I don’t get to control who Grady spends time with. I refuse to be that person.
“But you’d want to.”
“So what?” I ask defensively. What does that have to do withanything? Sometimes I want to push soldiers out of a helicopter, too, and I don’t do that.
Zach rubs his forehead like I’m physically paining him. “You have to look at it from his point of view, Lake. The last time he was engaged, his fiancé cheated on him with a woman—a friend of theirs—and got her pregnant. Does this not feel like déjà vu to you?”
“No.” Not even close. I’m not going to get herpregnant, what the fuck? “She’s getting married! We didn’t—there wasn’t any—I didn’t touch her.” I couldn’t even fathom touching her in that way. Touching anyone else in that way. They aren’t Grady. The very thought just makes me feel mildly ill, like the beginnings of a stomach virus. Grady’s my person. Forever.
“He trusts you, Lake. I don’t think that he thinks you did either. But it might stillhurt. Our fears aren’t always rational, and we can try to logic our way out of them—I imagine he’s had a few talks to himself about it—but banishing them isn’t that easy.”
Fuck, fuck,fuck.“Well, why didn’t he say anything?” He should have said something. I assumed that he would if we had a problem. Why is he keeping that from me? I’d never have gone, never even have entertained the thought if I’d known it would upset him. She’s not worth that.
“You’ve met him, right? He’s a stubborn guy, Lake. Do you really think he’s just going to blurt out his problems without a push?”
I’m gonna give him a push, alright. Right out the fucking window.
A quick check of the time confirms it’s late enough that Gradyshouldbe finished with work, or be close to it. I’m done for the day; I have a fiancé to smack in the head and kiss senseless.
Astrangemixtureofrelief and anxiety swirls in my gut at the sight of Grady’s car in the driveway.
He’s home.
Guess we’re getting this over with, then. Good. I hate leaving things to grow and get out of control. Except he’s not in the living room, or our bedroom, or our still kind-of, mostly deconstructed bathroom, or the kitchen.
The sound of Hades barking outside takes me to the back door, and I finally spot Grady, kneeling on one knee and throwing the ball for our dog.
Grady looks up and smiles in a way that normally makes my heart beat faster and my palms sweaty. Okay, maybe it’s still doing that. But also, we havevery importantthings to talk about, and sex is off the table until this is sorted out. No distracting me with all his hotness.
His smile falters as I approach. “Lake?”
Putting my hands on my hips, I try to give him my best reproachful look. “Why didn’t you tell me that it bothered you that I was having coffee with Sadie?”
There. Out in the open, ripping it off like a Band-Aid.
Grady freezes, ball in hand. Hades gets impatient and lunges for it, easily taking it from him. He trots away victorious, tail wagging high.
“Lake—”
