“What?”
“You got into three of the biggest Ivy Leagues in the country and decided on Driscoll University?”
Does he not know how good a university Driscoll is?“I thought you’d be more impressed with the double axel. It’s really hard to do.”
“Emma…”
“Driscoll is ranked as one of the most prestigious universities in the country. Some may even say it’s better than an Ivy League.”
“I don’t know about th?—”
“It’s also where my parents met,” I mumble.
Drinking the rest of my cider, I tilt my head back, waiting for Grayson’s follow-up question.
“Your parents went to Driscoll?”
I smile to myself. “My mom did for her bachelor’s, and my dad for his master’s. They met in her junior year, and the rest is history.”
“Wow,” is the only word that he manages to form.
Twisting to my left, I tug the pillows down and lie on my right side with both hands tucked under my cheek. I poke Grayson’s leg and pat the spot next to me.
His lips quirk up, and he takes the same position I’m in, but faces me.
Once he’s settled in, I tell him, “It’s your turn.” Grayson quickly tilts his head to look up at the sky, just like I was. “And make them good. Remember that I’ve researched everything I can about you.”
The rich laugh that comes out of him makes my skin break out in goose bumps. He’s the only guy who’s ever had this effect on me, and I can’t help but wonder which traits of mine—besides my boobs and ass—have an impact on him.
“All right, first one.”
“Yay!” I say quietly, and he shushes me.
“I named the restaurant you visited after my childhood dog, Phoenix.”
“Awwww.” That’s not something I would have expected from him, but if there’s one thing time has taught me, it’s to expect the unexpected when it comes to Grayson.
“I’m adorable, I know.” Rolling my eyes, he continues. “I got engaged and married at twenty-two.” My heart races at his words, but I remain silent. I think my breathing has even halted in anticipation. “My mom took me to three different countries in one summer, all for different photo shoots she was doing. I was only twelve, but I remember it vividly. It was insane.” His eyes don’t stray from the sky even when his smile vanishes, and something inside me shifts.
Does he talk to them like I do with my cousin, or is he more of the praying type? Or maybe he doesn’t do any of that. Something tells me he’s not the kind to not have some way of communicating with them. “I still pay for their cell phone bills.” It’s as if Grayson is in his own world right now, and I don’t dare to interrupt him. “My siblings and I call it whenever we want to hear their voices. It may only be a few words, but there’s something different about home videos and calling a number that’s available. It makes us feel like they’re still with us somehow.”
My vision blurs with tears for him and his way of communicating with them. It’s the sweetest and most heartbreaking thing I’ve heard. To lose a parent just as you start becoming an adultmust be hard beyond belief. I can’t imagine losing my parents now. I’m not sure how he and his siblings managed to survive it.
I gently wipe my nose on my shirt sleeve, accidentally sniffling, causing Grayson to snap his head my way. I’m not sobbing, but a few tears have fallen. I tried to hide it because the last thing I want is to make this about me.
“Hey.” He wipes another tear that’s started to fall. “It was a long time ago.”
I take a ragged breath and give him a knowing smile. “We both know that, unlike simpler aspects of life, time doesn’t heal the wounds of a loss, not completely anyway. The scar will always be there; we just learn to live with it.”
Grayson’s eyes grow solemn, but his sad smile stays as he gives me a dip of his chin. “I didn’t think getting to know each other would be so fucking depressing.”
I let out a choked laugh and wipe my nose again. “We’re unique bitches.”
Grayson’s mouth opens in a hearty chuckle. “Did you just call us ‘bitches’?”
Nodding, I grab his phone and hand it to him. “May I pick a song? The last five have really killed the mood.”
Grayson unlocks his screen and hands it to me. I scroll past various rock bands and pop artists when his phone buzzes, and a text appears on top. My eyes automatically read the message, even though I hate looking at other people’s texts…but it’s too late.
