Grayson didn’t say more. Instead, he kissed the top of my head. The simple act had a swarm of butterflies in my belly. I lifted my head slowly, and the intensity in his eyes had me holding my breath. He was so handsome and strong, the backbone of our group, and I think we sometimes took that for granted.
Just like this morning, and everything else that kept pushing the four of us together, it felt right, and I was going to let myself have that because everything outside our bubble was fucked up.
Since I was in skates, I didn’t want to push up on my tiptoes. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him toward me. He didn’t break eye contact as our lips got closer. As soon as our lips touched, I felt a sense of belonging. I didn’t feel as out of place in the world as I had these last few weeks. Grayson was the missing piece I needed to start feeling like myself once more.
Grayson instantly deepened the kiss. It was as if he needed me just as much as I needed him. One of his arms stayed wrapped around my waist while the other one traveled down toward my ass. Shivers went down my spine as he not only used that hand to grope my ass but to pull me deeper into his body.
It was safe to say my panties did not stand a chance against the three of them.
The sound of someone falling again, probably Cruz, reminded me that we had an audience. Both Grayson and I pulled back slightly, out of breath.
“Whatever happens next, just know that we’re going to be okay.” Grayson always sounded so sure about it that all I could do was believe him.
When we turned around, Cruz was still laughing on the floor as Micah tried to get him up.
This moment was so lighthearted and fun that I didn’t think anything could ruin it.
Grayson stood right behind me and wrapped his hands around my waist. When he broke the news to me, I didn’t feel as scared.
“We got a message,” he told me, and I immediately strained. I was about to tell him I didn’t get one. “You left your phone in the car, and Cruz deleted the notification.”
Hearing about this secondhand and wrapped in Grayson’s arms softened the blow that the nightmare was far from over.
“What did they want?”
“To fuck with us, but we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
All I could do was give him a tense nod.
“What do we do now?”
Grayson kissed the top of my head.
“Today we skate, tomorrow we prepare for war.”
This time, the shiver that went down my spine felt more sinister. He was right. Our stalker had taken things too far, and they weren’t scared of the consequences. We needed to stop playing it safe and start getting our hands dirty.
Today we will have fun, because everything that comes after tomorrow will be hard.
12
GRAYSON
We left the ice, and after we’d showered and changed, we gathered at the side of the rink. It was time to face the shit we were in.
Ava was quiet as she read the words on my phone.
1…2…3…4…
I might have missed once,
But I won’t anymore.
“We need to get to the bottom of this. I can’t do it, Gray. I can’t keep living like this, not knowing who or what is watching us, or what they’re planning to do.”
My eyes met Micah’s over the top of her head, and he nodded, stepping up to Ava and wrapping his arms around her. She melted into him with a sigh as he stroked his fingers through her hair. I wanted to be the one to soothe her, but honestly, Micah was better at comfort than I was, and I needed to speak to Cruz.
“Martinez. Over here.” I jerked my head toward a section of seating out of earshot of Ava and Micah.
