I smile at her.
She looks away, but the tips of her ears are red.
The sun is in the sky now. I help her up. “Come on. Let’s go inside. Ethan will be awake.”
We walk back together, and it seems the distance between us has shortened. “What were you doing out here anyway?”
She glances at me. “I woke when you left. I thought you went for a walk, and after a while, the idea seemed nice, and I just decided to do the same.”
My eyes flit toward her. She’s become quieter in these past few days. I did think it was her no longer worrying about survival, but what if it’s something else?
“Are you okay?”
She blinks up at me. “What?”
“You haven’t said anything about any of it.” My hand comes to settle on her arm. “You’ve been through a lot in a few days, Miranda. And you’re not acting like yourself. I mean, if you don’t snap at me once or twice during a conversation, I’m going to worry.”
She huffs a tired sound that isn’t quite a laugh. “I don’t know how I feel right now. It’s like I’m suspended in a moment, and I just don’t know when it will end.”
“In a bad way?” I ask tautly.
She purses her lips. “No. I guess not. I’ve just always been running after the next thing, the next loan repayment, the next bill, the next hustle to make sure I can cover some expense. Suddenly none of that is important, and I don’t know how to feel about it.”
I give her a grin. “Relief?”
She lets out a gust of air. “For this peace to shatter.”
I go still and then turn her around to face me, my hands on her shoulders. “Miranda, everything is fine now. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
She just bites her lower lip and looks away. “You’ve never lived on the edge, Grayson. The idea of being content, of being happy and safe and secure is a dream.”
“It’s not a dream any longer. You’re free, Miranda.” My voice is firm, my grip on her tight.
She meets my gaze. “But now I’m indebted to you. No matter what you say, that feeling doesn’t change.”
“After what you’re doing for me and Ethan, no you’re not.”
Once again, her gaze diverts, and it upsets me. The woman I’ve known never felt small in my presence, never felt she couldn’t stand toe to toe with me. I thought paying off her debt would give her relief. But instead, it’s done something to her confidence. And I don’t know what it is.
“When does it become real?” Miranda suddenly asks, pulling away from me and continuing walking toward the house. “Our first declaration in a fully public setting?”
“This weekend. There’s a friendly game on Saturday, and once it’s over, I’m going to come to you and kiss you in front of everyone.” When I look her way, her cheeks are flushed. “Before that, we’ve got two team sessions this week. You’ll be at both of them. The photos of you on the sidelines need to land first, in context. The article and the photo from the restaurant are already circulating. By Saturday, the puzzle pieces will click together when the announcement goes out at the game.”
“This is so complicated. Why can’t we just tell people we’re engaged and be done with it? Why are we dancing around the topic?”
I grin, putting my arm over her shoulders casually. “Because this is how it’s done. Vanessa has stirred dangerous waters, and this is the only way our kind can combat her.”
The words our kind slipped out, and I stiffen. Miranda’s step falters under my arm for just a second. She doesn’t respond, though, and I hope she doesn’t think too deeply about it. Just when I’m beginning to relax, as we reach the patio, she stops at the door with her hand on the frame. Her expression has shifted into something more cautious when she turns to face me.
“Is Ethan like you?”
Frowning, I ask, “What do you mean by that?”
“Strong, the way you are.” The words are chosen carefully. “Fast, like you.”
It clicks for me, and my chest tightens. So it didn’t exactly miss her.
“Yes.” My voice is quiet. “He’s like me.”
