Grayson took a drink of his tea, debating just how much he wanted to tell his brother. If it was anyone other than Lark, he’d go for full disclosure, but up until a few weeks ago, she’d been dating one of Jace’s best friends.
“Yeah. I like her,” he said, trying—and failing—to temper his tone.
Jace tilted his head. “She’s dating Tommy,” he said, as if testing the waters, trying to feel Grayson out.
His brother’s comment chafed, poking the jealous beast. “They broke up three weeks ago.”
“I know that, but Tommy wants her back.”
It was on the tip of Grayson’s tongue to say, “Tough.” Instead, he reiterated what Lark had said. “She says it’s over for good.”
Jace snorted. “She’s said that before…several times. She always takes him back.”
Grayson’s hand tightened around his glass. “This time is different.”
Jace’s brows lifted in surprise. Probably because jealousy wasn’t in Grayson’s nature. Or at least, it hadn’t been.
“Grayson.”
He stroked his beard, once again debating how much to say. In the end, he couldn’t keep this secret from his brother. Because he wanted to tell someone; wanted to admit that when he and Lark touched, the whole damn world had tilted.
He’d spent twenty-nine years feeling like something inside of him was missing, until she stepped into his embrace. Grayson had nearly dropped to his knees as every instinct screamed, “Mine!”
Grayson stared down at his tea for a beat too long before muttering, “She’s the one.”
Jace went still.
No, more than that. He went white.
“What?” his brother whispered.
“When we touched?—”
Jace scowled, suddenly, strangely furious. “What do you mean, when you touched?”
Grayson frowned at the sharpness in his tone. “There was this drunk asshole at the festival.”
Jace’s anger turned to the unknown stranger. “What the hell did he do?”
“He grabbed Lark’s arm, tried to drag her out from behind the table.”
“Jesus,” Jace muttered.
“I sent him packing, but the incident really upset her. I opened my arms, and she stepped into them, and…I felt it.”
Jace rubbed the back of his neck wearily. “You felt it?”
“The legend is true.”
Jace didn’t respond to that. Instead, their gazes remained locked for a full minute before his brother looked away first. “I know it is,” he admitted quietly.
Grayson struggled with that response. It sounded as if Jace understood that truth personally, which didn’t make sense because before this conversation, he would have said his kid brother was happily single.
“Hey. What’s going on? Why does this bother you so much?”
Grayson had to hand it to Jace. Whatever he’d said that had knocked his brother off-kilter didn’t keep him down. He rebounded quickly, his expression clearing. “Tommy is my friend,” he said.
“So?” Grayson’s voice roughened possessively before he could stop himself. “She said it’s over, and I believe her.”
