Page 149 of On the Breakaway

My cheeks flush. Finally, I say, “My stance on relationships hasn’t changed.”

“But you’re in one.”

“It’s not defined that way.”

Considering we’ve agreed to be exclusive, consistently go on dates, and spend the night with each other, it kind of is defined exactly that way.

“Do you want it to be?” He asks, leaning forward with genuine curiosity.

This. This is why I told him. Because Liam might be a goofy playboy, but he’s got a heart of gold underneath it all.

I lean forward onto the table, burying my head in my hands and groaning.

“That doesn’t really give off happy relationship vibes,” he teases.

“I don’t know what I want,” I mumble into my hands.

“The fact that you’re even saying this to me right now leads me to believe that you do.”

I peek up at him, wondering where he’s going with this.

“Does anyone else know?” He asks, taking a sip of his water.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.” His eyebrows raise while he pulls my hand away from my face, dropping it onto the table. “You’re telling me so that I talk you out of it.”

My stomach twists. “That’s not what I’m doing.”

Is it?

“If you told anyone else, they’d be thrilled to see you find someone. But you didn’t tell them; you told me. The guy who doesn’t do relationships. The one person who wouldn’t think a relationship is a great move.” He shrugs as if it’s obvious.

My palms start sweating against the tablecloth because he might just be right. Telling him seemed low stakes, as if I could take it back and he wouldn’t bat an eye.

Did I want to be talked out of it?

“That’s not why I told you,” I say, but my voice is low.

“It’s okay either way. If you want to date him, date him. If you want to dump him, dump him.”

“Dump who?”

The voice comes from behind me, deep and loud.

My stomach plummets as I turn toward Grayson, who is taking the last step up to our table.

His eyes glance between Liam and me, confusion flickering across his face. I try to meet his eyes, but he won’t hold mine long enough for me to read him.

He’s wearing a Blades sweatshirt with a baseball hat on backwards, looking comfortable and sexy at the same time.

My body thrums with the desire to wrap my arms around him, hugging him the way I’ve been dying to for two weeks, but regardless of Liam sitting right here, Grayson’s face is carefully composed the way it used to be when we were practically strangers.

Liam grins at him. “Hey, man. How’d the meeting with Coach Rylan go?”