by CJ Azevedo
Greyden kisses me softly, but I continue with my death grip on his hand. “It’ll be fine. Any of his issue is going to be towards me. I know I’m out of sorts right now, but I can still take up for myself, okay? Just don’t go in there being your fiery little self. Let me take care of it. Deal?” He looks down at me expectantly.
My shoulders sag at his reassurance. “Deal.” I don’t want him to have to worry about anything other than his family tonight, but I admit that it does feel nice to be able to count on him in this situation, because I honestly have no idea how the guys are going to react. Keegan I’m not so worried about, but Dec and Luca can go either way.
Greyden unlocks the door and pulls me through. He doesn’t let go of my hand and I wouldn’t let him if he tried. I would have been brave and stood up to my brother and the other guys, but since he said he’ll handle it, the fear has washed over me. Just before we reach the end of the hall and can now hear that everyone is here, I squeeze his hand and grab his forearm, bringing me close to his side. He offers me a small smile just before we round the corner of the landing at the top of the stairs and are in view of the living room, where it sounds like everyone is. I get one more kiss and then we make our way down the staircase, hand in hand. All talking has seized at our appearance.
Ava, Luca, and Keegan are sitting on the sofas watching Ridiculousness and Declan is sitting at the island, helping Harper with her dinner. She must have been napping when I got here. I want to go swoop her up because I’ve missed her so much, but right now I need to stay next to Greyden and see how this is going to play out.
“Hey,” Greyden softly announces our presence.
Ava jumps up and runs to stand next to my brother. She softly places her hand on his bicep while everyone else keeps their eyes on us.
“Hey, Grey, you holding up okay?” Ava asks in her loving tone as she brushes her blonde hair back out of her face before leaning on her husband.
“Yeah, thanks. Um, my mom’s having a bit of trouble, so we’re going to head over to her house for the night.”
Declan’s eyes bug out a bit and his jaw clenches, but he says nothing about the insinuation that I’m staying the night with him at his mom’s.
“Ok, here, take this over there.” Ava quickly walks over to the other side of the island and grabs a cake in a plastic dome before bringing it back to Greyden. “Everyone always gives casseroles or fried chicken. I just want chocolate cake when I’m sad, so make sure your mom has at least one piece. The sugar will help her too.”
“Thanks, Ave,” Grey says with an attempt at a smile.
She hugs Grey before stepping over and hugging me. “Everything will work out just fine, promise. Just take care of him,” she whispers for only me to hear.
“Thank you, Ava.”
When she pulls back, Greyden hands me the cake and walks over to my brother, who is still standing next to his daughter. He puts his arm around his shoulder and talks lowly in his ear. Declan nods once, but only says, “let me know if there’s anything I can do” and walks off to the backyard. After taking the cake from me, he waves bye to everyone before grabbing my hand and pulling me through the kitchen to the garage.
“Well, that went a whole hell of a lot better than I expected,” I comment, relieved, as we reach my car.
“Macie,” Greyden says exasperatedly, “don’t say hell.”
“What did you say to him?” I ask, completely blowing off his aversion to my cussing; it was an honest slip.
Greyden starts the car and we make our way down the drive before he speaks. “I told him that I know I have some explaining to do and just asked him to give me a couple days before he kicks my ass.”
“You did not say that.” I’m astonished because I know I’m accusing him of not actually saying it, but I also know that he really did.
“I did. No point in beating around the bush, Mace, he wants to murder me and I don’t blame him. He’s still pissed at how we broke up when you were eighteen and he doesn’t even know that we’ve been sleeping together almost every year since then.”
“What happens when he doesn’t accept us together?” I don’t want to be asking this, but the girl in me is forcing it out of my mouth.
“I don’t think that’ll happen. He loves you too much.” I can tell he doesn’t want to be dealing with this right now and I’m willing to drop it just as soon as I know that my relationship with him is safe.
“But I need to know the what if, Grey.”
“Macie,” he says sternly, trying to end the conversation.
I focus on my hands in my lap. “Please, Greyden.”
He doesn’t answer and he doesn’t take my hand in reassurance either. He just drives for a long time. The radio isn’t on, the sound of us breathing and the tires treading on the road the only noises among us. I try not to freak out and I somehow manage not to push him any further on the subject, even though it’s killing me. We’re so close to getting everything we’ve ever wanted. The timing may be terrible, but it doesn’t make it impossible.
Breaking the silence, he blows out a harsh breath of air and runs his fingers through his hair. “I’ll do just about anything to keep my friendship with Declan. The only thing I won’t do is give you up. As far as I’m concerned, Butterfly, we’re set in concrete. Our future is here now, we’re living it.”
I grab his hand and look away so I can shed the few tears that need to fall. We’re finally living the life we dreamt up and talked about for so many nights and so many days. Our life together has started and we’re living it without hesitation.
Chapter Twenty-One
April 2014
Greyden and Macie Prepare for their Next Step
Greyden
“Claudia! I can’t find Collingsworth file. Didn’t you say you put it on my desk before you left last night?” I yell out to her through my open door as I search through the stacks of papers on my desk while clutching onto my coffee cup like it’s my only lifeline. “And what the hell did I do with Zimmerman’s new account requests? I swear, this place is flipped upside down today!”
It’s been a little over three weeks since my dad passed away and Macie became mine again. It’s been an exhausting three weeks. I’ve pretty much moved in with my mom and so has Macie since I won’t let her leave my side. It’s surreal having her sleep in my childhood bedroom with me every night, but she’s been exactly what my mom needed more than a few times. Sometimes, I’m just not enough. It’s a girl thing, I guess.
“Claudia!” I yell again as I begin getting frustrated at not finding what I’m looking for and her not answering me.
She comes in with a scowl on her face, closing the door gently before speaking sternly. “You can’t find the Collingsworth file because I said I put it on my desk last night and you can’t find the Zimmerman account requests because you gave them to me for data entry. Now if you wouldn’t mind keeping your voice down, I would be happy to tell you that Mr. Collingsworth is here, along with Macie, and she wouldn’t say why, but she looks very upset. She’s waiting in the kitchen for your meeting with Mr. Collingsworth to finish.”
“What kind of upset?” I hated for her to be any type of upset, but if she was pissed about something she could most definitely wait until after my meeting. If she was crying over something, then she wasn’t waiting for anything.
Claudia’s shoulders sag and she sighs, probably knowing where I’m going with my questioning. “It looks like she’s been crying, but Grey, you have to meet with Mr. Collingsworth.”
I move around her to the door and she makes a noise of frustration. I am beyond grateful that Macie saw reason when it came to her. Claudia was extremely helpful while we prepared for my dad’s funeral and she worked well with Macie while I spent the time focusing on my mom. Once we all made it through that, Macie agreed that Claudia is definitely an asset and there’s no reason for her not to stick around. “I’ll meet with him. I just need to check on her first. I’ll let him know right now.”
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I find Dale Collingsworth, one of my first clients, out in my lobby and greet him warmly. He’s a good client and I always like getting together with him. “Dale, it’s good to see you.”
“Greyden. I’m sorry to hear about your dad. I was out of town or I would have been there. I do hope your mom’s holding up okay,” he says as he pats me on the back.
I appreciate all of the condolences I get every single day, but I’ll be glad when they stop. It’s like every day we’re slowly tearing off a really sticky Band-Aid.
“Thank you. Please go have a seat in my office. Macie just needs to have a quick word with me and I’ll be right with you.”
“Are you talking about that same sweet Macie that went golfing with us a few years back?”
I laugh a little because this guy can never remember what stock he has where but a pretty girl from five years ago he remembers. “One in the same. I’ll be right back.”
I find Macie sitting on the table in the middle of the room looking completely out of character. She’s wearing a tight red dress and black high heels, and her hair is pulled back tightly away from her face in a low ponytail so it flows down her back in long, dark curls. What puts her out of character is her posture. She’s sitting with her shoulders slumped, her back hunched over a little and her legs swinging back and forth like a little kid too bored to sit still.
“Hey, Butterfly,” I say as I walk up and place myself between her legs. “This is a nice surprise.”
She looks up and gives me half a smile. “I’m sorry to bother you. I didn’t think about you having meetings, I just needed to see you.”
“They’re no big deal. They can wait. I’m glad you came.” I kiss her soft lips and linger until she kisses me back the way I like, the way I know she’s in the moment and out of her head.
“You look beautiful today, sorry I had to leave so early this morning.”
“Grey, I need to tell you something.”
She sounds so nervous and that makes me nervous. I tip her chin up with my fingers and kiss her lips one more time. “So tell me.”
“I’m afraid you’re going to be mad.”
I think about that for a minute. Looking at her, I can see she’s actually terrified that I’m going to be mad, so chances are, I’m going to be pretty pissed. I rub my hand over my mouth a few times as she sits and watches me in silence. Finally deciding that I need to know, I nod my head. “Okay, well, if that’s the case, then we’ll work it out. Whatever it is isn’t going to make me love you any less. I may be pissed, but we’ll get through it and I’ll get over it.”
“Do you promise me?” she asks softly, her eyebrows scrunched together.
“I promise, now what’s going on?”
Macie shakes her head and attempts a smile. “I feel better just telling you that. Go to your meeting and we’ll go to lunch afterwards.” She kisses me and starts to hop off the table but I catch her at the waist.
“That’s not happening, sweetheart. Tell me what the hell you did.” I’m trying hard to keep my cool because this is my girl, but she’s irritating the shit out of me.
Macie falls into my chest and lays there for a minute before she starts talking without looking at me, babbling really. “I’m so sorry. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose, just with everything going on lately I lost track of everything and I messed up.”
I guide her back up by her shoulders and she gives me the most worried look I’ve ever seen on her beautiful face. “Okaaay. What did you lose track of?”
“I haven’t been on birth control since my surgery,” she blurts out. “I was supposed to start getting the shot when I went for my checkup, but they were out and I never went back and… I just… I forgot. I know how irresponsible that is and how much that isn’t an excuse, but we’ve had a lot going on and I simply forgot all about it.” She starts to shake a little, her nerves taking over her whole body. Her hand reaches out and grabs my suit jacket, just something to hang on to probably.
This isn’t how this is supposed to happen. Everything we’ve done, we’ve made plans for, and so far, none of those plans have ever worked out. I want this for her. I want to give her the perfect proposal, then the perfect wedding, then all the practicing we can get in trying to make a baby. This was not supposed to go down like this, but it’s here now, so we may as well make lemonade.
I shake my head and kiss her forehead. “So you’re telling me you’re pregnant?” I ask with a smirk.
This time she shakes her head. “I don’t know,” she moans. “I didn’t want to take a home test without you and my doctor can’t see me until next month.”
“Next month? That seems a little absurd. Have you missed your period?”
She nods her head and looks down just as my heart drops.
“How long ago?”
“I’m a week late,” she admits. “That doesn’t mean that I’m pregnant, though, it can just be because I came off the pills after being on them for so long or because of all the stress I’ve been under this last month. It could be a number of things.”
She wants to be pregnant more than she wants to become Mrs. Greyden Michaels and I can’t have her backpedaling because she thinks that I don’t want the same. I do, I just wish something would’ve gone to plan when it came to our relationship.
I lay her back on the table and she looks up at me, completely unsure about being like this in the building’s community kitchen. I don’t care. I need to make her understand that we’re good, better than good actually. My hands grab onto hers and raise them above her head, kissing her neck and jaw before whispering in her ear, “I love you and if you’re pregnant then we just start planning our wedding sooner. If you’re not, then we start planning it sooner anyway because now all I can think about is our tiny baby growing inside of you and there is nothing I want more.”
A breathy cry sounds from her chest. “Really?”
“Butterfly, I haven’t forgotten about our talks of babies and a wedding while you were in Gilroy. I was just hoping to get my mom through the majority of her grieving before we made our next big step, only because when I propose, I want it to be all about you. I don’t want anything taking away from you when that happens.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Now c’mon, you’ll wait for me while I meet with Dale, then we’re going to the drugstore for our lunch.” I pull her up and help her off the table before we head back to my office. Kissing her, I say loud enough for Claudia to hear me, “Stay here and keep Claudia company. She doesn’t do much, so I’m sure she’d like someone to talk to to keep from being so bored.” I wink at Macie and turn for office, trying to get away before Claudia replies.
“I’ll remember that the next time you’re searching for your glasses and they’re on your head!” she yells. “Again!”
I hear my sweet girl laugh just as I shut the door to my office.
***
“This website says ept is the way to go.”
“Would you get off your phone? I’m just getting this one, it has three in there and it’s five dollars cheaper,” Macie says as she takes my phone out of my hands.
“I don’t give a shit if it’s a hundred dollars cheaper. I want accuracy and the reviews say to go with ept, but they’re all out of the digital here, so let’s go to another store.” I grab the store brand box out of her hand and put it back.
“What’s so great about digital? I don’t want digital. These ones have lines.” She picks up another box. “This one has a plus. And look, a smiley face!” She giggles, relaxing for the first time all day, I think. “Let’s get the smiley face one.”
“This website says digital is best,” I say again, putting the smiley face one, which says “ovulation test” and not “pregnancy test,” back. “They’re more expensive, that’s for sure. Usually the more it costs, the better it is. Plus it says ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ none of these lines and pluses and minuses and whatnot. Why don’t you want to use digital?”
&n
bsp; “Well, if it happens to be positive, I want to keep it, and I’ve read that the positive reading disappears after a while on the digital ones.” Her cheeks pink.
I stare at her as I let that sink in for a minute. Sometimes the strangest things make life all too real for me. I step closer to her and kiss her mouth like I haven’t kissed her in weeks, leaving her breathless when I step back. Suddenly I can’t pray hard enough for this test to come out positive.
“Two purple boxes it is.” Grabbing the kind I want, I stand up and walk towards the registers with her walking quickly behind me to catch up.
“We do not need six tests.”
“We might.”
“I hope we don’t,” she whispers softly, taking my hand when we reach the short line.
“Me either, but maybe the first will come back positive then you’ll need to take a second just to be sure. Then you have a test a week just for reassurance until you see your doctor. See? Six tests, six solutions.”
The ride home is quiet as we’re both lost in thought. She’s surprised when I pull up at my house. I don’t want to do this with my mom in the house, plus I want alone time with Macie. It’s long overdue.
We get inside and head to the kitchen. “We’ll take the test in a minute. How does a bath sound?”
“It sounds lovely.”
“I’ll pour you a glass of wine and meet you in there.” Macie makes a funny face and I make it back, not catching on at first. She laughs her loud, adorable laugh and then it hits me, maybe she shouldn’t be drinking wine. “Tea?” She smiles and shakes her head no. “Lemonade?”
“That’ll work,” she says as she balances up on the balls of her feet to give me a kiss.
“This’ll take some getting used to, won’t it?”
“It’ll be worth it.”
The doorbell rings and Macie offers to go get it while I make our drinks.
Macie