How the fuck did she get this new number? Ugh! Maybe she got a private investigator or something.
“Fucking rich pricks…” I open her phone, silently berating her for not having a password. But then again, she might just really trust me. I smile. I trust her too which is why I have no password.
I smirk as I text the wicked bitch.
Liv: Wrong number.
I send it without hesitation then turn her phone off and set it in the table next to the bed.
I slide under the sheets and hold her small body to me, kissing her temple. She smiles in her sleep and turns around to face me, arms wrapped around me. I chuckle as her lips unconsciously press against me. I run my fingers through her hair and kiss her forehead.
“I will never let anyone hurt you ever again,” I murmur, feeling exhaustion take over me. “Ever…”
Chapter Nine
Liv
The days roll by like a slow film, each harder than the last, as images of That Night plague my mind like the plague of the 1300s. All I can see is blood and trampled bodies. I taste metal in the blood covering the back of my throat and slathered on my tongue. Each attempt to catch my breath backfires and sucks me deeper into a black oblivion of nothing. But I can feel him, holding me, crying. I can perfectly hear his heart shatter in a billion shards, each twisting a knife into my stomach. Or it could have easily been the bullet swimming in my intestines.
The image that haunts my sleep every single night is not only the shooting, but his face, his broken expression. That alone, the look of true loss, it did something to me. Something that made the agonizing pain of the bullet seeping through my lung feel like a mere pinch. Like I wasn’t slowly dying. I just—I felt like my heart was actually being ripped out of my chest and he had to experience it. I had never wanted him to get hurt. He is my breath of air, and without him, there is no breathing for me, and I’ve already lived without having the ability to breathe. I don’t want to experience it ever again.
I wake up Saturday morning with Grey’s stripped voice pleading for me to stay awake pounding against my skull. I am lathered in sweat from head to toe. Blood covers my arms, and dead bodies lay on the floor in front of me. I rub my sticky, bloody palms against my eyes, hard, rubbing in a sad, frantic attempt to clear the vivid images that are burned in my brain.
“Liv!” Grey’s voice booms, and I shout in shock, jumping up in the bed.
“I—I—” I can’t speak. My throat is clogged up with blood. I hold back the need to cough because he will see the blood and will race me to the hospital. I can’t go back there; I refuse to. I will be fine. I—just need to take my pills, and I will be fine.
“What is it?” he asks frantically, eyes wide as they search me for any signs of injury. But can his eyes see past my skin and see my broken soul…?
“T-there’s blood everywhere,” I finally manage to croak.
“Okay, okay.” He peels off his shirt and begins rubbing my arms. The blood sloshes around and clings to his sweaty gray tank top. I bring my eyes up to his, and his lips are turned up in a nervous smile, but a smile nonetheless. “Is it gone now?”
I reluctantly cast my wide eyes down. No blood.
I nod quickly, gulping. “Y-yes. All gone. T-thank you,” I stutter and rub my aching chest. Blood tap dances along my tongue, but I swallow it down and beam up at him, tears welling up, hot and full in my eyes.
“No problem, bebé.” He kisses my nose, and I smile up at him.
This may seem strange, but the hallucinations and night terrors became too much when I was in the hospital. I would wake up, just like this, screaming my lungs out, convinced that I was covered in blood like it had been splashed on me. I would try to “dig the bullet out” of my chest, when it was already out and bandaged up. At first, Grey had the same expression of grief plastered on his pale cheeks and rage swirling in his sunken black eyes. He didn’t know what to do then. But then he figured if he helped me “get rid” of the blood, I calmed down. It hasn’t happened much since I’ve been discharged, but seeing…him a few days ago, it’s made a huge comeback.
I still can’t believe I saw him. A small, unreasonable part of me expected he had left school for another one. No man with a heart would ever stay after breaking my heart and trust. Wrong. I was proved so wrong. He just pops out of nowhere and expects me to listen to why he teamed up with his evil sister to destroy my relationship with Grey. I never knew he was so freaking insane!
I wanted to tell him off, throw coffee in his face. I wanted to do something to show him that I am no longer the naïve girl he met at college last year. But the minute I saw him, my chest tightened, my throat clogged up, and I was thrown back to That Night of blood and reckoning. I couldn’t get a word out, could only stumble outside and half listen to his explanation and the blood-curdling screams.
I can’t believe him, I can’t believe him, I can’t…
“Hey, stay with me.” Grey gently shakes my shoulders, pulling me back to reality.
“Sorry,” I breathe.
“Where’d you go just now?” he asks, tilting my chin up so I am staring into his eyes.
“Nowhere,” I lie, and his brow shoots up. He knows me so well. I clear my throat and glance at his sweaty, inked chest, then into his eyes again. “Where did you go?”
He looks down, then back into my eyes, shrugging. “I went out for a run. Didn’t think you would go back to…” He trails, and I look away, guilty. He sighs and makes me look into his eyes again, lips crooked in a tiny smile. “But I’m here now.”
“Thank God,” I reply, and he chuckles. I grab his sides and tilt my head back, eyes glued to his puffy pink lips. “You’re right where I need you.”
“And I’m not going anywhere…” he whispers darkly.
He leans down, but right before our lips can touch, my phone rings.
“Ugh, burn it,” he growls.
“Sorry.” I peck his lips and crawl over to my phone that’s resting on the nightstand.
“Wait,” he says as I pick up the phone and sit against the headboard. “Who is it?” He clears his throat, and I furrow my brows, not understanding why he’s acting so weird.
I shrug. “I don’t know.”
He tugs at his lip wordlessly, watching intently.
Weirdo…
“Hello?” I answer the phone.
“Hey, Liv! It’s me!” Lily.
I smile and nod. “Hey, what’s up?”
How did she get my number?
“I went through your file and got your number, by the way,” she answers my thoughts. “Anyway, I was wondering if you could, maybe, come in today?”
“Um, sure.” I look over to Grey. He’s pinching his lip, watching me.
“Oh, thank the heavens!” I can perfectly imagine her holding her hand in the air.
I laugh. “Why do you want me in?”
“I need you to harbor my boy,” she says, and I frown.
“Max?” I question.
“Yes, the little guy is giving me the kicked puppy dog face now.”
“What kind of face is that?” I laugh; this girl can be hilarious.
“The kind that translates to: Mommy, why couldn’t you work at an amusement park? Well, because Mommy wants to be able to read your mind, goddamn it.”
I chuckle. “So you want me to babysit him?”
“Not babysit, just let him sit in your glamorous office with a couch and TV.” Her tone is accusing, but I know she doesn’t mean it that way. Neither of us could have predicted Garrett would give me the office. “My usual sitter was too busy to watch him today, so I had to bring him with me…” she explains.
“Sure, I have a lot of work I would like to get on top of anyway.” I push the comforter off my feet and stand. “I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Thank you so much, life-saver!” she exclaims.
I laugh and hold my hand to my tingling chest. “See you soon.”
I hang up and toss my phone on the bed.
“Where are you going?” Grey is in front of me in a flash.
“To the program center,” I tell him, and he crosses his arms. “Are there questions I have to answer to pass or…?”
“Ha-ha,” he laughs dryly, but I laugh for real.
“Please move, Grey.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re not going.”
Excuse me?
“Oh, yeah?” I raise a brow, crossing my arms.
His eyes glance down at my stance, and he puts his hands on his hips. “Yeah.”
“Funny.” I try to walk around him, but he blocks the door.
“Grey,” I whine.
“Liv,” he mocks me.
I grind my teeth. “Lily needs my help in the office, and I intend on helping her. So please get out of the way.”
“You just woke up screaming, thinking blood was on you. You really think I’m going to let you go after that?”
I throw my hands up. “Come with me then.”
He scoffs. “I have training.”
“Then stay and babysit me,” I challenge him.
I watch with satisfaction as his mouth twists up, and he narrows his eyes at me. It’s either he stays and watches me like a hawk or he lets me be the adult I am and lets me leave. He can even join me, if he’d like. I don’t care as long as I do what I have to do and help out a friend while I’m at it.
“I can always work out using the punching bag in the living room,” he quips with a smug smirk.
Shoot! I forgot about that thing.
“Then…ugh!” I grab my hair in frustration, and he watches in amusement. “I can’t be cooped up in this apartment, Grey. Please, it’s just for a few hours…” I plead with a hoarse voice.
He licks his lips and stares at me for a long moment. “Fuck! Fine.”
I beam up at him and lean on my toes to peck his lips. “Thanks, Daddy,” I tease, knowing how much he hates—loves?—that word. But it’s not my fault he’s acting like a dad.
He slaps my butt as I walk past him. “What did I tell you about that word?”
I turn around after I scream in surprise, biting my lip. “Nothing…Daddy.” I wink at him and laugh out loud as his eyes darken and he runs after me. I try to run in the bathroom, but he sweeps me off my feet and pins me to the wall with a steamy but playful kiss.
***
“Thank you again for doing this.” Lily hugs me.
“I told you, it’s no problem.” I hug her back with a smile.
“By the way…your boyfriend’s kinda hot. ‘Kay, thanks!” she exclaims and pulls away.
I laugh and shake my head at her. I walk over to Grey and lean against the desk beside him. He watches with a look of slight disgust as Lily hugs her son Max. He is quite the adorable little boy. A few of his teeth are missing as he gives his mother a supersonic smile as she hugs him. My heart squeezes, and I lean against Grey’s arm. She says a few words to him that are barely audible to me, then leaves with a quick kiss on his nose. The minute the glass door closes, he runs over to the leather couches and jumps on one of them, clicking on the TV. I sigh as he flips through the channels, then settle behind my desk, switching on the computer.
“What are you doing?” Grey asks after a while of glaring at Max. I don’t know why. He’s pretty cute but seems to be really quiet. He hasn’t spoken a word to me or even Lily.
“Some work,” I tell him without looking away from the computer.
“Sounds fun,” he says sarcastically.
“It is.” I nod at him.
“Of course you’d think that.” My heart stammers a bit by his presence behind me. I don’t see it coming, but in a second, I am on his lap as he takes the seat.
“What are you doing?” I chuckle as I look back at him, nervously casting a glance at Max, who has his eyes glued to the cartoon channel.
“Nothing,” he breathes “innocently” as he runs his hands up and down my arms. “Continue what you were doing.”
“Not like this.”
“Why not? It’s not like you haven’t been in this position before…” His innocence melts away the moment his lips curl into a wicked smirk.
“You’re evil,” I inform him.
He shrugs. “You love me anyway.”
I hum in protest as he pecks my cheek. I ignore the hardness under me and turn to the computer. I get back to work with Grey asking random questions and just being annoying in my ear. But I don’t mind much. He’s actually being cute and interactive with me, and I love it. But every once in a while, he looks over at Max, who acts like we’re not even in the same room as him. I discreetly watch as he scowls at the boy. I can’t help but wonder why he doesn’t like children. He seems to really hate them, but I just can’t understand why for the life of me. I won’t ask him, though; I already know his thoughts on them…and marriage.
I clear my throat after a long while of working.
“I think I’m going to go get some coffee.” I stand up, but he grabs my hand, keeping me still.
“Don’t leave me with…it.” His eyes shoot over to Max like he’s possessed.
I smile. “It’s just right down the hall. I’ll be back.”
“Don’t.” He grips my hand a little harder, and I raise a brow. “Please.”
“He won’t tear your head off.” I laugh at him, and he glares at me. “I’ll be right back. Would you like anything while I’m in the kitchen?”
He holds my gaze for a moment, then sighs. “Nah…just hurry back.”
“I will.” I lean down and kiss his cheek. “You need a shave,” I tease.
He grumbles and smacks my hands away. “Go, woman, if you’re going.”
“Okay, grumpy-pants.” I scrunch my nose up at him and slip out of the office. I laugh at how impractical Grey’s acting toward Max. The kid is too wrapped up in his show to even notice Grey, yet he’s so freaked out. Now that I think about it, why is he so terrified of kids? The question will surely drive me mad, so I brush it off to the corner and head toward the office kitchen.
I make myself a cup of black coffee and smile against the mug. Coffee always does the best number on me after a while of work.
“Stressful day?” Matthew teases as he walks up to me.
I laugh softly as I swallow the last bit of coffee. “Not so much, just really needed a cup of Joe.” I nod to the mug in my hand, and he chuckles.
“You can have even more where that came from.” He taps the empty coffee pot. “Wanna join me for lunch at the diner down the road? They have really great coffees and burgers.”
“Oh, I’d love to come.” I beam at him.
“What’s that now?” a new voice booms.
We both snap our heads to the open doorway.
“Grey.” I smile nervously. I don’t like the way he’s openly glaring at Matthew.
“Hey, man.” Matthew waves friendly at Grey, but he just grunts and shifts his dark eyes to me.
“Where are you going?” he asks again.
“Oh, he and I were just planning to go to a diner down the road,” I say and slow down with each syllable as he shifts his eyes to Matthew, face contorting into silent anger. He may look confused and sane, but I know him well enough to know he’s angry and jealous. But he seriously has no reason to be either. Matthew’s just a really good friend.
“Oh?”
“Yup.” I nod, and he eyes me.
“You’re welcome to come,” Matthew says with a bright smile, hands tucked in his khaki pants.
Grey glances at his pants, and his lips turn into a rueful smirk.
Oh Lord…
“You have to stay and watch Max.”
His eyes widen, and I expect him to scream at me, but he just hangs his head. “I guess I’ll stay then…” he sighs, sticking his hands in his pockets.
“Really?” I’m shocked he just gave up so—
“Fuck no. Grab your purse.” He scoffs and looks at me like I’m the insane
one. “The girl took the little shit out to the park a few minutes ago. I’ll be waiting at the elevator.” He walks out of the kitchen before I can utter a word.
Matthew just laughs. “He’s surely something,” he jokes.
“You have no idea…” I laugh uneasily.
“Well?” Grey reappears and shrugs. “Let’s go. Wouldn’t want to miss happy hour.” His sarcastic grin when Matthew excitedly agrees makes me flush.
This will surely go splendid…not.
Chapter Ten
Grey
Marshall takes us to a diner called Joe’s Cup down the street. The place is quaint, and people are smiling everywhere. Pastel colors and women in pink dresses skate around, pouring out coffee and chatting with the locals. It gives me the creeps. I’m more into the idea of the waitress dropping off my shit and walking away—on her feet, not fucking skates—to tell off the drunk truck driver for trying to steal a spoon. That is my kind of diner. This—this is just fucking weird and makes me uncomfortable. At least their burger and fries are good; if it weren’t for that, I would have dragged Liv out and left loser boy by himself with his bright-colored, peppy waitresses.
“How do you like the burger, Grey?” Manuel asks, blue eyes gleaming and lips furled in a gentle smile.
His face, hair, and clothes piss me off. Like a triple whammy.
“It’s quite nice,” I say sarcastically, grease dripping down the corner of my mouth. Liv picks up a napkin and pats it away like the clean freak she is. I merely roll my eyes and nod to his salad. “How about your kale salad? Is it nice and fresh for you?”
What diner sells salad? Diners are meant for huge pancakes, shitty coffee, and adequate burgers. Though the burger is fucking good. But a salad? That’s just a huge no-no. Unless it has a bucket of grease covering the kale and croutons. Only then would it be acceptable.
Liv rolls her eyes. “The salad is just right.” She smiles at her nerd buddy. “Right, Matthew?”
He nods and stabs a piece of lettuce. “She is correct. It’s wonderful. And so are their shakes. Especially the strawberry kind…” A shrilling noise coming from his beige khakis thankfully cuts off his boring speech. “Oh, that’s me. I have to take this—I’ll be right back.”
Grey: New Beginnings (Spectrum Series Book 5) Page 7