Seventeen
It was a day to remember, a day unlike any other: ordinary, normal, carefree. As Griffin watched Annie cruise down a beach path on a rented bicycle, the beautiful red highlights in her hair catching fire in the afternoon sunlight, he felt as if his world had taken on color again. It was no longer black-and-white, no longer filled with shadows and pain. It was bigger, bolder, brighter…but it wouldn't last.
Nothing lasted.
He tried to shake the depressing thought out of his head. He could think that way tomorrow…or the next day, but not today.
It was Annie's birthday and, so far, it had been great. After a late breakfast at a café along the water in Dana Point, they'd made their way farther up the coast, and had spent a couple of hours walking through Laguna Beach's art festival, looking at the work of local artists, listening to music, and sipping wine from a local California winery.
After that, he'd suggested renting bikes and riding along the coastal path, which Annie had happily jumped on.
Now, they were almost out of path. He could see the end in front of them, about a half-mile away, and it reminded him that his relationship with Annie would have an ending, too.
But he wouldn't have regrets. And nothing was ending today. It was Annie's birthday.
Annie stopped as she came to the end of the path and as she put her feet on the ground, she gave him a wide smile that sent warm feelings all over his body. He was going to make sure she had a happy day and not think about tomorrow until he had to.
He caught up to her and hopped off his bike. "Looks like we have to turn around."
"Not yet. Let's take the bikes over there." She pointed to the wide, flat bluff about thirty feet away.
"All right."
They lifted their bikes over a short fence and then walked across thick grass before putting down the kickstands.
Annie sat on the ground and waved her hand at the cascading colors of pink and orange lighting up the sky as the sun slipped toward the edge of the horizon. "Another great view," she said, smiling as he sat down next to her. "We keep finding them together."
He nodded, thinking that the view he liked most was the one of her sparkling green eyes and beautiful soft mouth. He cupped the back of her head and pulled her toward him, giving her a tender kiss.
"This has been a wonderful day," she said as they broke apart. "The best birthday."
"It's not over yet."
"Oh, yeah, what else do you have in mind?"
"I don't know, but I do know we're not done. There are some great restaurants around here. We should get dinner before we head back to San Clemente."
"I have worked up an appetite. I'm glad you suggested the bike ride. I think the last time I rode a bike for fun, I was about twelve. Since then it's been mostly bikes in the gym."
"You go to the gym?"
She gave him a playful punch in the arm. "You can't tell how fit I am?"
"You look great. I just didn't know you worked out."
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm a gym rat, but I try to get there a few times a week or I take a class somewhere. I'm still trying to get into a groove since I moved here. Hopefully, once I figure out my job situation, I can get into a steadier routine." She stopped as her phone buzzed. Pulling it out of her bag, she said, "Dylan wants to video chat."
"Go ahead."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. But leave me out of the shot."
"Of course. I know how much you love being in the middle of something," she said dryly. She punched the button on her phone, her eyes on the screen. "Hi, Dylan."
"Happy birthday, Annie," Dylan said. "I have some people here who want to say hello."
Griffin saw a smile spread across Annie's face.
"Who all is there?" she asked. "Wait, I see Tori."
"Hi Annie," a woman said. "Ian and Grace are here, too."
Another chorus of voices wished Annie a happy birthday.
"And here's Mom and Dad. We're going to sing, so I hope you're not in the middle of a crowd, because this isn't going to be pretty," her brother said.
"I'm outside, but you can still sing."
Griffin heard a raucous, off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday" followed by a lot of laughter.
"What are you doing today?" a woman asked. "I hope you're not alone. I wish you were here."
"I'm having a great day, Mom," Annie answered. "A friend of mine took me to breakfast, the Laguna Beach Art Festival and on a bike ride. It has been great."
"Who's this friend?" her mother asked suspiciously.
Annie glanced over at him, then back at the screen. "He's the guy who saved me from the shark."
"I didn't realize you were still in touch."
"That guy?" a voice interrupted. "The one who gave me a black eye. Don't you have any family loyalty, Annie?"
Hunter, Griffin thought.
"Hey, you startled us, Hunter. Next time, don't hide in the shadows."
"Next time tell your friend to ask questions before he puts his fist in someone's face."
"If it makes you feel any better, his eye is bruised, too."
"It better be, or I am losing my touch."
"I should go," she said.
"Have fun, honey," a woman said. "We love you. And you better come home for Christmas."
"I will, Mom. I love all of you, too." Annie disconnected the call and then blinked away what looked like tears.
"What's this?" he asked, leaning over to wipe away the moisture under her eyes.
"Happy tears."
"You miss your family."
"I do miss them. It was nice of them to get together to call me."
"And sing really badly."
She gave him a watery smile. "Callaways are known for a lot of things, but singing isn't one of them. Well, except for my cousin, Sean. Somehow, he got all the musical talent. He's a fantastic singer and musician. He has a studio in San Francisco."
"I thought everyone in the family was supposed to do something to serve or protect someone."
"Sean was the black sheep of his family. In my family, it's me and Mia."
"I actually prefer black sheep; they stand out from the flock."
"I like that," she said with a nod. "I tried to tell my teacher that when I was in the sixth grade and I didn't want to draw the same picture everyone else was drawing. She didn't agree that different was good. She thought different was worthy of a D instead of an A."
"She had no vision."
"I thought the same thing."
"I hope you didn't tell her that." He laughed when he saw the guilt in her eyes. "No way."
"You know I talk too much. It didn't just start yesterday. It's been going on my whole life."
"What happened?"
"I had to write a report about the importance of following directions and learning the basics."
"I'm sure that didn't change anything for you."
"No. I thought she was wrong, but I wrote it, because my mom wouldn't let me go to art camp if I didn't. But I got Miss Owens back."
"What did you do?"
"I turned her into a nasty villain character in a graphic novel that I designed and wrote in my early twenties."
"Wait, you do graphic novels?"
"I play around a little. It's just for fun."
"I want to see them."
"I have some at the apartment. I can show you sometime. Anyway, I tormented her in my story. She got what was coming—finally."
He laughed. "I didn't know you had it in you to be that mean or so thirsty for revenge years after the fact."
"She was mean first, and you know what they say about revenge being best served cold." She paused, giving him a thoughtful look. "My family would like you, Griffin. You could have been in the shot with me."
"I didn't want to interrupt, and you already have one brother who doesn't like me. And my bruise is barely noticeable now. His punch was not that great."
"I had to give him something for his male pride
." She scooted a little closer to him and brushed a strand of hair off his forehead, giving him a warm smile. "And I know that once they meet you, my entire family will like you, because I like you."
His gut clenched at her words, at the feel of her sweet breath against his face, the loving look in her eyes. Once her family met him? That wasn't going to happen.
How had he let things go so far?
He should have known better. He had known better. But still he'd let her into his life—and not just his life but also his heart.
This was going to hurt; this was really going to hurt.
"Griffin," she said softly, giving him a questioning look. "It feels like you're here but not really here. What's going on?"
"Nothing. We should get going. The sun is almost down, and it will be dark soon."
"What are you afraid of?"
"Crashing our bikes in the dark."
"You know that's not what I meant."
"I'm not afraid of anything," he lied. "I saved you from a shark, didn't I? What other proof do you need?"
"I'm not talking about the way you protect people. I know you're good at that. But I'm more interested in why you protect yourself with thick walls of steel. Someone hurt you. That woman you were involved with. Is she why you can't trust me?"
He swallowed a knot in his throat. "No, that's not it."
"I think it might be part of it. Who was she? You don't have to tell me her name. But tell me something about her, something about your relationship. Can't you open up a little?"
He found himself wanting to open up a lot, to tell her everything, but he couldn't—not just to protect himself but also to protect her.
"There came a time in our relationship when she couldn't support me in what I wanted to do, and I couldn't support her in what she wanted to do. We were going in different directions, and neither one of us was willing to change paths."
"Then it wasn't right. If it was meant to be, someone would have compromised."
"Exactly. As I said before, we didn't love each other enough to work through it. But it wasn't just about us. There were other people involved. We ended up on different sides of something, and I'm not going to say any more about it," he warned.
"She let you down. She hurt you."
"I let her down, too. And I'm sure I also hurt her. I'm not good at relationships, Annie. You should consider this a cautionary tale."
"Well, I don't. Because I'm not her, whoever she is. Our relationship is ours—whatever it turns out to be."
"We're not having a relationship," he reminded her. "This is just about fun. Or have you forgotten?"
"I haven't forgotten, and I am having fun. Thanks for sharing, Griffin."
She leaned in and pressed her mouth against his in a sweet, sexy kiss that made his entire body ache. They'd made love three times already, and he still couldn't wait to get her back to bed.
She pulled away and gave him a smile. "Now we can go."
He blew out a breath, torn between wanting to return to the life he'd built and wanting to take Annie somewhere far, far away, where it could be just the two of them and no one else—no past, no future, just the beautiful present.
But reality was calling…
* * *
After dinner in a lovely seafood restaurant, they got back into Griffin's car and headed home a little after eight. Annie sat back in her seat, watching the moonlight play off the ocean as they drove down the coast.
This birthday might have been one of the best she'd ever had. Griffin had not just been fun and charming, he'd shared a little more of his past, and he'd talked, not a lot about himself, but about what he liked, what he didn't like.
The moody man she'd first met had evolved into a fascinating, interesting, generous man who was also one of the hottest guys she'd ever been with. And she wanted to be with him again. She couldn't wait until they got back to his apartment—or hers. She didn't know where they were going, and she didn't really care; she just wanted to spend more time with him.
But as the minutes ticked by, and Griffin remained quiet, the silence in the car began to feel tense. Griffin was pulling away from her again; she could feel it. And she didn't like it.
It was her birthday, and she didn't want it to end on anything but a fantastic note.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Griffin asked, making her fears come true, because the way he asked the question didn't sound like he was planning to go home with her.
"Actually, I left my computer at your apartment. I didn't want to bring a heavy bag with me. Maybe we should go back to your place, so I can get it. We could also have a drink in the bar and then…" She glanced over at him. "And then we could see what else we want to do together."
He gave her a quick look. "I know what I want to do."
"Am I a part of it?"
"Do you really need to ask?" he said with some surprise.
She felt better with that response. "Sometimes I don't know what you're thinking, Griffin. But I'm glad my birthday isn't over yet."
"Me, too," he said with a smile. "We'll go to my apartment and figure things out from there."
"Great."
He pressed his foot down harder on the gas.
She laughed as she braced her hand on the console. "Better be careful you don't get a speeding ticket."
"It would be worth it. It has been too long since I kissed you."
"And I think that will be worth the wait," she said confidently.
Twenty minutes later, Griffin pulled into the employee lot behind the Depot. He'd no sooner parked, then his phone buzzed. "Vinnie," he said. "Hey. I just pulled into the lot. I'll be inside in a second."
"I hope there's not more trouble," she murmured.
"We'll find out."
As they got out of the car and walked toward the building, he grabbed her hand, his warm fingers closing around hers, sending a little thrill down her spine. She didn't know if he held her hand just to keep her safe and keep her close, but she liked feeling connected to him.
When they entered the back hall, she could hear the buzz of people working in the kitchen, and live music coming from the bar. There were even a few people lined up for the restrooms. The Depot was hopping on a Saturday night.
Vinnie walked out of the kitchen, a pleased gleam in his eyes. "Perfect timing."
"Perfect timing for what?" Griffin asked.
"You'll see. Meet me in the bar," Vinnie said, disappearing through the kitchen door.
"What's that about?" she asked.
"I honestly have no idea, but Vinnie was smiling, so it doesn't seem bad," he said, as they walked down the hall.
When they entered the room, she could see that the bar was crowded, every table taken, some people dancing to the band, others trying to talk over the music. They waited at the end of the bar, by the door leading into the kitchen. A moment later, Vinnie came out with a small cake lit up with candles. He set it on the end of the bar. "Happy birthday, Annie."
She was incredibly touched by the gesture. "I can't believe you did this."
"You have to have a cake on your birthday," he grumbled.
"Make a wish," Griffin encouraged.
She looked down at the candles and thought about what she wanted. Then she looked up at Griffin and realized she already had what she wanted—who she wanted. But the men were waiting for her to blow out the candles. She closed her eyes and wished that Griffin would let her all the way into his heart. Then she blew out the tiny flames.
The crowd around the bar burst into applause.
"Thank you, Vinnie," she said, giving him a hug.
"You have to have a cake on your birthday."
Danielle joined them at the bar with plates, forks, and a knife. "Happy birthday, Annie," she said in her loud, brassy voice.
"Thanks, Danielle." As she looked at the people around her, she was beginning to realize that she'd found a new family at the Depot.
She cut the cake, forcing Danielle and Vinnie to take a s
lice. As expected, the luscious chocolate cake was rich and delicious. "Chocolate is my favorite," she told Vinnie.
"It's everyone's favorite," Danielle said with a laugh, as they all cleaned their plates in record time. Then Vinnie went back to the kitchen and Danielle returned to serving drinks.
"Do you want something to drink?" Griffin asked.
"Maybe some water."
He stepped around the bar to get them each a glass of ice water. "We can take the rest of the cake upstairs. In case you get hungry…later."
"At this moment, I cannot imagine eating anything else. I might have to dance off a few calories first."
"I know how you can work off some calories and it does not involve dancing."
"I'm starting to like the way you think."
Before Griffin could reply, they were interrupted by an attractive blonde woman, who appeared to be in her early thirties.
"Excuse me," she said, giving Griffin a confused look. "Michael? Is that you?"
Griffin started, his body tightening, his face turning pale. "What?"
"You're Michael Payton," she said. "Right?"
He cleared his throat. "No, you're mistaken. I'm Griffin Hale."
Bewilderment ran through her eyes. "Really? You look exactly like someone I used to know. His name was Michael."
"And that's not me. Sorry." He looked at Annie. "Ready to go upstairs?"
"You have a twin then," the woman said, apparently not ready to walk away.
"They say everyone does," Griffin replied. He grabbed Annie's hand and pulled her toward the door.
She was surprised by his tight grip. He was crushing her fingers, and she could feel the tension running through his body. When they got upstairs and entered his apartment, he finally let go, and she shook out her hand with relief.
"Sorry," he muttered.
She was more concerned about what had just happened than the pain in her hand. "Griffin, who was that woman?"
He walked around in a small circle, running a hand through his hair, as he contemplated her question. When he stopped in front of her, he said, "I don't know. I've never seen her before."
She saw truth in his eyes, but there was something he was holding back. "You're rattled. I've never seen you like this. Not even when a shark almost got us. Why?"
He shook his head, but he didn't answer.
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