you, Sutt. Keep that silver spoon in your mouth.”
That has me clacking my teeth together. “Don’t be an asshole.”
“Then don’t force my hand. Go back to your side of the fence. You don’t belong in these bunks.”
Something dark flips inside of me. “This is my property. I have every right to be here.”
He grunts into a clenched fist. “Don’t need another reminder of who reigns.”
The strength that brought me here is beginning to crack under his pressure. But a lingering spark ignites when I catch him staring at me. Grady rarely looks my way for longer than a casual glance. But the privacy of his bedroom is proving to make a difference. He doesn’t conceal the way his eyes skitter across my exposed skin. There’s unmasked hunger waiting for me there. That gives me a much-needed confidence boost.
It’s not an accident that I’m wearing a daringly low-cut shirt. The hem of my skirt is a few inches too short. Am I acting desperate like he claims? No doubt. Do I care about being the one pursuing this? Not in the slightest. Am I worried about being rejected? More than I care to admit. But that fear doesn’t hinder me.
“Did you know that I’m leaving tomorrow?” I catch a brief glimmer of shock register across Grady’s features. A twitch snags his eyebrow. His throat bobs with a heavy swallow. He rolls his gaze off mine, avoiding the truth. If I hadn’t been standing so close, watching his every move, the reaction would be missed.
“And your point?” It appears he’s choosing to address the wall.
“I’ll be gone. We won’t see each other anymore.” I hold my breath while waiting for more honesty to show.
Grady’s lips tighten. “So, you came for a farewell fuck?”
I wrinkle my nose. “Must you be so crass?”
“Don’t act like this is a new development.” His tone is flat and stiff.
I rub my temples. I’m beginning to see the massive error in my ways. But my heart is stubborn. “I always wanted things to be different between us.”
“Sorry to disappoint.” His tone reveals he’s anything but.
I’m already waist-deep. Why not wade a bit further? “It’s not too late, Gray. I’m here now. This is what I’ve been waiting for.”
“Wait longer. You’re still a fucking kid, Sutt.”
“I’m eighteen. Only two years younger than you.”
He waves off my words. “Age is just a number. You’re sheltered as fuck. Get out and experience the world before shackling yourself to the gutter. Get outta here before Jace finds you missing.”
Rather than retreat, I erase the remaining distance to his bed. “I don’t care about my brother.”
Grady’s snort resembles a bull. “I sure as shit do.”
Of course he does. They might as well be related by blood, not just sentiment. Defeat appears in two large boulders weighing my shoulders down. He won’t budge, no matter how hard I push. A seed of nostalgia plants itself in my mind. I find myself changing tactics as a last-ditch effort. “Tell me a happy something, Gray.”
His chuckle is empty. “Nah, we’re too old for that shit. But nice try. Don’t have any spare joy to share.”
I blink at the unshed tears slowly building momentum. I want to scream at him. Demand that he forgets the pain and anger for one second to see what’s standing right in front of him. But I force the fire down. “Want me to tell you one?”
“Won’t change my mind.”
I glance away to hide my wobbling lip and wet lashes. “Will you at least hold me for a bit? Like you used to during storms?”
“Sutt—”
“Please, Grady. I never ask for anything from you.” I scoot forward until my legs bump the mattress.
With a resigned sigh, he opens his arms. “All right, fine. Five minutes, then you’re going home. C’mere.”
I nod and quickly cuddle into his side. He smells of a hardworking man, that familiar mix of motor oil and fresh hay. I snuggle deeper while inhaling the scent of my dreams. “Remember the first happy something I gave you?”
Grady nods, his chin ghosting across my forehead. He doesn’t protest while I tug us along some pleasant highlights. I fill the chilly silence with sunny chatter. Grady doesn’t add to the conversation, keeping it one-sided. It’s probably for the best. Nothing he shares lately is good.
My five minutes loop several times before I run out of steam. We’re stuck at a fork in the road. Sad as it might be, I find myself turning in the direction that leads away from him. “I’ll