She fakes a smile. “Thanks. It was nice seeing you again, Mr. Montgomery.”
He stares at her chest as we slip by him, making me nearly vomit in my mouth. “Yeah, you too. Come by anytime.”
I don’t think I’ve ever rushed out of my house so fast, and Delaney is hot on my heels. As soon as reach her car, she looks back at the house and then at me.
“Jeez, Savannah! What in the world happened to him?”
I really don’t have the answer to that question. Shrugging, I say, “Drugs? Alcohol? Who the fuck knows exactly, but I don’t have time to get into it. He’ll follow me out here if I don’t get back in there soon.”
She gives me one last hug before unlocking her car. “I’m really glad we’re friends again.”
I smile. “Me, too.”
When I go back inside, my father is already drinking straight from a bottle of Jack Daniels. He grunts as he sees me, which I’m totally prepared to ignore until he opens his mouth.
“That Callahan girl grew up nice,” he tells me. “When’s her birthday again?”
Maybe it’s the fact that I have a lot to make up for when it comes to her, or that I just got her back in my life, but every protective bone in my body narrows in on him.
“Leave her alone.”
He laughs. “You have some nerve trying to tell me what to do.”
I stand my ground and step closer. “If you want to be a sick disappointment of a man, that’s on you, but leave Delaney out of your mess.”
Before I know it, he’s up and rushing toward me, gripping me by the neck and pinning me to the wall. “Excuse me, you ungrateful little bitch.”
“Go ahead, leave a mark where everyone at school will see,” I croak out, and he lets go but still stands too close.
He looks down at me, trying to intimidate me with his height. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you.”
“Lucky?” I scoff. “That’d be doing me a favor.”
I know it’s the wrong thing to say the second I see his face. My eyes look for somewhere else to go, anywhere to escape him, but I’m stuck. Rearing his fist back, he slams it directly into the side of my head, and everything goes black.
I go into Gray’s room and find his window wide open. My feet pad across the room as I stick my head out and see him sitting on the roof. I smile and climb out to join him while he looks at the stars.
“I thought I might find you out here.”
He grins, making my heart beat faster. “It’s so pretty when there are no clouds in the sky.”
Tipping my head back, I realize how amazing it looks, all lit up. “Wow, it is.”
We sit in a comfortable silence, neither one of us wanting to ruin the moment. Still, it seems like something is bothering him, and I’ve never been able to feel at ease when he’s not.
“What’s wrong?”
He shakes his head just slightly, but then sighs. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing if it’s making you sad on a night like this.” I nudge him with my elbow. “What is it?”
He’s quiet for a moment, as if he’s trying to decide whether he should tell me or not. I’m about to ask again when he finally speaks.
“I don’t know what I want,” he admits. “Maybe it’s a new bike, maybe it’s my best friend.”
What? Did he just admit to liking me? That he wants me? He looks over at me with a sheepish grin on his face, and I realize he did. My face breaks out into a huge smile—one he returns as his shoulders sag in relief. As we both admire the sky some more, I feel his hand slowly rub against mine. I follow his lead, and our fingers lace together.
“I really like you, Savi, and not just as my best friend.”
The butterflies that come alive in my stomach may very well carry me away. “I really like you, too, Gray.”
His eyes study my face, almost as if he’s looking for any sign that I may be messing with him, but he isn’t going to find one. When his gaze lingers a little too long on my lips, I start to get nervous. Oh my God, is he going to kiss me?
A million things run through my head as he starts to lean in. Did I brush my teeth this morning? Am I going to mess this up? Will he not like me anymore if I’m bad at this? However, when it all comes down to it, this is Gray—my Gray.
I lean in to meet him some of the distance. Our noses touch first, and my eyes flutter closed. I can feel his breath on my face, warm but stutteringly nervous. Then, our lips brush together. It’s slow, and sweet, and everything dreams are made of. When he breaks the kiss and backs away, I can feel my cheeks heat. I rest my head on his shoulder as I replay it in my mind.
Our friendship may never be the same, but I’ve never been more excited for the future.
I WAKE IN THE morning on my bedroom floor, sporting a killer headache. The huge bump on my head reminds me of last night’s events. Fucking hell. He must have dragged me in here after he knocked me out and just left me on the floor. I get up slowly then go into the bathroom to find some Tylenol. After swallowing the two pills down, I turn on the shower. I don’t necessarily feel like going to school, but the alternative of staying here all day is my only other option. Needless to say, school is the lesser of the two evils.
FIRST PERIOD, I MAKE it a point to sit next to Delaney. I may have made a lot of mistakes in my life, but it feels so good to have my friend again. Brady is great, but Laney was the closest friendship I had, other than Grayson—and it doesn’t look like I’m ever getting that one back.
“No, stop,” I laugh, pushing her hand away so I can continue applying the highlight to her face.
She huffs, but stays completely still. “I’m going to look like a clown.”
“You know, your confidence in me is rather insulting.”
A small chuckle bubbles out. “You’ll get over it.”
“Well, don’t you two look cute,” Grayson drawls, coming to stand in front of the desks we’ve pushed together.
Delaney tries to look at him, but I grab her chin and turn her back toward me. “What do you want, Grayson? We’re busy.”
“Ouch.” He places a hand over his heart and feigns injury. “I can’t come say hi to my two favorite girls?” I start to think he’s gone mad when he corrects himself. “Well, one of my favorite girls, and you.”
Switching out the highlight for bronzer, I shake my head. “No, I’d really rather you don’t.”
He leans over my desk and gets as close to me as he can. “That’s not what you were saying on your birthday.”
“What happened on your birthday?” Delaney shrieks.
“Shh!” I tell her and then turn to Grayson. “You know, for someone who wants to keep that quiet, you sure have a big mouth.”
His eyes glint with mischief as he smiles. It’s the same smile that used to make me weak in the knees, and like a fine wine, it’s only gotten better with age. He winks at me before going back to his desk and immediately focusing his attention on Kinsley. Jackass.
Delaney follows my gaze. When she finds what I’m looking at, she frowns.