Griffin crosses his arms, his gaze serious. “I don’t like it.”
I let out a surprised laugh, taken aback by his candor. “Excuse me?”
“You, working there. Men ogling you like you’re some... object. It doesn’t sit right with me,” he says, his expression darkening.
I smirk, leaning slightly closer. “You mean like you were ogling me?”
His eyes widen, composure slipping for a moment. “If I’d known it was you, I never would have?—“
“Wouldn’t have what?” I interrupt. “Watched? Enjoyed it?”
Griffin stares at me, his jaw tightening. “It’s different now that I know you.”
My pulse quickens under his intense gaze, my voice dropping to an almost-whisper. “And what do you think now?”
The eye contact becomes too much for me, and I turn to grab something from the counter, however in my flustered state, a bowl of chopped vegetables slips from my grasp. Griffin reacts quickly, catching it before it hits the floor.
He straightens, the bowl securely in his hands, and suddenly, we’re standing mere inches apart. The air between us feels charged, as if the world has narrowed down to just the two of us. My breath catches in my throat as I notice the flecks of gold in his hazel eyes, his scent—a mix of soap and the faintest hint of cologne—filling my senses. God, he’s hot. The thought slips into my mind unbidden, and my cheeks flush with embarrassment.
The sudden sound of footsteps on the stairs startles me, my heart pounding in my chest. Griffin quickly clears his throat and steps away, placing the nearly dropped bowl back on the counter just as Elliot saunters into the kitchen.
“Damn, that smells good,” he comments, completely oblivious to the tension crackling between Griffin and me. He plops into a chair and starts scrolling on his phone, lost in his own world.
Griffin steals a quick glance at me, his expression unreadable. “Dinner’s almost ready,” he informs Elliot evenly, his voice betraying nothing of the charged moment we just shared.
“Can you grab the plates and set the table?” Griffin asks, turning to me once more. I nod, trying to push aside the whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm me.
As I move to the cabinets, stealing glances at Griffin, my mind races with conflicting thoughts—guilt for feeling drawn to him,frustration with Elliot’s nonchalance, and a flicker of something else I don’t want to name, something forbidden and tantalizing.
4
GRIFFIN
During dinner I can’t help but notice the way Faye keeps her gaze done. She hadn’t had a problem looking at me when it was just the two of us… Is it so bad that I wish it was still that way – that my son wasn’t here – that I was the one she was dating…?
Get a grip – me and her are never going to happen. She’s dating my son.
Elliot seems completely disinterested in anything other than his phone, barely engaging in the conversation.
I break the awkward silence. “How’s the food?” I ask.
Faye’s eyes meet mine, and a small, sincere smile graces her lips. “It’s delicious. You did a great job.”
The relief washes over me like a warm wave, only to be crushed by Elliot’s careless words. “Yeah, it’s good,” he mutters without looking up. “Better than anything we’ve had lately. I swear I’ve been running off of nothing but fast food lately.”
My eyebrows raise at his tone, but I choose not to comment. Instead, my focus remains on Faye, whose fragile smile falters and shoulders tense. “I’d offer to cook more often if someone would actually help out in the kitchen,” she says softly, frustration lacing her voice.
Elliot sighs dramatically. “Here we go again…”
Faye’s voice rises slightly as she puts her fork down. “I’m not trying to pick a fight, Elliot. I’m just saying it’d be nice if you contributed a little more instead of leaving everything to me.”
Finally, Elliot looks up from his phone, his expression defensive. “I’ve been under a lot of stress, Faye. Maybe cut me some slack instead of nagging me all the time.”
Frustration crackles in the air as Faye presses on, the fire in her eyes growing brighter. “It’s not nagging when I’m working and maintaining the house while you do nothing.”
“Nothing?” Elliot snaps, his face contorting with anger. “I’m trying to get a job, you bitch!”
Woah…I can hardly believe that this boy is my son…He gets all of that attitude from his mother’s side.
