Swallowing through the thickness in my throat, I stare at him. Unsure of what to say. Iknowthere’s something here between us. Something big.
Is it love?
I’ve never known a feeling like being around Griffin.
Letting my feet move, I finally step toward him, eager to feelhis arms around me and tell him everything I was trying to tell him before all of this.
But he heard me say the words to Theodore.
It’s time to say it to him.
“Blair,” he breathes out. My name on his lips like a painful whisper.
Emotions rise and I can’t hold back.
We stare at each other, silence stretching with each second that passes.
Only moments ago, I had so much to say. Now I can’t find a single word. Everything has died on my tongue.
“Blair,” he repeats, and I crumble. The tears in my eyes spill and I know with certainty he’s thinking the worst. I open my mouth to respond, but he holds up a hand to stop me. “You’re staying.”
I swipe a tear from the corner of my eye before it has a chance to cascade down my cheek, and then I shake my head.
His body visibly relaxes before me. His shoulders fall and he releases a breath, looking down at the dirt around his feet.
“I’m not leaving,” I finally say out loud. “I was never planning on leaving.”
“But—”
“Him showing up here wouldn’t be a reason for me to leave. He showed up because he wants me back. Except it’s for selfish reasons. And any reason he could try to give me wouldn’t ever be enough for the damage he’s already done. What he did doesn’t deserve a second chance.”
He stares at me, blinking twice before taking a tentative step into me.
I can tell he’s holding back despite my words.
His fears are all the same as I had. We’ve both been hurt so badly before that this whole thing is terrifying for us.
“I mean…look at how he just spoke to me. Why would Iwantto leave and go back to someone like that?”
“The way he…” He shakes his head. “I wanted to murder him for that, Blair. I was ready to kill him for saying those things to you.” He lifts a hand, brushing a stray tendril of hair behind my ear. “Are you okay?”
I nod, letting my body gravitate into him. Leaving a breath of air between us.
He doesn’t take his eyes off mine. It’s almost as if he’s trying to memorize me, or he’s waiting for me to vanish in thin air.
“Talk to me,” I urge.
His forehead falls to mine and his eyes flutter closed. He’s in pain. Not just from the physical blow he gave Theodore, but from this whole thing. It wasn’t what he had planned bringing me out here to ride Storm.
“I’m not leaving,” I repeat again against his lips, sensing that he needs that confirmation.
“Blair,” he breathes out my name and closes all the space between us, wrapping his arms around my neck and holding me to his chest. As if he needed to touch me. Feel me.
“I don’t know what made you believe this was temporary for me,” I say against his shirt. “But I bought the house. I have no intention of leaving unless…”
He pulls back at the pause of my words. His eyes laser focused on mine as if to assess the next words out of my mouth.
A lopsided grin stretches my face. “Unless my grumpy next-door neighbor hated me so much that he wanted to run me out of town. A girl can’t live like that forever,” I joke with a laugh. It’s light, but just enough that he pulls my body back into his.
