Downstairs, I stretch out on the couch and close my eyes. Molly’s enticing cherry scent clings to my shirt, teasing me with thoughts of returning upstairs, keeping me awake for hours.

No matter how hard I try, sleep continues to slip out of my grasp.

CHAPTER TEN

Griff

A solid thump rattles me out of sleep the next morning. Or is it afternoon already?

I blink my eyes open and find Remy looming over me.

He kicks his foot into the side of the couch again, jarring me further awake. “The fuck are you doing here?”

Slowly, I yawn and roll myself upright. My spine crackles in protest. Remy’s lumpy old couch makes a lousy bed.

“I stopped by to check on Molly.” I stretch my arms over my head and yawn again. “You know how much she hates being here alone.”

Guilt flashes over his face. “Thanks for doing that.”

“Not a problem.”

“Eraser said he and Ella picked her up early.” He cocks his head. “What happened? Someone bother Molly at the party?”

“Fuck if I know.” I yawn again. Really would’ve preferred a few more hours of sleep. “She wouldn’t tell me much about it.”

“You talked to her, though? She was okay?”

She was more than okay. We were…I’ve never opened up to someone the way I did to Molly last night. And the stuff she shared with me…it’s like everything between us changed or shifted.

Remy isn’t the Holt I wanted to be woken up by this morning.

His foot slams into the couch again. “Where’d your mind wander, Griff?”

“For fuck’s sake.” I scrub my hands over my face. “I’m still half asleep.”

He growls out something I don’t bother interpreting and stalks into the kitchen. Ignoring his moody ass, I find my way to the downstairs bathroom.

A few minutes later, I join him in the kitchen, the scent of coffee pulling me along.

“So, how was the rest of the party?” I catch the mug he slides across the counter toward me, pick up a carton of half-and-half and pour a generous amount into the dark brew.

“I finally understand how Teller earned his road name,” Remy says. “‘Tell-her-shit-she-doesn’t-want-to hear.’ No fucking joke.” He snorts and shakes his head.

“Why are you mad?” I try to hide my smirk with a sip of coffee. “Were you the girl in this situation?”

He stops, cocks his head, then laughs. “No, asshole. He tried giving me a lecture.”

Well, now I’m almost sorry I missed it. “On what?”

“Let’s just say…” He shakes his head. “Teller’s got nerve lecturing me about who my sister dates,” Remy grumbles.

What an interesting conversation. I lift an eyebrow. “He did? When?”

Remy shoots a glare at me. “After you ran out to see the garage.”

I let out a snicker. What’s he so pissed about anyway? Teller’s always trying to pass on his wisdom to us; it’s nothing new. “Bro, I wasn’t even there.”

He snorts in disgust.