Page 16 of Grayson

“Hey, neighbor.” I can visibly see her entire body go rigid and I chuckle.

“Good evening, Gray,” Viv is the one that speaks and I wait for the one I now know as Skye to face me. Scarlett hasn’t shut up about these two since the night she hung out with them. “How’s your night going?” Vivian asks.

She flirts, she’s always flirted, but thankfully she and I have never gone beyond that.

“Long shift, not one of the greatest, so here we all are.”

“Choir practice.” Vivian nods in understanding. Though she and I have never moved passed pleasantries she has been with a guy from another shift. She knows what it means when we all gather. “Sorry to hear that,” Viv offers her sympathies with only a look of understanding.

“Choir practice?” Skye spins around with a look of confusion on her face. It is the first time I get the opportunity to see her so close up. Her deep brown eyes lock with mine and I don’t miss the cute little patch of freckles over the bridge of her nose.

“It’s what we firefighters call a much-needed gathering after a not so successful shift.”

“You mean someone.” A sadness settles in her eyes while continuing to look up at me. A kindness that hits me deep and the comfort very few people in my path have ever been able to give me without speaking a word. It suddenly feels like the walls are shrinking in around me.

All I can do is nod, because the words have escaped me.

“Scarlett is back there.” I motion with my thumb. A heavy weight presses against my chest. “You ladies enjoy yourself.”

Before either of them speaks a word, I turn around and walk in the opposite direction I’d originally come from. I just needed a minute.

I step up to the bar, leaning over to rest my elbows on the top. Still holding my beer, I glance across the room to see Vivian and Skye join Scarlett and a few others toward the back. Watching from a distance I take in her smile and the curve of her neck as she pushes back her hair and tucks it behind her ear.

“Who’s the brunette?” Atticus asks from the barstool next to me. I hadn’t even noticed him there until now. Atta is mostly broody and hard to read. He quietly observes while the rest of us act like idiots, and though we all think he doesn’t notice the stupid shit most of us do, he does. Swear he knows everything.

“Neighbor,” I say and he nods.

“The one that Scarlett hung out with and they all kept you up all night?”

“That would be the one.” I take a long pull from my beer, drawing half the bottle. “That woman’s the one that has you tied up in knots?”

“I’m not tied up,” I insist yet even I don’t believe my words. I empty the rest of my beer and hold up a hand for Joey to get me another.

Atticus chuckles at my side.

“Shut the fuck up,” I say, only making him laugh harder.

As Joey passes me my beer I reach into the bowl of peanuts and toss a handful at Atta before pushing off the bar and walking away. Fucker just laughs even harder but I keep my back to him as I walk toward the back.

The closer I get the more pressure I feel on my chest.

Watching Skye I squeeze my bottle a little tighter and round the table to the opposite side.

Reclaiming my stool from earlier I lock eyes with her from across the table and immediately she looks down, tucking her chin toward her chest. After a few seconds and when Vivian says something to her, she lifts her gaze and I’m the first person she looks at. Her cheeks redden and I can’t help but smile as I lift my beer to my lips.

I feel like a fool for not knowing this gorgeous woman has been living right next door to me all this time.

“Why are you acting weird?” Scarlett asks in a low tone only I can hear.

“I’m not,” I assure her and nudge her shoulder.

“You’re staring,” she adds, elbowing me back. “Skye isn’t like Gia, or all the other women you choose to spend time with.”

She narrows her eyes at me.

“She’s sweet, and she has a lot of weight on her shoulders. She’s not the type you can hook up with and then kick out the next day.”

“I don’t kick anyone out.”

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