Page 68 of Her Pretty Words

His chest is my pillow, and his breath is a melody that puts me to sleep.

Chapter 25

Macy

“Sleeping Beauty,” a deep voice coos.

I squint open an eye and lift the covers over my face. Grayson pulls them all the way off the bed, exposing my naked body to the crisp air. I groan and sit up, my hair a wild entity against my back. “What do you want?” I ask through my teeth.

He clears his throat and mumbles, “I mistakenly awoke the beast.” Then his eyes are raking down my body, and clear images of last night take over. I don’t shy away from the memory or my nakedness. I embrace it with a smile, then climb out of his bed and make my way to his bathroom to brush my teeth with my finger and take a much-needed shower. I rub his sandalwood scented soap over my skin, his aroma potent in the steam.

Grayson is in the kitchen flipping pancakes while eggs cook on a separate pan. As though he can sense my presence, he says, “You snore, by the way.” He turns to me and frowns at the clothes I put on, as if he wished I had come out here naked.

“Well, you talk in your sleep,” I lie.

“About?”

I walk further into his kitchen and sit on a barstool. “Puffins.”

He eyes me with amusement. “Puffins?”

“You heard me.”

“So, you’re saying that I went on and on about puffins the entire night?”

“Yup.”

“Interesting,” he drags the word out, appearing thoughtful with his eyes narrowed on the sunset wall.

“Why is that?”

“Because I have no clue what a puffin even is.”

We stare at each other for several moments until I’m breaking out into laughter. The kind that hurts your stomach and causes tears to trickle from your eyes. Suddenly, Grayson is right before me, his mouth is on mine.

His hands find their way into my hair, and I deepen the kiss by parting my lips and sweeping my tongue across his. Azingdrops between my legs when he groans. I blink open my eyes when I smell something burning. He doesn’t notice until I gently push him back. His gaze is entranced on my lips until he inhales. He rushes to the stove and grins at the black circles that were once pancakes. “The world could be burning down, and I wouldn’t have a single clue.” He faces me. “I am enthralled in you.”

After we eat our eggs and split the only pancake that didn’t burn as much as the rest, I peel myself from him and go home to find my parents sipping coffee on the couch and watching the morning news like always.

“Where’s Walter?” I ask.

My dad merely glances at me. “He won’t be coming back.” He doesn’t elaborate.

I’ll have to see him again.My belongings are in the house we own together, well, that’s if he hasn’t set them on fire or donated everything I own to a thrift store. Although, both of those options would be too much of an effort for him.

My mom’s gaze drags over me, then she glances toward the direction of Grayson’s house. “Did you have a good time at your friend’s house?” The corner of her mouth lifts ever so slightly before she turns back to the TV.

My cheeks flame and I nod.

“Our flight is in three hours.”

I feel myself freeze in place. “Ourflight?”

“Your father’s and mine. You seem…settled here, so we didn’t book you one.”

“I’ll drive you!” I exclaim, glad they aren’t going to give me a hard time or try to drag me to Idaho.

I drive them to the airport, and we talk like any normal family would. Right as my dad is leaving my car, suitcase in hand, he says, “I saw one of your books in the airport on the way here. Someone was buying one and I told her Minerva Day is my daughter.”

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