Page 84 of Her Pretty Words

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew the things I’m thinking every time I look at you. Ireallylike that shirt by the way.”

I tilt my head back and laugh. A breeze blows my hair into my face, so I turn the opposite way, so it blows behind me. I gather the strands in my hand and rush inside.

Dozens of voices yell at once. “Surprise!” Instinctively I flinch and ram backward into Grayson’s chest. His arms twist around me, he whispers against my ear, “Congratulations on your fourth book, Minerva Day.” I can hear the grin in his voice.

In the dim lit bar, all my friends laugh and record me with their phones. Sarah is standing on the bar holding a huge sign that reads “Minerva Day is my favorite author!”Tammy crosses the room and pinches my cheek. “Four books.” She shakes her head in wonder. “I know you’re making your grandma and grandpa very proud.”

“Thank you,” I say with emotion heavy in my voice.

Her eyes lift to the man whose arms are wrapped around me. “You’ve got a keeper, hun.”He did all of this for me.

“Hey, man. Good to see you,” Elliot says to Grayson, who releases me to embrace our friend.

Suddenly, a thin arm is draped across my shoulders, the person whose appendage it belongs to leads me further into the restaurant. She has a head of long blond hair. I smile at Sarah’s sister, Julia. “I have a bone to pick with you and my sister for not telling me you’ve been in town for an entire month, but for now, I’m going to need you to sit in this lovely chair.”

I glance at the bar stool in front of me and then eye her. She raises her eyebrows and gestures to the seat. I sigh while plopping onto it, and suddenly I’m swarmed by four or five people, the only one I’m focused on is Elliot who yells, “Three…two…one!” I’m lifted into the air on the stool, my eyes wide and mouth agape. I let out a screech and find Grayson a few feetaway laughing at me. I point my index finger at him, hoping it conveys brutal threats, provoking his heavy laughter. I beg them to set me down, which they eventually do.

“All right, let’s give her a minute to breathe,” Sarah says, pulling Elliot to a nearby booth. Everyone begins to fill the tables. I lock eyes with Grayson who sits at the bar with a gentle smile in his eyes. The bartender hands him a drink, and then he crosses the room to hand it to me. I take the cold cup and drag a sip through the straw, letting a sound free when I swallow the strawberry beverage. I gaze up at him and smile. I got this drink in New York with him. So much has changed, it’s hard to believe it was only a month ago. I lean up on the tips of my toes and press a kiss to his lips. It’s not as discrete as I’d hoped because my friends start applauding.

“Minerva and Dracula!” Sarah calls. I shoot her a look which she shrugs off. Grayson and I join the table she occupies, along with Elliot, Tammy, and Julia. A few other people I know from town are here, but they sit on their own and talk among themselves. Once we’re seated, Grayson stretches his arm over the back of the booth, and I lean into him.

“I’m Julia.” She reaches across the table to shake Grayson’s hand. “You must be the fiancé.” She lifts her brows up and down, but quickly stops when she sees Sarah shaking her head. Julia looks between us.

“We should probably get this out in the open,” Grayson says wryly. “Macy had a fiancé who turned out to be a pig, and I happened to be at the right place when she realized it.” He smiles down at me.

“To breaking off engagements to pigs!” Julia says, lifting her glass for everyone to clink. I laugh at how quickly everyone moves past it.

“So, what’s this new book about?” Tammy asks with hopeful eyes.

I shrug. “I guess you’ll have to read it to find out.”

“Boo!” Julia says. “We don’t get any exclusive perks by knowing the author?”

“I bet Grayson knows,” Sarah says. “Maybe we should sleep with Macy too.”

Grayson clears his throat as though open discussion of our sex life puts him in discomfort, understandably so. “I’m dying to read it too, but apparently being…closely intertwined with her doesn’t include those perks.”

“So, Julia, how is nursing school going?” I ask to change the subject. The six of us fall into a comfortable rhythm. The sisters and I order several cocktails since Grayson and Elliot are our designated drivers. The boys eventually decide to play foosball, which Sarah and Julia decide is the perfect time to get away to catch up. Tammy declines our invite and goes home, claiming its past her bedtime. Now, I walk between my two girl friends, our arms linked, giggling as we make our way toward the beach. The three of us plop down in the sand, forming a small circle.

“I hate to be the person who immediately asks you about the boy in your life after not seeing each other for so long…but I’m slightly too drunk to be polite. Spill,” Julia says.

I laugh at her straightforwardness and then share the story of how we met. Well, the second time we met.

“How do you go from hating the man to falling in love with him a month later?” Julia asks, slightly slurring her words.

“He must have mind boggling skills in the bedroom,” Sarah answers.

I shoot her a look, and then the three of us break out into a fit of laughter. “Oh, I should probably mention the good news,” I say. I wait a few seconds to add to the suspense, and then say, “I’m moving here!”

“Finally!” Sarah says with the brightest smile I’ve ever seen.

Julia reaches over and hugs me. “Okay, you’re forgiven for not telling me you were in town sooner, but only if we can do weekly dinners again like when we were kids.”

I laugh. “But with alcohol.” I wiggle my eyebrows.

“I’m making a group chat so we can plan it,” Julia says.

I give her Grayson’s number and when I see the group chat pop up on my phone, my hope becomes bigger than my body. A boy who spent his life in isolation will never know loneliness again if I have anything to do with it.