Page 50 of We're Not Strangers Anymore

I feel my arousal pool between us, soaking Grayson as he continues his rough movements. Grayson lets out a groan and collapses next to me, wrapping an arm around me.

He brushes a strand of hair away from my face and stares at me for a moment. “What is it that you really want, Row?”

I look up at him quizzically. “What do you mean?”

He sighs and hesitates for a moment. “Do you want– this? With me?”

I stop and think, trying to find my words. “No. I mean yes I want you, Grayson. But this isn’t the life I want. I moved to Detroit so that I wouldn’t have to deal with all of this criminal bullshit my dad was into.”

“It won’t be like this forever, you know?”

“How? This is your life, Grayson. There isn’t room for me in it. Not like this.”

He sits up, and looks down at me with a serious expression. “I’m going to take care of everything, Rowan. I just need to know if you’ll be there waiting when I’m done.”

“What do you mean by that? I’m done with you being so vague about things, Grayson,” I tell him. It’s so frustrating to even have to still press him for information.

“What if I told you I’m done with this life. After I handle some business, I’m walking away from it, for good.”

I scoff. “That's a laugh. You can’t, even if you wanted to. People like you don’t just get to walk away from a criminal empire.”

He searches my gaze for a moment, narrowing his eyes on mine. “Running drugs for your father has made you too smart for your own good.”

My breathing picks up and I sit up next to him. “How do you know about that?”

“Relax, Rowan. You were just a kid. It’s not a big deal–”

“No, itisa big deal because I want my future to be normal. Simple, even. I don’t want the person that I’m with to know me for my past with my father. I’m not doing this with you anymore, I’m sleeping in the other room and don’t you dare try to come in there. I won’t leave, but only for my own safety. Not for you.”

I spring off of the bed and walk across the hall to the master bedroom, feeling an ache in my chest at the words I just spoke to him. No part of this has been normal though. This thing with Grayson is just a result of being held captive by him but it’s over now. If my dreams of having a normal life and a normal family are going to come true, I can’t stop myself from having that by being with a man that is built on everything that I want nothing to do with. It hurts, but only for now. I’ll get over it just like I get over everything else and I know once he and I have some distance, I won’t feel the same way about him. I won’t want him the way I do now.

Rowan

Grayson and I have hardly spoken the past few days. Part of me is disappointed that he hasn’t tried to win me back after the other night, but I’m also relieved because I don’t have to fight anything anymore. I don’t have to play this push and pull game with him. I can finally look forward to my future and put this all behind me when the time comes.

Grayson walks into the kitchen, cutting off my thoughts. “I’m heading back to Chicago in a couple of days. You’re going to France to stay with my mom and Laila until things are taken care of,” he says, not even looking at me.

“How long is that going to take?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Shouldn’t be too long. Maybe a week, depending on how things go.”

I take a deep inhale and sit at the counter. “When do I leave?”

“Today. I’ll take you to the jet around three, so pack everything you need.” He pulls out a phone from the pocket of his sweatpants, handing it to me. “Here. It’s time you keep a phone on you now. No social media, you still have to lay low.”

I feel relief wash over me at the thought of things going back to normal. I open up the IPhone to set it up, but I see Grayson has already taken care of it with my only contacts being him, Sophia and Laila. I finish the last of my coffee and head to the stairs to go pack.

As I finish packing the rest of my clothes, I come across the cork to the wine bottle from the night Grayson set up our picnic date. He probably kept it by accident, but I want to take it with me to never forget that night. Admittedly, I’m going to miss him– for a little while at least. I know once I have time to be alone and process everything, I’ll be happy with the choice I’ve made.

“How are you coming along?” Grayson says, leaning on the frame of the bedroom door.

“Good. I just have to grab my makeup bag and I’ll be ready to go.” I force a smile at him. On the inside, a big part of me is hurting, but that’s just what comes with change. We’ve been together every day for months, of course it’s going to be hard.

“You know,” he hesitates for a moment, looking down. “I heard you telling those guys that work for Conejo that you haven’t seen me, that you didn’t know where I was. Why?”

I shrug, trying to find an explanation. “Why would I throw you under the bus?”

He looks around, thoughtfully. “Because I had you cuffed to the bed, I didn’t let you leave, I forced you to stay here, I was an asshole, the list goes on.”

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