Page 22 of Vengeful Secret

“Gray, listen, if you need to talk....”

I’ve been silent on the line too long. “I don’t even know what to talk about.” I draw in a shaking breath through my nostrils. “It’s just been a lot, all of this with Da and then Paige…”

“But they're safe now. You’re keeping them safe.”

Am I?

“Thanks, Tommy. I’m sorry to dump on you.”

“Hey, I was your best friend a long time before I was your employee. You can always talk to me.” He pauses. “And you seem like you do need to talk. Call me anytime, okay?”

My chest swells with affection for him.

“I appreciate you, man. Call me if anything changes.”

“Will do.”

I hang up the phone and look down at it for a long moment, half-wishing I had Sutton’s number and half-grateful that I don’t. What would I even say?

I’m still in love with you. Don’t leave me again.

Pathetic.

My muscles burning and aching, I think about how I never should have approached her, how I should have kept my feelings to myself. But what good has that ever done me?

I always put on this face to the outside world—Gray has it together. Gray’s just fine.

But I’m not, and I haven’t been for a while now. Maybe ever since Sutton and I split.

I want her back. I know that now as well as I know my own name, and I need her to understand that I’ll keep her safe. Her and her daughter. Whatever it takes.

Resolve flows through me as I sit there, staring down at the blank screen of my phone.

I’m going to talk to her. Get her back. Because Sutton deserves to be happy, and I know that I can make her happy. I know that we belong to each other, and that’s all that matters.

Maybe she’ll reject me again. Maybe it’ll turn out that it doesn’t work between us anymore. But at least then I’ll have closure.

No matter how this shakes out, I have to try.

As I start to think of the next few steps to get my girl back, I head to the shower, sweat thick and tacky across my skin.

Sutton is first and foremost in my mind, but that’s not unusual. She’s haunted my thoughts ever since the day she left me.

I undress and the hot water beats down on my back and shoulders, making my muscles relax. I moan, breathing hard under the spray.

Sutton.

Her big eyes. Her hair, shorter now, in a sexy bob instead of bouncing down her back. It makes her look a little more mature, but in a good way. Her body under my hands, thicker now, with more softness around the hips and belly.

My moan turns from relief to lust as I take a step back from the showerhead. I take myself in hand, shuddering out a breath.

Sutton.

Her smile, the way she did it against my mouth when I kissed her at the bar. Her small hand, clutching at my shirt, fumbling with my belt buckle.

She wanted it just as much as I did, and as soon as we’d kissed, every feeling I had for her came rushing back.

Every moment we spent together meant something to me, every kiss, every time we made love. I’ve never felt like that with anyone before or after Sutton. She’s the only one.

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