Page 19 of Not A Whisper

My cry is absorbed by my pillow as my orgasm billows through me, but Grant hears it just fine. He chuckles over the hum of the toy. When my body stops it’s quivering, Grant turns off the toy. With a sigh, I allow my hips to drop back onto the mattress. Grant comes to lay down beside me and drags me close.

“I can’t stay long, dollface. I gotta get back to my dorm before they notice I’m gone.”

I frown. “God, I can’t imagine trying to live there when you have a perfectly good apartment.”

“Yours isn’t too shabby either. I like what you’ve done with the place. At least what I can see in the dark.”

That’s right, he’s only been here once before when he helped the others move what little I had in. Since Danny destroyed my furniture in his attempt to terrorize me, I was forced to buy all new stuff once I moved in here. Most of it is second hand, but some things are new. One day, maybe I’ll have a whole house to decorate rather than a six-hundred-square-foot basic apartment.

“Ok, so before you go…” I take a deep breath. As I let it out, I let the words tumble loose. “Will you go into the guestroom? I’ve been working on something that might, ah, help with what’s going on. Or maybe not. But either way, go check it out, ok?”

There’s a short pause before Grant props up an elbow and rests his face in his hand. “Alright, I’ll bite. What am I going to find?”

My face grows hot. “Just go look. Just remember while you’re in there that I’m not a professional and it won’t hurt my feelings if you hate it. Also, I’m not completely done, but it’s a start.”

“Have you been plotting something, dollface?”

I roll my eyes. “Sure, I guess.”

Grant sighs, which morphs into a soft groan. “I wish I could just stay here with you in the dark. Everything feels less…” His voice trails off.

Frowning, I wrap my arms around his waist and hug him. “Things are going to be ok, Grant. Somehow, it’ll work out. I’ll make sure of it.”

He kisses the top of my head before untangling himself from my hold to roll out of bed. His soft chuckle follows him upas he stands over me. “You’ll make sure of it, huh? Given your history, that could be ominous.”

“Garry better watch out. I’m not to be messed with,” I tease softly. My head falls back onto my pillow.

I listen as he dresses before he quietly slips out of the bedroom. Anxiety creeps up my spine and keeps me alert as I hear his footsteps head in the direction of the second bedroom.

Time ticks by. The apartment is utterly silent. I strain to hear anything coming from the other room but there’s nothing. It goes on for so long that I start to believe I misheard his footsteps. Did he leave? I suppose he could’ve slipped out and I simplythoughtI heard him go in the opposite direction. The tension in my body begins to lessen. That must’ve been what happened. Light is starting to spill in, letting me know I don’t have long before my alarm goes off. With a heavy sigh, I allow my eyes to close.

Sleep comes swiftly. By the time my alarm does go off, I’m more awake this go around than I was when Grant was here.

I go through my morning routine like a robot. My mind begins to list the things that need to get done today, and then re-prioritizes them in the order of most important to least important. Showered and dressed, I head to the kitchen.

As I reach for my coffee maker, I glance toward the guest bedroom. I see the door is cracked and the light is on. Frowning, I switch directions. I get to the door and push it further open. There, sitting in the middle of the room, is Grant. A binder rests in his lap while two more sit on either side of him. One of the three larger vision boards rests right behind him, and the smaller one, the one specifically for Jason and Trip’s family members, is leaning up against the wall beside the door.

Grant doesn’t look up when I enter but he hears me. His jaw ticks as he flips to the next page. “You’re in so much goddamn trouble, dollface.”

I swallow nervously. “Shouldn’t you have left by now?”

“Yup. Yet here I am.”

“Oh… Well, it would’ve been here when you came back. I?—”

“You what? Have anything else you’re hiding from me?” Grant asks sharply. “Do the others know you have this?”

My jaw clenches tight at his accusation. “I wasn’thidinganything from you, Grant. You just haven’t been around for me to show you what I’ve been up to.” It takes me a second to work the tension from my jaw and shoulders. “And no, you’re the first I’ve shown… Do you not like it?”

My heart slows, listening intensely for his answer.

I don’t know why it matters. Like I told Grant, I don’t really know what I’m doing here. This was just a fun hobby that I may have put a little too much time and effort into.

Grant opens his mouth but shuts it with an audible snap. He looks up then, to peer around the room, his brows furrowing deeply. After a moment, he shakes his head.

“No. Not really.”

My heart sinks a little. Well, I tried. “Then toss it. It’s no skin off my back.”

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