Page 16 of Scoring Grey

“Thanks,” I say as I throw back the vodka, eager to get rid of her so I can find Eloise. One shot is nothing. I’m six feet five inches tall, two hundred and twenty pounds. If she believes a little bit of vodka is all it will take to get me to look her way, that’s her miscalculation. Or so I thought it was until that last shot was one of the last things I remembered before stumbling off into the sauna room… alone with the weight of my ring still heavy on my finger.

I close my book and watch the flames dance in the gas fireplace. I can’t be sure of how much time passed between taking that shot Blair offered me and making my way to the basement where I knew no one could find me, and while my memories feel hazy, I know for a fact I removed her from my lap. Removing her from my lap was a trigger for me. The reality she was on it at all told me I was fucked up since there’s no way in hell I would have ever allowed it to happen. That’s when I left my own party to hide until I felt normal again, but I never returned. I woke up the following day in a locked sauna. I didn’t cheat. I’m sure of it.

I turn to Eloise, and my eyes feel heavy as I watch her peacefully sleep. I let my knuckles gently drag over her cheek. “It was always you, blondie. It will only ever be you. Our fates were decided before we were born. You were made to be mine.”

5

ELOISE

Istretch, and when I do, my hands and feet both meet an end. My eyes snap open, and I realize I fell asleep on the couch. I didn’t eat enough last night. By the time the pizza arrived, I was already three beers deep, which wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t craft beers with higher-than-average alcohol contents. I couldn’t help myself. I can’t recall the last time the three of us were in a room together, and it had me on edge. At some point, the combination of beer and anxiety I felt got the best of me, and I sat on the couch and never got back up.

I push myself up on the sofa and look over the back toward the kitchen. The pizza boxes are still out, but other than that, nothing is amiss, which is a good sign. That must mean Arlo and Cal behaved after I checked out. Tossing the blanket off, I swing my legs over the edge of the couch, only for my feet to crash into a hard stomach.

A loud groan has me covering my mouth and peering over to see my victim. “Oh my God, Cal. Are you okay?”

“Never better,” he says hoarsely as his head turns toward the sound of my voice and he opens his eyes.

“Why are you down there anyway?”

A lazy smile forms on his lips. “Didn’t want to miss the first sleepover with my girl.”

I shake my head, my own smile unavoidable. “This hardly qualifies as a sleepover.”

He leans up onto his forearms. “I was asleep and you were asleep at the same time… in the same room. It definitely qualifies.” Then, sitting up, he adds, “I’ll sleep on the floor every night if it means I get to wake to that smile.”

I bite my lip. I’m not immune to the words coming out of his mouth. A big part of me wants to drag him off to the bedroom right now, but some of the best things are worth waiting for. I clear my throat. “What are your plans today?”

His eyes zero in on mine before his eyebrows rise. “Shit! What time is it?”

I reach for my phone on the coffee table. “It’s only seven a.m.”

He gets to his feet but only after picking up his playbook. “I have a game tonight. I need to get to the stadium.” He starts toward his room but stops before disappearing down the hallway. “Just so we’re clear. I prefer sleepovers with you in my bed.”

I close my eyes and drop my head so he doesn’t witness another earned smile. His antics are wearing me down, and he knows it. The sound of a door opening has me saying, “I get it you want me in your bed, but—” My words die when I look up and see Arlo. I cover my face to hide my mortification.

“I don’t want you in my bed… However, I’ll take breakfast.”

“Ugh…” I groan.

He sits on the couch adjacent to mine. “What was the but?”

“Huh?” I look at him in confusion.

“You said, ‘I get it you want me in your bed, but…’”

I know my cheeks are now red. I didn’t mean to give those words to him, and the admission feels wrong, considering I’m the one saying no. I realize I’m the problem, but since it’s Arlo and not Cal, I give him the words that contradict everything. “I was going to say, but you already know it’s where I want to be. Teasing will not get me there faster. It only makes walking away harder.”

The words have barely finished leaving my lips when Cal reappears, his piercing amber gaze locked on mine. The heat I see in them as he crosses the room straight for me tells me he heard every word. When he reaches me, his eyes soften. I’m waiting for him to give me another one-liner, a taunt I love as much as I hate. I love the smile they put on my face. He always made me smile. I just hate that I feel like I can’t fall and let myself drown the way I want to. It’s not only my heart I have to protect anymore.

The tease never comes. Instead, he pulls a lanyard out of his pocket and hands it to me. “This is your family pass. It will get you and a guest into every game.” He nods toward Arlo. “You can even bring this guy if it means you’ll come.”

I take it, and he heads toward the door.

Turning to Arlo, he adds, “Feel free to stay as long as you need. I have to get to the stadium.” He gives me one last look, drinking me in before closing the door.

“Are you going to go to the game?”

“No,” I say without any further explanation.

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