Page 37 of (Un)Rivaled

“Fine,” Tomas said, annoyance tinting his tone. We’d had this fight when I first told him I was going back home to try to find more answers. He thought Gray might have some powerful connections we could exploit, especially considering so many of David’s friends had ownership stock in Major League teams. But just like Calla, Gray was my line in the sand.

I shook my head, not in the mood to get into it again. “I’ve gotta go. Let me know if your lead gives up anything useful.”

“Same to you,” Tomas muttered, hanging up the phone just as Gray turned to me through the window. He smiled at me, waving a gloved hand in greeting. Just the sight of him was enough to soothe my unease. I tried to ignore the feeling, the pull I felt toward him, even though it had been years since we had been close. But every day I spent in his home, I felt the walls crumbling around me.

I glanced at the bottom of the couch, knowing I needed to keep my distance. Despite his kindness in opening his home to me, I still didn’t fully trust Gray, and I definitely didn’t trust myself around him. He knew me too well, knew all the ways to get me to forgive him.

And while it was tempting, I couldn’t go there, not while so many other questions lingered in my head, not while I was working on taking down David. There were too many risks, and I didn’t want any of this to blow back on Gray.

No matter what has happened in the past, one thing would always be true. I would never let any harm come to Gray. Not if I could prevent it.

EIGHTEEN

From the moment the front door opened, I knew something was off with Devyn. By now, I was used to her mask and could tell when she locked it into place, but this was different. Devyn stood in the hallway, blocking my view of the rest of the house. She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed her face into a familiar scowl. However, her eyes were wild, almost like an animal caught in a trap.

Before I could ask what was wrong, Elsa rushed into the house. She immediately bounded toward Devyn, jumping up into her arms. I expected Devyn to freak out and yell at the dog to get down, but instead, I was met with the most melodious giggle, a sound I wanted to bottle and replay for the rest of my days. Devyn beamed down at Elsa, engulfing her in a tight hug. Despite the snow and mud being dragged all over her, Devyn kept petting her, even following her to the floor when Elsa laid on her back for belly scratches.

“You are way too cute,” Devyn said, her voice several octaves higher than usual. “It’s making me forgive you for all the fur you left over on the couch. Yes, it does.”

Elsa just nuzzled in closer, batting Devyn’s hand withher paw to get her to keep rubbing her belly. The sight melted me, but it also made me a little jealous. When was the last time Devyn touched me that freely? Jesus. I scrubbed my hand down my face. I was getting jealous of my fucking dog. I really needed to get it together.

But as soon as Devyn met my gaze, the walls slammed back into place, and all the warmth in her eyes melted away. She looked off to the other side of the room before speaking. “Gray…what are you doing here?”

I threw my thumb over my shoulder, pointing toward my truck outside. “We’re supposed to get nasty weather over the weekend. Thought you might need some supplies.”

Devyn stood, brushing off the pieces of snow Elsa had left behind. As she ran her hands along her shirt, I took the chance to study her. She wore a matching tan sweatsuit, her hair in a messy bun, more casual than I’d seen her in years. It was simple, a glimpse into her everyday life, but it made me hard as a fucking rock.

However, the next thought killed all my arousal, and made my stomach knot.This was what it would be like if I’d done things right, if I was coming home to her for real.It was almost a punishment, getting these brief glimpses of a life with Devyn. When we were younger, we’d never had this, not while we were both living under our parents’ roofs. But now that we were adults, I realized how much I’d missed, how much I wanted to know all of her, wanted to experience different pieces of our lives together.

“Oh…” Devyn sighed, a rosy color filling her cheeks. “You didn’t have to do that. I could have figured something out.”

“I know,” I shrugged, walking into the kitchen. From the looks of things, Devyn had barely used any of it. Not surprised. Even when my mom offered her cookinglessons years ago, Devyn refused. Opening the cabinet, I chuckled when I saw the rows of instant soup and other quick meals.

I held up the box of macaroni. “You know this isn’t a real meal, right?”

Devyn rolled her eyes and swiped the box from my hand. “It works. It’s quick, easy, and I don’t have to think much about it.”

A crude comment sat on the tip of my tongue, desperate to break out. But considering Devyn was still warming up to me, I wasn’t about to tempt her into kicking me out of my own house.

I shook my head, already forgetting this was my home. Something about Devyn fit here in a way I didn’t, at least not alone. The rooms were too cold, the mountain too quiet. But with her smile and her quiet admonishments of me to my dog, it felt more like home than it ever had before.

She dug into the bags, pulling out the vegetables and fresh fruit. She wrinkled her nose when the kale and spinach came out, and I already knew they were going to get hidden in the back of the fridge. I nodded toward her, unable to resist a little teasing. “I’ve got a good juicer under the counter if you want to use it.” I made a crush motion with my hands. “That kale blends down really nicely with the fruit.”

Devyn’s face blanched, and I took it to mean something hadn’t changed over the years. She shook it off, frowning as she looked down at the produce in her hands again. “I can’t believe you still drink that green stuff.”

“It’s good for you,” I said. “Gives you all the vitamins you need.”

“I’d rather live without them,” Devyn drawled. She turned back toward the counter, and her whole face lit up when she saw what was waiting for her at the bottom. Herwide brown eyes lit up as she pulled the container out of the bag. “You didn’t!”

Smug satisfaction washed over me as I watched her open the Lost Tavern container and gasp at the sight of the blue cheese burger and sweet potato fries waiting for her. She was practically dancing as she grabbed a fry. “This is the best surprise ever. So much better than the kale.”

“I think you meanthank you,Gray.”

“Thank you,Grayson.”

I smiled, leaning forward to tap her on the nose. “You’re welcome, Ace.”

That move must have felt too familiar, because Devyn backed away, clutching the container in her hand like I would take it from her. She walked around the counter, sitting on the other side of the island, still watching me warily—like she needed the piece of marble between us to feel safe.

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