Page 58 of (Un)Rivaled

I sighed, putting aside the bowl I was absent-mindedly mixing. “I was thinking about Marta and Curt.” I shook my head. “Gray asked if I wanted to go see them, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“Why?” Calla asked as she reached across the island and stole my whisk. She ran her finger along the side and moaned as she popped it into her mouth. “They both love you, and you’ve always loved them. You were practically their second kid growing up.”

“I used to be,” I insisted. “Who knows how they feel about me now? And with Gray?—”

Calla’s lips curled into a smile at my words, my cheeks filling with a warm blush. Her expression turned almost feline as she leaned in closer. “What with Gray?”

“Something happened with Gray,” I said quickly, getting the words out before I could change my mind. “I, uh, I think I’m falling for him.”Again. But I kept that part to myself.

Calla went quiet for a long moment, long enough that I started to move toward her. But as soon as I took a step, she let out a loud whoop. “I knew it!” Calla said as she smiled gleefully. “I bet Theo fifty bucks you two were going to gettogether, but I didn’t think it’d be this quick! I doubled up, sure he’d make you wait at least a month before giving in.”

“Okay, I don’t know what I hate more: that you’re making bets about my love life, or that you thoughtGraywould be the holdout.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “You know you love me. You just hate that I’m right.”

“I’m not going to admit it,” I said, rubbing my fingers over my forehead. “But things are good between us, Calla. Like really good.”

“How good?”

“Good enough that I’m terrified,” I chuckled, but it held no warmth. “It feels right, being with Gray like this. But what if that’s just because it’s new? Maybe I’m reading too much into it and it’s not the start of anything, just some old feelings coming up.” I swallowed heavily. “What if this is a fling, something to get this tension out of our systems finally? What if it’s just closure?”

“Is that what you want?”

“No.” I wantedeverythingwith Gray, but without a plan for our future, I wasn’t sure how it could even work. Being around Gray was as easy as breathing, but that had never been our issue. What we lacked was timing. Our lives were always passing ships, one having to give up something to be with the other.

“Devyn…” Calla said, her tone more serious than it was minutes ago. “I love you more than I can put into words, but we both know you’re not good at letting people in. And if I know you like I think I do, you’re probably running through every scenario in your mind, finding some way to convince yourself this will never work.” She reached out and took my hand. “But you’re forgetting one thing.”

I swallowed. “What?”

“It’s just—this is Gray, Devyn.” She smiled at me. “YourGray. He’s always been your person, and you’ve finally found your way back to each other. Don’t let the fear win.”

“I wish it was that easy.” I shook my head, remembering how we claimed each other that first night. He’d called me his, and nothing had ever felt so right—like the pieces of my heart were finally sliding back into place. I groaned. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t be talking to you about this. I’d get it if you hated me now. After all, he was yours first.”

Calla rolled her eyes, and her hand fell to her belly. “I think we both knew that’s not true. Gray and I might have dated, but it was never what you two share. It’s taken me years to see it, but now that I have Theo and know what it means to love someone truly, it’s so clear. Gray has always been yours, Devyn, just like you were always meant to be his.”

“Were you scared?” I asked, hating the vulnerability in my words. “When you fell for Theo?”

“Terrified,” Calla chuckled. “Theo was thelastperson I wanted to fall for. God, he’d never even been in a relationship before, and he was so damn grumpy.” She smiled softly and rubbed her hand over her protruding belly. “For a long time, I tried to hold back, sure we would never work out. I’ve never been so happy to be proven wrong.” My sister paused for a moment. “You want my advice?”

“Obviously. That’s why I’m asking.”

“And there’s the smart-ass I know and love,” Calla groaned. “But honestly, Devyn, take it day by day. Enjoy this time with Gray. Stop worrying about what could be and enjoy the fact that you two are together right now.” Her smile faltered for a moment. “We both know how quickly circumstances can change.”

The next day, I sat back in my chair in the dining room, staring at the images taped to the wall. After an hour of staring blankly at them on the table, I thought a change might help, so I decided to emulate some of my favorite TV detectives. But no matter how long I stared at the files, nothing seemed to connect. They were just a bunch of numbers and transactions that made no sense—not without the key to how they all connected.

The closest I’d come to anything about Saint Stephen’s Lake was a shell company’s PO Box with the same zip code, but that was a dead end. There weren’t any business listings, no other addresses, no other financial records. It could have been nothing, but my gut wouldn’t let it go, not until we’d pulled on every single loose thread.

The door opened, and Elsa jumped up at my feet, barking to greet Gray. “Hey, Ace?” he called out. “You home?”

Home.The simple term brought a smile to my face. How was it only a month ago, I was so desperate for Gray to sign the divorce papers and free me from him? Now, the thought made my stomach drop. I hated the idea of severing our marriage, no matter how unconventionally we started.

“In here,” I answered as I stood from my chair.

He walked into the dining room holding out a bag of takeout. Before he looked at all the documents covering his space, he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. It was nothing Earth-shattering, but it still made my heart want to soar. It was the kind of kiss that promised a lifetime of greetings just like this one.

Gray leaned back and brushed a couple of strands of hair away from my face. “You look like you’ve been busy.”

“Wish that was true,” I groaned. “I keep looking over all of this stuff, hoping something magically jumps out at me.”

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