Page 40 of Lilies in Autumn

“Nope, no. Not up for discussion.” His hand grabs my shoulder and steers me toward the parking lot. “Do you realize that Grey’s default personality is overbearing asshole? It’s not just you; he’s like this with everyone.”

Lincoln looks over at me, seemingly contemplating if he should offer further explanation. His face scrunches, and he looks slightly constipated trying to get his thoughts in order. “Listen, I won’t gossip like a little bitch behind his back, but… Grey is complicated. He’s a good guy, but he likes to be in control at all times. Don’t make this harder on us, just fucking comply and let me take you to your dorm so that I can keep my balls this week.”

I look Lincoln over as we stop in front of an expensive cherry-red car. “Nice car,” I comment.

He runs his hand over it like he’s making love to his car. “Thank you. She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

Honestly? It feels a little weird and like I’m intruding on a private moment. “Yes, very pretty.”

He offers the car another lingering look before turning to me with a frown. “Get in the damn car before I have to call Grey and tell him you’re making shit difficult.”

“Fine, but I’m not happy about this.” I pause, looking at him over the hood of his car. “And your obvious obsession with your car is weird.”

Greyson

My blood is pounding in my ears, drowning out all sound as I sit through my business ethics class. It’s one of my most challenging classes this semester, but I couldn’t give two shits about what Professor Rawlins is saying because Ava’s tears and disappointment play on my mind like a video loop. Seeing her so disgusted with herself because of the decision I made to bring her into that abandoned room makes me want to smash skulls.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, letting me know a text just came through. I grab my phone as discreetly as I can, not trying to completely piss off this professor, and see Linc’s name flash across my screen.

Linc: Just dropped Ava off at her dorm. She wanted to kill me and insulted my car. You fucking owe me.

Lincoln and his fucking car, it’s like he was pussy whipped by metal.

Grey: Thanks bro

I originally planned to call Ava as soon as I left this class, but based on Linc’s brief overview of their encounter, I’m going to need to calm her sass down. I don’t doubt that I need to wait until I’m back home, alone in my room, before I call her and coax her into relaxing.

Rawlins dismisses the class, but before I stand up from my seat in the back of the lecture hall, he calls, “Greyson Jansen, can I see you for a moment?” I make my way to his podium at the front of the room, waiting for him to look up from the stack of papers in front of him.

“You asked to see me, sir?” His eyes lift to mine and his lips thin, as though I’m disturbing him.

“Yes.” He clears his throat. “You seemed distracted, son. This is an important class for you; don’t make a habit of checking your phone during my lecture.”

Fuck. “Yes, sorry, sir.” I don’t offer excuses because he doesn’t want to hear them. I fucked up and made it obvious I wasn’t paying attention to him, not that I regret checking in with Linc.

“Good.” He nods his head, as though the conversation is settled. “Now, tell your father to talk to his former GM. I’m expecting big things from the Rockies this year, and they can’t seem to get their heads out of their asses.” My shoulders tense. It always goes back to my family, every single fucking time. If it’s not my dad and his baseball career, it’s my grandfather’s company or my uncle’s Oscars. I may have grown up amongst wealth and fame, but my dad never allowed me to act like a spoiled little bitch. And after everything that went down between him and his former GM, Dane Slater, he’d probably rather lose his left nut than associate with him.

“My dad stays on the reporting sidelines now, sir. He doesn’t get involved with the teams.” My eyes narrow on Rawlins. “Integrity and concise reporting mean something to him, you know?” I can’t help but add.

Instead of tensing or bristling as I expect, he just laughs, a full, booming sound that makes it seem like I said something funny. “Mr. Jansen, there’s no such thing as integrity. It’s all about who you know and how much you’re willing to do to get ahead.” Still chuckling to himself, he makes his way to the front of the room, walking out without sparing me a backward glance. Fucking tool.

Exiting the room moments after Rawlins, I make quick work of getting to my Jeep. I could call Ava now, but between Linc’s description of her mood and the sour taste in my mouth from Rawlins, I know I need to calm down. I grab my phone, dialing the one person I know that will help me put shit into perspective.

“Grey, I was just thinking about you,” my dad’s voice fills the car, flowing through the Bluetooth connection. I lean back into my seat, breathing easier already.

“Hey, Dad.” Since my mom left, it’s just been my dad and me. I’m close to my paternal grandparents, uncle, and cousins, but it’s nothing like the support from my dad. Despite my dad’s age and his divorce, he hasn’t been with anyone seriously since my mom’s bullshit went down. Even with all the therapy he put us through and my urging him to stop being a pussy and date, he refuses to tie himself down to anyone. I don’t blame him; he’s been through some shit. My parents were in high school when they found out they were pregnant with me. Before she left, my mom let me know every chance she got that she wanted to abort me but that my dad wouldn’t let her. Even as a seventeen-year-old kid, my dad protected me. My grandparents stepped in, making sure that I had everything I’d ever need, and helped take care of me while my dad was in college.

Statistically, teen parents struggle and scrape by. My dad became a professional baseball player by twenty-two, carrying along a five-year-old kid and a coke addict of a wife the entire way. The day my mom left, on my eighth birthday, was the best day of my fucking life, though I didn’t know it at the time. As a kid, I was desperate for her love; as an adult, with years of therapy embedded under my skin, I’m grateful she left and never came back.

“How was your first day of class? How are the guys doing?” My hand clenches around the steering wheel at the reminder of Rawlins.

“It’s all good,” I respond. I’m not the kind of rich prick that runs to my dad, complaining about trivial shit in the hopes he’ll fix it. “Listen, I called you because I need your advice.” I’m also not the kind of moron that won’t ask for help or advice if it means that Ava’s naked body will remain viewable to my eyes only. I’m a possessive asshole, and there’s no way in hell I’m letting her body be the image guys jerk off to. The text claimed that they’d leave her alone if she left me alone, but that’s not fucking happening.

“Of course, what do you need?”

I take a deep breath, knowing my dad will have sound advice but also give me shit for putting myself and Ava into this situation. “I met someone. Her name is Ava.” I work my jaw, bringing her pretty face to the front of my mind. “She’s…fuck, Dad, she’s pretty amazing.”

“That’s great, Grey. When did you meet her?”

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