Page 77 of Grumpy Darling

The only problem was, that felt like the opposite of what I wanted.

Chapter 19

Paige

Despite my best intentions, ignoring unwanted feelings was far easier said than done. Instead, they were all I could seem to think about, and I was a mess as I tried to get ready for school. Parker laughed at me when I arrived at breakfast with my shirt inside out. Reed had to gently reminded me to pour cereal into my bowl and not my cup. And when Grayson finally arrived in the kitchen, I got up from my chair so quickly I sent a glass of orange juice flying.

I swore under my breath as he rushed to help me. What was it with me and spilling drinks?

“It’s okay, I can clean up,” I insisted, but Grayson was already kneeling at my side, helping to wipe up the spilled juice.

“It’s no problem,” he murmured.

I hazarded a look into his eyes. He was watching me, concern clearly etched into his features. Could he tell what was going on in my head? That he was all I could think about? That I was dreaming about him, longing for him. Or did he just think I was freaking out because we’d spent the entire night in the same bed? He hadn’t seen me leave his room this morning, so maybe he didn’t know I’d been there as long as I had.

I quickly returned my attention back to the mess I’d made. The moment the floor was clean, I jumped back up, hitting my head on the table in the process. I groaned, rubbing the sore spot as I stood.

“What’s up with you this morning?” Parker asked.

“Uhhh...” I frantically searched for an acceptable answer.

“She’s probably just exhausted because the storm kept her up, like the rest of us.” Grayson answered for me, and I happily jumped on the excuse.

“Yeah, the storm. I couldn’t sleep.” I did my best to avoid looking at Gray, so I wouldn’t rouse any kind of suspicion. We’d get in so much trouble if anyone found out I’d slept in his room, and I was sure his brothers would never let us hear the end of it. I also didn’t need the added scrutiny. Things were pretty confusing in Paigeville right now, and I feared it wouldn’t take much for someone to catch on.

Thankfully, the boys seemed to remain oblivious, and Reed stared blankly in reply. “There was a storm?”

“Not surprised you didn’t hear it,” Parker muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That you sleep like the dead,” Grayson replied.

“Even the dead heard that storm,” Parker added.

“Whatever.” Reed shrugged and turned to leave. “I’m going to jump in the shower.”

Parker was right behind him, and he gave me a devious grin over his shoulder. “Five bucks says I can steal the bathroom before he gets there.”

“Uh, sure.” I wasn’t even certain what I’d just agreed to.

Parker nodded and shot off like a rocket. I could hear him and Reed fighting as they tried to get up the stairs.

Gray’s eyes danced with amusement as he listened to them. He seemed in a good mood this morning, especially for him, and there wasn’t a hint of the awkwardness or embarrassment I was experiencing. I guessed that meant there wasn’t a hint of the feelings I was having either. Still, just as it had last night, his calmness had a relaxing effect on me.

I smiled at him. “Does Reed really sleep that deeply?”

“He does. Mom thinks it’s because we shared a room when we were little. Apparently, I liked to cry all night and Reed had to sleep through my screams.”

“That makes sense,” I said. “Though I can’t really picture you as a baby. I’m not convinced you ever were one.”

“That’s because I actually arrived in this world six-foot-four and scowling.”

I laughed and his lips looked tempted to smile in return. I loved it when Gray was so close to cracking. When he was on the very edge of sharing his fleeting smile. I realized I was staring at him again with dreamy eyes, so I quickly moved to clean my dishes. I needed some sense knocked into me. Perhaps when I got to school, I could convince Bonnie to set me straight.

“About last night...” Grayson murmured as he joined me by the sink.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” My stomach churned at the memory. “But thank you for being there for me. Bet you’ll be glad once I get home.”

---