Page 27 of Grumpy Darling

I turned my attention to my locker, so I didn’t have to share my own opinion about Damien.

“I’m going to shower,” I said to no one in particular.

“Take your time,” Parker replied. “I have to talk to Coach before we leave tonight...”

“But—”

He disappeared from the locker room before I could object. Surely Parker could grab a ride home with Reed. I didn’t want to be home late, because I knew Paige would be there.

“Can’t you take him, Reed?”

“I’m not going straight home,” he replied with a shrug. “Guess you’ll have to wait around.”

He was probably going to meet up with Violet. I couldn’t complain though. Reed had worked hard for his truck, picking up shifts with my dad and spending hours in the garage getting it fixed up. His reward was the freedom of having his own transport, while I was forced to share our old family pickup with Parker.

“He better not take too long,” I growled as I made my way to the showers.

Despite my urgency to get back home to Paige, I followed Parker’s advice and took my time. Knowing my brother, he’d finish with Coach Ray in no time at all but then get distracted by something shiny, like an excitable puppy. Who knew how long he’d be. But my knee was aching and the hot water running across my skin was a welcome relief. I’d pushed myself hard in training tonight because I hadn’t wanted Damien to outdo me. I was paying the price for that extra effort now, and it was taking everything in me not to grimace in pain.

When I returned to the locker room, it was quiet; the lights were dimmed and, for a moment, I wondered if everyone had taken off. But then I noticed people huddled around my locker. Reed was there, along with Matt and his younger brother, Owen. Parker had also returned from his meeting with Coach. He was standing on a chair and seemed to be sticking some sort of banner or sign above my locker.

“What’s going on?”

They all turned to me at once, identical looks of guilt plastered across their faces. Parker quickly hopped off the chair and tucked the sign behind his back.

“Well?” I repeated, nodding at the sign. “What’s that?”

“There’s no hiding it now,” Matt muttered.

“Yeah, just tell him,” Owen added.

“Now, Grayson, don’t freak out,” Reed said.

Parker slowly pulled the sign out from behind him and held it out wide for me to see. When I read the hastily written word plastered across it, I stared for a few moments in total confusion.

“Told you he can’t read.” Parker laughed.

“I can read just fine,” I rumbled. “What I don’t understand is why you’re sticking a sign with that word on it above my locker.”

Reed elbowed Parker in the side before stepping forward. His hands were outstretched as he approached, like he was walking toward a ticking time bomb.

“Because, brother, this is an intervention.”

Chapter 7

Grayson

An intervention? My jaw clicked as I stared at the sign in Parker’s hands. An intervention for what?

“Reed...” The displeasure in my voice was clear, but out of all of them, I trusted my twin brother could be straight with me and just explain what was happening.

Instead, he simply gestured toward one of the benches. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

“I don’t want to take a seat. What’s going on?”

They were all still huddled in the corner near my locker and eyeing me with apprehension. I must have been looking about as murderous as I felt. What did they expect? This felt like the start of a breakup conversation.

“Well?” I prompted.

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