Page 55 of Grumpy Darling

Grayson

So much for a successful start to coaching Paige. I’d hoped that an evening ice skating on the lake would be a good opportunity to flirt with her some more, under the guise of teaching. But the whole thing had been a disaster. We’d flirted, sure, but she’d been surprisingly good at it. So good, in fact, I was still having heart palpitations every time I thought of her stroking my chest. Paige, on the other hand, had shaken it off like it was all just a game. It was clear I was a long way from convincing her to see me as more than a friend—while I was the idiot who was falling deeper still.

That wasn’t even my biggest problem right now though. Somehow, I’d ended up committing myself to much more than just flirting practice. Paige wasn’t only looking to kiss Damien. She wanted the whole nine yards. A first date. Romance. Sparks. Chemistry. A drunken kiss was one thing, and would probably be forgotten in time, but all that other stuff could lead to Paige genuinely falling for Damien. How could I help her, knowing it might result in me losing her forever?

Then she’d nearly been killed by a rogue puck. I’d only just gotten her out the way in time, and I couldn’t stop replaying the moment in my mind. Seeing her come so close to getting seriously injured hit me hard. Just thinking about it made a cold knot form in my gut. It was a painful reminder of just how important she was to me. Of how losing her to someone else wasn’t an option.

On the drive back from the lake, Paige had taken my introspection to mean I was in a mood, and when we got home, she convinced herself I needed cheering up. So, now I was experiencing Paige’s version of a pick-me-up: a facial.

“This isn’t how you cheer a guy up, Paige.”

She blissfully ignored me as she continued pasting my face with a strange concoction of foods she’d blended together. Right now, I was one set of painted nails away from being stuck in the friend zone forever.

“Don’t be silly,” she scoffed. “This is how you cheereveryoneup. And you’ve been in a bad mood all afternoon.”

“I haven’t been in a bad mood.”

“You have. Ever since skating. Not even ice cream perked you up. And you were so quiet at dinner. You barely ate a thing.”

“Mom’s lasagna looked highly suspect.”

“It was great.”

“We already know you have no tastebuds.”

“Perhaps my tastebuds are on vacation. Your stomach, on the other hand, is a bottomless pit that never goes on holiday. You’re always hungry. If you’re not eating, the world must be ending.”

“The world’s not ending. Although, this sludge you’re putting on my face does feel like something that could survive the apocalypse.”

She laughed as she peered up at me. I may not have been enjoying the facial much, but I wasn’t the least bit opposed to how close Paige got to me because of it, or the feel of her fingers spreading the goop across my skin. Maybe I didn’t hate facials as much as I thought.

“Grayson, what the hell is on your face?” Reed asked, grinning broadly as he entered my room.

“Paige, I thought you closed the door!”

“Oops.” She was still smiling and shrugged before turning to Reed. “We’re doing facials.”

“Facials?” He laughed.

“Yeah, want to join us?” Paige offered. “I can do you too?”

I jumped from my seat and quickly steered my brother toward the door. “Reed’s busy.”

“Actually . . .”

My gaze hardened, sending him a warning, but it didn’t have the effect I was hoping for. My brother’s expression only grew more amused.

“What?” he insisted. “That stuff on your face smells pretty nice.”

I shoved him out the door, ignoring his laughter as I shut it firmly behind him.

“It sounded like he wanted to join,” Paige said, clearly struggling not to laugh too.

“Don’t start with me. You better hope Parker doesn’t hear about this, or he’ll be taunting me forever.”

“It’ll be our little secret,” she replied, still smiling.

I let out a huff as I went back to my seat. “So, what happens now?” I’d come this far, I might as well commit to the whole experience.

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