“Thanks for the save,” Griff said when I didn’t. “She doesn’t like attention from fans. You thought quick.”
Creed didn’t look at Griff, but at me, then gave a small nod before standing up. I wanted to thank him too but it felt like more of a lie. He’d just lied to them all and I didn’t like being a part of it. I should come clean, but if I did, then I had to explain why I didn’t tell Griff to begin with. My lies were beginning to compound.
Six
October 27, 2019
Boston Massachusetts
The bed was empty once again when I opened my eyes. Sunlight peeking through the curtains and cold air freezing my nose. I cuddled deeper into the covers and closed my eyes. Last night had started off tense, but after the band took the stage, I enjoyed myself. They were excellent and Griff danced with me.
The only time I had needed a moment to regroup was when Creed sang a song that he’d written that the band was playing. Hearing his much deeper voice sing again brought back emotions that I had thought were long since buried. I had to deal with that. Luckily we left shortly after because Griff said he needed to get in bed. Today he had a full day of studying but he’d promised that maybe we could go to dinner tonight and do some more sight-seeing.
I was in no hurry to get out of the warmth of the bed. I knew Griff and Chet would be deep in their books and that would leave me to converse with Creed. Somehow I felt raw inside where he was concerned. As if a bandage had been ripped off last night and the wound was still underneath. Facing that took more guts than I had. The sooner I got out of this place and headed to Portsmouth, the better. Next time I came to visit I would make sure Creed had moved out.
I heard the rumble of voices from the living room. If they were talking then Creed was in there. The other two wouldn’t speak while they were studying. Griff was determined to make an A in Gross Anatomy. He’d always been an excellent student, making my GPA look weak. I was proud of his intelligence though and didn’t feel like I was competing with him. He was the med student. Not me.
I was hoping the movers would call today with an update. Reaching for my cell phone, I turned the ringer back on and shivered. The warmth of the fire was what got me out of bed and wrapped up warmly in Griff’s fleece robe and my fuzzy socks. The voices had quieted as I reached the door and I waited a moment to make sure things were silent in there before opening the door and letting the warmth of the room embrace me. I sighed and hurried toward the fireplace.
A masculine chuckle made me glance back without thinking because it wasn’t Griff’s. No, he was deep in is reading and hadn’t noticed me sprinting across the room to the fire. It was Creed. He was leaning against the door to the kitchen with a cup of coffee in his hand, looking perfectly tousled. It was unfair that he woke up looking like a coffee commercial. I wanted to roll my eyes but didn’t. I still felt as if I owed him for last night.
I managed a smile and turned back to the fire. My frozen body however was now forgotten. My thoughts were on Creed again, watching him play, hearing him sing, and wondering if he had followed my dad’s career to see if I was pictured. It was a little narcissistic of me to assume that, that would be why he kept up with my dad’s social media. Now I wanted to roll my eyes at myself. God, please let the movers call me today and magically be in Portsmouth.
“You want to make pancakes and bacon with the groceries you bought or should I go out and pickup breakfast?” Creed asked. I glanced back at him again. He was still leaning and looking perfect.
“I can cook,” I told him, not wanting to go into the kitchen with him in there. I did buy the groceries to cook and I doubted they’d do any cooking when I was gone. No need to waste the things I had purchased.
“Want me to do the bacon and you make the pancakes?” he offered.
I started to say I would do both but I didn’t get a chance.
“Definitely let her do the pancakes. She makes them light and fluffy. She can burn bacon like a pro though,” Griff said and I jerked my gaze to him.
He smirked at my scowl. “I didn’t fall in love with your bacon cooking skills, babe.”