Chapter 4 - Grayson: She’s here
Ethan, that asshole had told me that she was arriving at noon. I was meant to be out of his house before then. I had no intentions of seeing Jade Masters until the funeral. This was not how I had wanted to start my morning.
I started the coffee machine. There was no way I could get through any of this without caffeine in my system. I would have liked something a little stronger but unfortunately, day drinking was not my thing. I had to be at the shop in the next few hours.
I heard her heels click against the hardwood floors. She was coming here, and I didn’t want her anywhere near me. I was about to get up and make a quick get away from the kitchen but then she rounded the corner and came through the archway.
She stood awkwardly by the entrance, her eyes looking everywhere but me. It figures. She was never able to face her problems head-on. Her eyes then landed on the coffee machine, and she pointed to it.
“Do you mind if I pour myself a mug?”
I shrugged and turned away looking for the cereal.
I would just eat, and I would make my way out of here, I thought to myself. I would be back to help Ethan later with the rest of the funeral preparations.
She moved through the kitchen. Her perfume was strong but not in an overpowering and choking kind of way. It was a scent I had never smelled on her before. She smelled like vanilla. It was a simple scent, but coming off her body, it smelled like heaven.
No. She didn’t smell like anything good. She was the woman who wrecked my life and left me like it was nothing. I needed to remind myself what she had done, so I didn’t go stupid and start thinking with my dick instead of my head.
Jade came up right next to me. It was only then that I got a good glimpse of her in my peripheral. She had changed her hair. It used to be a dark brown that looked black when it was wet. Now it was a lighter shade of brown with highlights in it. She still looked good, but I preferred the way her hair used to be.
I cleared my throat, reminding myself of what an awful person she was and moved away from the fridge. I went to sit down by the island and ate my cereal silently. I tried to keep my eyes off her but, like magnets, they were drawn to her.
I was a man after all, and her body was like any straight male’s wet dream. Her curves had come in, but I could still see that she was fit underneath her new figure. Her ass was still perky and peachy. I felt the thing between my legs twitch.
Dammit. I blamed the morning for this sudden surge of sexual need within me. I hadn’t gotten laid in over two weeks, and I was suffering slowly. I wasn’t the kind of guy who slept around. I liked to keep women at a distance, but I also had my needs and they needed to be met.
Thankfully, I had Astrid for that. I would need to text her before I left here. One thing Astrid was good at was getting me off.
Jade turned around as she stirred her coffee. She had a small sheepish smile on her face as she looked at me. I kept my face neutral. Her smile dropped when she saw that I wasn’t open to any kind of fake friendliness she had to offer me.
“So, how have you been?” This was her way of small talk. I wasn’t interested.
When I remained silent, she cleared her throat and took a sip of her coffee awkwardly.
“How is Sarah? I heard she still has the bakery. I passed it when I was on my way here.”
“Don’t talk about my mother.”
She looked slightly taken aback by my little outburst, but she quickly schooled her features.
“Okay then. How is Lily? Did she end up pursuing ballet like she wanted to?”
“Don’t ask about my family. You have no business asking about them. You don’t belong here, so there is no need for you to know things about those who do.”
“I’m only trying to make conversation with you, Grayson.”
“Does it look like I want to make conversation with you? You are the last person I want in my presence right now, Jade. But, for this week, I will bear it because Ethan needs me right now, and I don’t want him having to worry about you and me being at each other’s necks. So, you stay out of my way, and I will stay out of yours. We don’t have to talk unless necessary, and we don’t have to pretend we like each other. You may be comfortable being fake, but I’m not.”
She gasped. “What is that supposed to mean?”
I never got the chance to answer because Ethan came down the stairs at that very moment.
“Baby sister.” He walked to her with arms spread wide. “How I have missed you.”
She returned his embrace, but I could feel her looking over Ethan’s shoulder at me. I didn’t care. I had said my piece, and I regretted nothing.
“Hey E.” She pulled away with a small smile on her face. “How are you?”