“It actually is. I’m off to a tropical island so no complaints here.” She smiled. “Anyway, I have to finish packing. I came out to check on you, but clearly you’re in good hands so …” She blushed at her inadvertent sexual innuendo.
Grey grinned. “Nice to meet you, Ella.”
“Same here, Kingston. Take care of my girl while I’m gone,” she said, pinning him with a warning glare he took seriously.
“I intend to.”
As he knew from his older sister, best girlfriends were not to be underestimated. Neither was the skittish woman who wasn’t taking his intentions seriously.
Chapter Seven
For Avery, the afternoon passed quickly. Grey stuck around, though they didn’t discuss anything serious, just hung out like old times. He told her he liked the bright, cheerful colors she’d chosen for her apartment and he appreciated the large, comfortable furniture. She had big brothers, she reminded him, and had decorated accordingly.
Tyler returned as promised and installed a deadbolt and new lock, necessitating two keys for entry. She refrained from rolling her eyes at him, knowing not only was this his job but he wouldn’t worry about her as much if she let him do his thing. Ella had already left for the airport, so Avery had no chance to observe her brother and her best friend again and figure out the tension she’d noticed earlier.
By the time Tyler finished working and left for the day, it was dinnertime. “What time are we going to your parents’?” she asked.
Grey didn’t answer immediately, and she walked over to where he sat on the sofa. Head bent, notepad in hand, he hummed to himself, jotting things down, lost in thought. Or in his own head.
This was Grey as she remembered from high school. Often she’d find him sitting somewhere, anywhere—the cafeteria, at a desk, outside under a tree. To the outsider, he was daydreaming, but Avery knew he was writing songs in his head, putting words to paper.
She smiled and came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling her face close to his.
“Hey, sugar.”
Her stomach tumbled at the endearment, and she sighed happily. Here, when they were alone, just Avery and Grey, she could pretend the outside world didn’t exist. She could put her problems, their problems, into a little box, shut the lid, and forget for a little while. It was one of the coping strategies her first psychologist had taught her, and it came naturally now.
“Hey yourself. Tyler’s gone. Yelled good-bye. You didn’t even hear him go.”
He winced.
“He didn’t notice,” she said.
“More like he didn’t care, but don’t worry. We’ve come to an understanding.”
And she appreciated the effort they were both making even if Grey’s was more overt than her brother’s. “When do you want to go to your parents’?” she asked again.
“I figured after the day you had, you’d be exhausted and want to stay in tonight.”
She frowned and walked around the sofa, sitting down beside him. “Are you trying to avoid going there?” She knew he’d have to face his mom, and sooner was better than later.
“No, I just thought you wouldn’t want to deal with the paparazzi if we go out.”
She closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath. “I thought we discussed this. I’ll deal with whatever I have to.”
“For now,” he tacked on, repeating her words from earlier. He didn’t seem to like or understand why she’d said them. More like he didn’t want to.
Instead of getting back on that topic, she picked up his cell phone and held it out to him. “Call your mom. Tell her we’re coming over.” She rose to her feet.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“To change and get ready to leave.” She didn’t want to head over to his mom’s in the ratty jean shorts she’d changed into to hang around for the afternoon.
“You’re being bossy.”
“You like me bossy.” She spun and headed for the bedroom.
“I like you,” he called out, his words ringing in her ears.