Without letting her go, I pull back. Fuck, is she really willing to walk away from here withnothingif I say no?
Are you willing to let her?
Nothing is stopping her from turning around in a day, two days—telling me she wants to leave, and there would be nothing I could do to stop her. Except it seems I don’t really have a choice, not if I wanther.
“Deal.”
Grace slides her arms around my waist, and I shift one hand to the back of her head whilst wrapping the other around her shoulders as she steps into me, leaving no space between us. Her heart beats a fast pace against my chest, though mine is steady for the first time tonight.
Determination flows through me, not unlike the first time we were in the position where a deal was struck. Except, this time, it’s for a completely different reason. I will just have to make her want nothingbutto stay.
Ready to get out of here, I loosen my hold on her before pulling back. “Let’s go,” I say as her arms slip away. I turn for the door, but I only make it one step before the silence behind me has me looking over my shoulder. Grace hesitates, a million thoughts flashing over her beautiful eyes. A deep breath leaves her before she reaches for the bag by her feet, then steps towards me.
My chest loosens, if only a little. I’ll deal with everything else later. All that matters is knowing Grace is safe and coming back with me.
When we enter the hall, I find the guy from before, Ethan, waiting with his back against the opposite wall. I pull us to a stop, glowering at him, but he only rolls his eyes at me before looking to Grace.
“You know where to find me if you need something…” he pauses, his gaze flicking to me. “Good luck, Grace.”
Taking Grace’s hand in mine, I lead her towards the exit. Grace’s limp gets worse the further we go, so when she struggles to keep up, I slow down. “Is it your knee?” I ask.
“It’s just my ankle,” she says, hiding a wince. “It’ll be fine.”
My hand flexes around hers, hating that she’s in pain. “It doesn’t seem okay, Grace,” I say, stopping in the middle of the quiet hallway.
“It’s fine. I just want to get out of here,” Grace says, and even in the dimmed light, I can see the exhaustion weighing her down.
With a sigh, I reach for her backpack. “Let me take this.”
“I’m fi—”
“Grace. Stop saying you’re fine when you’re visibly in pain. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Let me carry it for you,” I say.Let me carry some of your pain.Thisisn’t only about the bag.
Again, she hesitates, searching my face, but after a moment, she swallows and slowly unhooks the straps of her bag from over her shoulders before holding it out for me. I note the bag’s lightness, but the exchange is weighted—like something bigger is happening—an exchange of trust. I don’t know what it means, but it feels right. If a part of her still trusts me after tonight, maybe there’s hope she won’t want to leave me.
When we exit through the back of the building, I spot Mason leaning against his car. His head snaps up as soon as he hears the door, and he immediately steps towards us.
“Grace?” he asks, his voice full of worry, and she stills beside me.
“Mason?” she says in disbelief, letting go of my hand, and I feel the loss of her touch instantly. She takes a small step towards him like she’s not quite sure he’s really there. The hesitation only lasts a second before she practically runs the short distance to him, though it’s more like an awkward jog with her ankle, and my body sways in her direction, not wanting her to get hurt. Grace closes the few metres between Mason and us before wrapping her arms securely around his waist and burying her head in his chest.
Mason takes the brunt of her embrace, placing one hand against her back and the other against her messy braid. The security light illuminates the back alley, enough for me to see her shoulders shaking ever so slightly and Mason’s mouth moving in what I imagine are soothing words. Even though there’s nothing sexual about their exchange, nor the relationship they seem to have built, I can’t help the jealousy eating away at me.
She flinched away from you when you first tried to touch her.
Sure, she’s let me touch her since, but her initial reaction is still imprinted in my mind. She didn’t run into my arms when I entered the office. She wasn’t happy to seeme.
Mason’s eyes shift, looking over Grace’s head, and the glare he throws my way tells me I’m likely going to get a fucking scolding from him later. He still doesn’t know about the deal I made with Grace two weeks ago, let alone what just happened inside.
Even though Grace agreed to stay, something tells me if Mason found out what was going on, everything would be over. He might be quiet and reserved, but I don’t doubt something far more dangerous lays dormant under the man’s docile façade.
Maybe it’s the jealousy of Grace seeking comfort elsewhere, or perhaps I’m just an asshole, but I step towards them, wanting to get the hell out of here. “Let’s go,” I say, and Mason’s glare deepens.
He loosens his hold on her so she can lift her head, but he doesn’t make any moves to let her go as she still holds onto him. “Are you okay?” he asks her. She nods, but a sniffle escapes her. “You scared the crap out of me, Grace.”
“I’m sorry,” she says.
Mason lets out a sigh. “It’s not your fault, Grace,” he says, glancing at me again, letting me know exactly who’s fault he thinks it is. “Are you sure you’re okay?”