items—one of which was the small remote control to her mom’s stereo—and then used the hose to vacuum the corners. When she moved to the second cushion, she froze, staring down at old, faded receipts, a dollar-fifty in change…
… And a Starbucks sleeve with Derrick’s number scrawled across it.
She picked it up and stared at it for a long moment. She’d completely forgotten about shoving it in the cushions the day after she arrived in town. Why had she kept it? She wasn’t going to call. Before she talked herself out of it, she tossed it into the trash can and returned to her cleaning.
But, she didn’t even make it halfway through dusting the living room. It was like the damn coffee sleeve was calling her name. Sighing, she put down her rag and can of aerosol wood cleaner.
Don’t do it.
Grayson took a deep breath, walked back over to the trash, and grabbed the sleeve out of it. Obviously, self-control was not one of her strong suits.
She had a feeling she was going to regret it, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Flopping down on the couch, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. Before she could change her mind, she quickly dialed his number. It rang three times, and she was about to hang up when his clear voice came across the line.
“Hello?”
Say something, you idiot.
“Umm, hey. It’s Grayson.”
She was met with silence. Did he really not remember her?
“Umm, you know, Ethan’s sister?” she went on, cringing at how upset she sounded. He was a complete stranger, she told herself, of course he didn’t remember her.
“I know who you are.” There was nothing in his voice to show her he was happy to hear from her. If anything, he sounded gruff and distracted.
Horrified, Grayson spoke in a rush. “I shouldn’t have called. Sorry.” She hung up the phone before the entire word “sorry” even came out of her mouth.
I’m such an idiot, Grayson thought to herself, jumping when she heard her phone ring.
It rang within seconds of her hanging up on Derrick.
“Why did you hang up on me?” Derrick asked, amusement lacing his tone.
“You didn’t seem like you wanted to talk.”
There was a slight edge to his voice when he spoke again. “Did you have fun the other night?”
“Probably as much fun as you had.”
“I kinda doubt that; I went home alone and you, well, you kinda did the opposite.”
“I’m sure your girlfriend was disappointed.”
“She’s not my girlfriend; I thought I told you that.”
“Oh. Well, you might want to tell her that then.” Had she really misread the situation?
“Why did you call me?”
“I don’t know. Well, I do, but it’s stupid. You’ll probably laugh at me.”
“Try me.”
“I don’t really know how to explain it.” She paused, gathering her nerve and blew out a breath. “What you saw the other night—that’s not me, but I feel like it’s becoming me. And I don’t like it, or maybe I like it too much. I’m not sure which.”
“What do you mean?” She could hear the curiosity in his voice.
Her stomach twisted as she continued. Her mind was rapidly trying to sort through her thoughts to get the right words out. “I moved here, because I was getting out of a bad relationship, and now well, I’m…turning into my sister.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“Well, that’s where the crazy part comes in.” She took a deep breath and then the words that had been playing over and over in her head tumbled from her lips. “I’m obviously attracted to you, and I was hoping it might be mutual so, I was thinking we could maybe have sex. And if it was good, we could continue, and I wouldn’t end up leaving with strange men I met at bars. If it wasn’t—enjoyable I mean, maybe we could just be friends?”
Had she really just said that out loud? Her pulse raced while she waited for his response.
The line went silent for a moment, and then Derrick said, “Okay.”
CHAPTER 16
Excitement raised goose bumps
… And a Starbucks sleeve with Derrick’s number scrawled across it.
She picked it up and stared at it for a long moment. She’d completely forgotten about shoving it in the cushions the day after she arrived in town. Why had she kept it? She wasn’t going to call. Before she talked herself out of it, she tossed it into the trash can and returned to her cleaning.
But, she didn’t even make it halfway through dusting the living room. It was like the damn coffee sleeve was calling her name. Sighing, she put down her rag and can of aerosol wood cleaner.
Don’t do it.
Grayson took a deep breath, walked back over to the trash, and grabbed the sleeve out of it. Obviously, self-control was not one of her strong suits.
She had a feeling she was going to regret it, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. Flopping down on the couch, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. Before she could change her mind, she quickly dialed his number. It rang three times, and she was about to hang up when his clear voice came across the line.
“Hello?”
Say something, you idiot.
“Umm, hey. It’s Grayson.”
She was met with silence. Did he really not remember her?
“Umm, you know, Ethan’s sister?” she went on, cringing at how upset she sounded. He was a complete stranger, she told herself, of course he didn’t remember her.
“I know who you are.” There was nothing in his voice to show her he was happy to hear from her. If anything, he sounded gruff and distracted.
Horrified, Grayson spoke in a rush. “I shouldn’t have called. Sorry.” She hung up the phone before the entire word “sorry” even came out of her mouth.
I’m such an idiot, Grayson thought to herself, jumping when she heard her phone ring.
It rang within seconds of her hanging up on Derrick.
“Why did you hang up on me?” Derrick asked, amusement lacing his tone.
“You didn’t seem like you wanted to talk.”
There was a slight edge to his voice when he spoke again. “Did you have fun the other night?”
“Probably as much fun as you had.”
“I kinda doubt that; I went home alone and you, well, you kinda did the opposite.”
“I’m sure your girlfriend was disappointed.”
“She’s not my girlfriend; I thought I told you that.”
“Oh. Well, you might want to tell her that then.” Had she really misread the situation?
“Why did you call me?”
“I don’t know. Well, I do, but it’s stupid. You’ll probably laugh at me.”
“Try me.”
“I don’t really know how to explain it.” She paused, gathering her nerve and blew out a breath. “What you saw the other night—that’s not me, but I feel like it’s becoming me. And I don’t like it, or maybe I like it too much. I’m not sure which.”
“What do you mean?” She could hear the curiosity in his voice.
Her stomach twisted as she continued. Her mind was rapidly trying to sort through her thoughts to get the right words out. “I moved here, because I was getting out of a bad relationship, and now well, I’m…turning into my sister.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“Well, that’s where the crazy part comes in.” She took a deep breath and then the words that had been playing over and over in her head tumbled from her lips. “I’m obviously attracted to you, and I was hoping it might be mutual so, I was thinking we could maybe have sex. And if it was good, we could continue, and I wouldn’t end up leaving with strange men I met at bars. If it wasn’t—enjoyable I mean, maybe we could just be friends?”
Had she really just said that out loud? Her pulse raced while she waited for his response.
The line went silent for a moment, and then Derrick said, “Okay.”
CHAPTER 16
Excitement raised goose bumps
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