“No.” The word shocked her as much as she could tell it surprised Nick. Acknowledging that Gray had made her believe that they were a team then let her down once more caused the tightness in her throat to return full force. Her stomach roiled and she clutched her phone to it as she dragged in a breath. “He had to…go. It was an emergency,” she added, looking at Lila.
“What kind of emergency?”
Pussy. He needed it really bad. Obviously, since he was horny enough to even kiss me.
“His grandmother,” she said instead, as solemnly as she could manage. Even pissed as hell at him, she would defend Gray with her last breath. He had done things for her that nothing short of murder could erase. Even this confusing past year couldn’t touch the bond that had wrapped them tight all those years ago.
If he wanted to cut loose, break the chain so to speak, he’d need to get out the bolt cutters and cut more of the links than this.
She knew he banged other girls. Hell, she’d heard and seen it back in high school. What was one more? So what if his lips still tasted like her lip gloss when he laid them on someone else?
The ripping slash through her midsection caught her off-guard. She dropped her phone and doubled over, gasping as if someone had punched her square in the gut.
The abrupt metallic scrape of a chair made her look up. It took so much effort to just lift her head and focus on Nick. He was talking to Lila, his voice a dull hum.
“…leave us alone for a few minutes. Granny’s so sick. Hard on the family…”
Holy shit, Nick was defending Gray. She knew he was doing it for her benefit, considering the concerned glances he kept aiming her way.
No wonder, since she hadn’t yet managed to sit up straight again despite Simon and Deak’s comforting touches—Simon’s hand on her shoulder, Deak’s on her other arm. They were offering her their support and silent solidarity without knowing why they needed to.
Hot tears blurred her vision and she lowered her head, wishing for once that she’d just left her hair down and not braided it back out of her face. She had nowhere to hide. Nowhere to go to outrun the torment Gray’s text—and his kiss—had caused.
“I understand family dilemmas and I’m sympathetic, really.” Lila’s voice had gone soft around the edges and the glance she directed at Jazz reflected compassion, not annoyance. Okay, yeah, so there was a little annoyance too. “But Gray has a responsibility to this band and for him to just up and leave in the middle of a meeting without giving a proper explanation proves exactly why I need to take the step I have in mind. Now.”
“What are you saying?” Nick asked, his gaze still centered on Jazz.
Lila gripped her iPad to her chest. “I’m splitting you up.”
CHAPTER NINE
Then
Outside the doorway to the Duffys’ formal dining room, Jazz pressed a hand to her shaky stomach. If her belly knotted any more, she’d throw up for sure. “I’m so nervous.”
Wide hands cupped her shoulders. “Why?” Gray spoke near her ear, his warm breath wafting through her hair and causing goose bumps to pop up on her neck. “We’re your family.”
Though the words helped settle some of the manic fluttering in her stomach, she rolled her eyes. “I’ve lived here a few months. Before then I was a complete stranger. It takes a lot longer than that for someone to become family.”
Not for her with Gray, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. She was already half in love with him and his parents. They made it so easy.
Now there was someone new she had to win over—Gray’s older brother, Brent. She supposed she could use the reminder that nothing was guaranteed, nowhere was safe. There were always new challenges and higher hurdles.
Including smirky-mouthed frat boys who scared the hell out of her even in a photograph.
“Says who?” Gray tugged her back against his chest. She closed her eyes and savored, relieved he couldn’t read her mind. “The best family is what you make when you get to choose. We chose you.”
Her lips curved in spite of the pang between her breasts. How could words that filled her up also tear her down? She didn’t want to cling. Didn’t want to need him or his parents too much. This situation, like all the others in her life, was just temporary.
Wonderful, absolutely, but temporary.
She was being silly. Brent was giving her his room, for God’s sake. He was probably a great guy. He had to be, didn’t he, coming from such an amazing family? The twist in her belly whenever she glimpsed his face in family pictures didn’t mean anything. He just looked so much like Gray that it was disconcerting. They had the same thickly lashed gray eyes, the same dark hair that tended to curl if not cut super short. Matching strong jaws and lush lips. They could’ve practically been identical twins if not for the fact that Gray was growing his hair out past his shoulders and had more definition in his arms and shoulders. He had a guitarist’s upper body whereas Brent had a bit of a beer pooch. Otherwise, they were scarily similar.