Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 100750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)
Grayson nodded.
Reid fiddled with the ring on her finger and contemplated whether it should come off or not. How would she get over this obstacle? She wasn’t sure she could, and she definitely wasn’t sure she could share Grayson with the children of his donor.
She had a lot of soul-searching to do, but so did Grayson.
Over the last fourteen days, coming to the park every day had become a habit. Now that the days were longer, she came after work and watched people interact with their children. She was sure they thought she was some type of stalker and not some woman who enjoyed the chaotic atmosphere. This was something she had to do alone. It gave her a reprieve from Grayson and the situation they were in.
She recalled the conversation about Boston, what Melanie had said, and Grayson. Reid had shut the door on bringing it up until she was ready. Every day and night, she worked scenarios through her mind, switching positions with Grayson, with her being the one with the new heart and experiencing these feelings. Each time, she came back to the same conclusion: she’d want the same thing as him.
Then why was it so hard to accept?
Reid knew why.
Because she was afraid.
Afraid of losing Grayson.
Herself.
What they had become.
What if his heart rejected her?
The thought crippled her. Worse now than before. She was scared she wouldn’t fit in his life anymore, that there would be no space for her.
Was her fear irrational?
No. There wasn’t anything stopping him from pushing her away again.
But would he?
No. Grayson loved her.
When dark clouds rolled overhead, everyone scrambled. Reid walked briskly to the apartment she shared with Grayson, knowing he’d be home. She’d barely made it up the stairs to the entrance of the complex before the sky opened, thunder cracked, and sheets of rain fell as if someone stood above her dumping water from a bucket.
Inside their apartment, Grayson stood at their sliding glass door, looking out, wearing nothing but her favorite pair of gray sweatpants. They had a view. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was theirs, and they enjoyed it.
Reid set her bag down and slipped out of her shoes, padding over to him. She slipped her arms around his waist and pressed open-mouthed kisses to his back. Grayson shivered.
“I’m very happy you’re not soaking wet,” he said as he brought her hand to his lips. After he kissed it, he turned and pulled her into his arms. The scar down the center of his chest rested at eye level. The only time she purposely touched it was during their lovemaking; otherwise she steered clear because his nerve endings were tender and her touch caused an unwelcome sensation to spread.
“I made it inside in the nick of time, which is good because I don’t have my umbrella, and I’d be sad if I ruined my shoes.”
Grayson bent and kissed her. She opened to him and put her arms around his neck, holding him to her. She’d never tire of kissing him, or being with him, and hated that they had this dark cloud looming over them. Regardless, she couldn’t help how she felt.
“How was the park?”
“Enlightening,” she told him as she stepped back and looked at him. She shook her head and sighed. “You and gray sweatpants should be illegal. I guess it’s a good thing you’re inside and not out walking among the masses.”
Grayson winked and adjusted himself, which she rolled her eyes at. Reid went and sat on the couch, patting the cushion next to her. He sat and pulled her legs over his.
“What’s on your mind?”
“How’d you know something was on my mind?”
“I know you, Reid,” he said as he pushed hair behind her ear. “I can almost see the wheels turning in your head. What’s up? You can say whatever it is you need to say. I can take it.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he held his hand up. She cocked her eyebrow at him.
“I can take anything you have to say, unless you’re telling me it’s over—then I refuse to listen.”
Reid batted his hand away. “It’s not over, but I do have something to say,” she told him. “I know it’s been two weeks since I told you I needed some space away from the situation. Every day I’ve thought about us, the past year, the past month. How you’ve expressed your feelings on the matter, how I have. I can never tell you I know what you’re going through or how you feel, because I don’t.”
“Knock on wood.” Grayson leaned over as far as he could and rapped his knuckles on the side table.
“Right, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel, or I’m not affected by all of this. It took me two weeks to figure out what it is I’m feeling. Needless to say, I’m ashamed and have honestly never felt this way before.”