My fingers tightened on the delicate stems. “You can’t. You’ll lose your spot on the OML, get set back a class, or kicked out of flight school if you miss too much. You know that. You won’t get North Carolina.” Everything he’d been working for would be thrown away.

His jaw flexed twice, and then he shook his head. “I don’t care. I want to be where you are, and if you can’t believe me, then I’ll have to prove it to you. I’m not leaving you, Sam.”

“What about Grace?” I whispered.

He looked away and back to me. “I don’t know. I’ll tell her about us the next time I see her. I’m being as honest as I can with you, and I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’ve lived without Grace for five years, and I’m thrilled to have her back. She’s my best friend. But I don’t think I could live without you for five days. Hell, it’s been like twenty-four hours and I’m already on my knees here.”

A smile spread across my face. This was Grayson, who’d pulled me out of my self-destruction and stayed with me after he knew my darkest secrets. He had faith in me, wasn’t it only fair that I return it?

“Okay.” I nodded.

“Okay, you’ll trust me? Or okay, I’d like to see you out here every morning?”

I knew it was against the rules, but I leaned up on tiptoes and pressed my lips to his, nearly knocking his cover off his head. “Okay, I’ll believe in us.”

He lifted me off the ground and kissed me with far more tongue than he should have in uniform. I was definitely not complaining. “Get your butt to class, now, Grayson.”

“I’ll see you at home?” There was still something shaky in his voice.

“I’ll be there, I promise.”

He stole another quick kiss with a smile that could have dropped any of the panties on campus, because it was certainly about to drop mine. “Go!” I lightly pushed him, and he backed away grinning before turning to sprint to his truck.

Gods, fate, suffering be damned, I loved that man.

“Hey honey, would you take the potatoes out of the oven for me?” Grayson called from the backyard as he flipped the steaks.

“Sure thing, sugar-lips!” Jagger called back, and Paisley smacked his chest with the back of her hand.

“I think he meant me.” I laughed and opened the oven. Sunday night family dinners were my favorite part of the week. I only wish Ember lived closer so she could be here.

“Hey, don’t ever doubt our bromance, Sam. We’ve come a long way in the last year. He even speaks in multiple-syllable sentences now.” He saluted me with his open beer as I pulled the potatoes out and set them to rest on the stovetop.

“No more grunting, either,” Josh added, offering me a beer.

I shook my head, not wanting to stress out Grayson. We’d been back to our state of normal for a week and a half, and it was glorious. I hadn’t moved into his room yet, but I slept in his bed every night. Our bed.

Other than the random phone calls and texts, which I did my best to maturely swallow, we were just…us. It was this beautiful bubble that I couldn’t help but feel was about to pop. Once a pessimist, always a pessimist.

“I think we’re ready,” Grayson said, putting the steaks on the table to rest. Josh brought over the salad, and I popped the potatoes onto a serving plate. I was midway to the table when Grayson’s phone dinged with another text message. My stomach clenched, but I ignored it. Or at least tried to.

His brow furrowed as he typed back.

“What’s up?” I didn’t really want to know, but I had my best supportive-girlfriend hat on.

“It’s Grace, she was just asking what I’m up to.”

“Do you have a drink?” I asked, skipping right over the part where I daydreamed I took his phone and crushed it into a million tiny pieces.

“Do we have sweet tea?” he asked, not looking up.

“Coming up.” I poured us two glasses and set them at the table.

“Do we what?” Grayson said aloud.

“Hmmm?”

“Grace wants to know if we have two extra seats for Sunday night dinner?”

Everyone’s head snapped to Grayson, and then to the door when the bell rang. No way. No fucking way. Grayson met my eyes with a panicked look, and as my stomach fell to the floor, I felt myself systematically shutting down.

Maybe there were more responses than just flight or fight. Maybe shut-down-and-deny was a viable option. “You’d better get that,” I said.

He nodded and left the room.

I sat on the side next to Grayson’s seat, while Jagger and Paisley took up the side to our left. His hand took mine from where they were playing with the silverware and gave it a soft squeeze. If Jagger wasn’t even being sarcastic, we were headed for a hell of an evening.

“Holy shit, you’re standing!” I heard Grayson exclaim.

“Not for long,” a sweet voice responded.

“Help her out, Gray,” another voice snapped, and my hand gripped Jagger’s.

“Parker?” Paisley asked softly. I nodded, and she sighed. “I suppose I should grab the extinguisher in case you accidentally set her on fire. I’ll also provide the lighter.”

Jagger snorted and kissed her on the cheek.

Grayson’s head popped over the half wall, and everything inside me turned ice cold, froze, and shattered. In his arms, with her dainty hands wrapped around his neck, was Grace. She wore a white sundress, and with her hair twisted and braided up like that, their goofy smiles, and the way he carried her… I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Grayson Masters. Holy shit, I was going to be sick.