4. Macy

Chapter 4

Macy

" W hen will you be home? I'm starving." Walter's voice comes through the receiver as soon as I answer his call.

My eyes clash with Grayson's.

"I'm…in New York."

The line goes silent. The only sound is my breath that begins to feel heavy.

"What?"

I amble to the other end of the small room to gain some privacy. "I just needed a break." I sigh.

"Hold on, bro," he says to someone. "Macy, what the fuck are you talking about?" I hear familiar gunshots in the background. He's playing video games as we speak. It's already ten p.m. in Idaho, and he's just now asking where I am? No, he's asking when I'll be back to feed him. I clutch the phone, my knuckles no doubt paperwhite. I'm seconds from chucking the expensive device it into the wall, if only so I have an excuse not to speak to him.

"Order a pizza. I don't know when I'll be back." I hit the red button, ending the call, before I can do anything irrational. Like call off my wedding.

Grayson looks at the clothes I gave him on the bed, slowly picking up the T-shirt and inspecting it. I'm not surprised Walter's clothes made it into the dryer with mine, considering he rarely does his own laundry. "You have a boyfriend."

" Fiancé ," I correct him.

His eyes drop to my left hand, searching for a diamond that isn't there.

"I lost it. My ring," I whisper.

His eyebrows come together while he nods carefully, and then long legs carry him to me. "You're engaged?" His eyes search mine like he's trying to understand. "Why are you here, Macy?" he asks.

"I—" I think back to the beginning of my day.

I woke up to the bed empty, like I do nearly every morning now. I found Walter asleep in the spare room on his gaming chair. His headset was still on, and his controller rested on his lap. I stared at him for far too long.

You should look at your partner and feel… something . A warmth in your belly or a flutter in your chest. At least that's how my characters feel when they're in love. It felt as though the wind was knocked straight out of my lungs.

It was wrong, so incredibly wrong. In the process of writing romance, I couldn't help but dream of my own great love story. And the scene before me certainly wasn't it.

His tired red eyes shot open, startling me. "Did you wake me up with breakfasts or are you just here to nag me about something?"

He only seeks me out when he needs something. And when I need the bare minimum from him, he calls it nagging. Love isn't finding your significant other valuable when it benefits you.

A million thoughts swirled through my mind, but the one I clung to like an anchor was I don't deserve this. So, I left, and I have no idea when I'm going back.

I've decided to let the beating thing in my chest lead me from here on out, rather than my brain. My head is the one who got me into an engagement I feel trapped in, so heart it is. But even now, I still can't seem to end things with him, no matter how unhappy he makes me feel.

But I'm certainly not sharing any of this with Grayson, so I say, "Because my flight got canceled."

"No." He shakes his head. "Why did you leave?"

"That's none of your busine?—"

"Macy, we just spent the night together and you didn't mention once that you were engaged."

I reel back, warmth spreads throughout my face. "What's your point, Grayson? I don't owe you the details of my life just like you don't owe me yours. We're strangers." I laugh without humor. "You act as if we didn't just meet a couple of hours ago," I say, before grabbing my toothbrush and locking myself in the bathroom.

I expect him to be long gone when I come out, but as soon as I open the door, he's right in front of me, like he was standing there about to knock. He clears his throat. "It's almost one in the morning and I'm exhausted."

My teeth ache as I grind them. "Fine. Take the room." I try to walk around him, but he steps to the side, blocking me from passing.

"No, I don't want—" He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I was just asking if I can share the room with you."

I'm about to say no, but he continues.

"And we aren't strangers. You're Macy and I'm Grayson. We might not be friends, but I hope you've realized by now that I have no ill intentions when it comes to you," he says. He gives me a once over before adding, "I'm sorry for prying just now. I won't say another word if that's what you prefer. I just need someplace to sleep tonight."

What can I even say? It was his room to begin with, and there's no way I can walk around looking for a hotel this late into the night. With no real choice, I just nod.