Chapter 8

chapter eight

Grant

"What? Y-you… can't mean that," Addie says with wide eyes.

We're standing in a fucking thunderstorm, soaked to the bone, and yet I can't stop staring at the girl in front of me. I can't stop thinking about how fucking cute she is wearing these little lace socks that ruffle around her ankles or how her lips are the same color as the strawberries on her skirt. She's ArtGirl. And it's surreal that she's here… after all this time, and more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

A fucking vision, and as wild as it seems, I'm one hundred percent serious about my proposal.

"I don't say anything that I don't mean, Addie. Over my dead fucking body would I let you marry that asshole." My voice shakes slightly, my anger returning at the thought of him ever putting his hands on her again.

Her cute-as-fuck button nose wrinkles along with her brow as she soaks in what I'm saying.

"The will says you have to be married, not that you have to marry him , right?" When she nods, I nod along with her. "Then marry me."

"You're crazy ," she breathes quietly. "Completely out of your mind."

"Yeah, probably so. But I'm serious. Marry me , Addie."

I don't think my heart has ever beat so fast in my damn life. She's right—I'm probably out of my mind, asking her to marry me. A girl I only know online, yet… I feel like I know her better than anyone. I knew her heart before I knew her face.

And there's no goddamn way I'm letting her tie herself to that piece of shit. No way.

Seeing him threaten her and put his hands on her made me see a violent shade of red-hot anger like I've never experienced in my life. I wanted to put my fist through his face, and I probably would have had I not heard her whimper from behind me. I didn't want to traumatize her further.

"But Grant… we haven't even spoken in almost a year," she starts, but I shake my head, stopping her.

"So? That asshole's any better? At least we know each other, Addie. Really know each other. I think you knew me better than anyone in my life. You knew the real me when it felt like no one else did. Not a single person. Do you realize what that meant to me?"

She shakes her head, pulling away again as she pushes her hair out of her eyes. The rain seems to be falling harder, and we probably look like two idiots standing in the middle of a storm having this conversation, but ask me if I give a single shit. "Do you even understand what you're offering to do? Why would you want to do that… for anyone , let alone me? You saw how Dixon was… my stepfather is even worse. I don't want you getting into this mess. I can't do that to you. I won't. We're talking actual marriage , Grant."

"We were there for each other last year… let me help you and be there for you now too. I wouldn't offer if I wasn't willing to do it." I duck my head to look her straight in the eyes so she sees I'm serious. Rain begins to fall harder around us, and as I reach for her hand to keep her close, I feel her trembling beneath my touch. I can already tell she's getting ready to deny my offer again, so I add, "Besides, it could be beneficial for us both."

"What do you mean?" she asks with a serious expression.

"You need someone to marry to save the bakery who isn't that prick… and I need help cleaning up my image a bit. I'm on the cusp of signing a huge sponsorship with a national athletic wear company. They're nervous that I'm viewed by the public as a careless playboy, and settling down could clear up that problem. Show them I'm not a risk to their brand. That I'm not this party guy that I've been perceived to be, and even if I was, those days are over. We could do this, Addie. Do it for both of us."

For a moment, she stares up at me silently, chewing on her lip. I can practically see the wheels turning in her head.

"This is…" She blinks, a look of hesitation and confusion evident on her face.

"Genius, maybe. The answer to both of our problems." I pause, taking her in for a moment. Water sticks to her thick, dark eyelashes, her blonde hair drenched and sticking to her face. She's shivering, either from the rain or the shock about everything that happened tonight. Either way, I don't think this is the place for this conversation.

"Look, we're kinda standing in the middle of a hurricane right now. If you're comfortable with it, let's go back to my apartment and talk about it further? Get out of the rain?"

Her eyes are as stormy as the one we're standing in, questions flickering within the depths. "Okay. Yeah," she whispers finally, and I nod, taking her hand in mine and leading her toward my truck and out of the rain.

Thank fuck I was so nervous about meeting her tonight that I anxious-cleaned the shit out of my apartment just to keep my mind busy. It was a wreck, and though I truly had no intention of bringing her back here tonight, I'm thankful for the first time in my life that I clean when I'm stressed.

She's hesitantly standing by the front door, shivering with her arms wrapped around her torso, when I walk back into the living room with a fresh towel and some clothes in my hands.

"I brought you an old hoodie and a pair of sweats for you to put on too. I'm sure they'll be way too big, but at least you can get out of your wet clothes."

"Ye-s-s, please. I'm f-freezing," she says between chattering teeth as she takes the clothes and then wraps the towel around herself like a blanket.

Pointing toward the door at the end of the hallway, I say, "Bathroom's right there. I'm gonna change too, but if you need anything, let me know, okay?"

She nods. "Thank you."

When she disappears into the bathroom, I head to my bedroom and grab a towel to dry off before I throw on a pair of clean gym shorts and a hoodie. When I walk back out into the living room, I find her sitting on the couch with her legs pulled up to her chest.

Of course, my clothes swallow her tiny frame, but something strangely primal flares in my chest at the sight of her wearing them.

Fuck, I can't even believe ArtGirl… Addie is in my apartment right now.

I feel like I've been trying to convince myself that she's actually real all night and that I'm not caught in a fever dream.

"Better?" I ask as I sink down on the cushion next to her.

"Yes. Much." She nods her head, giving me a small but genuine smile before her dainty features turn more serious again. "Grant… I'm so, so sorry about tonight. About Dixon showing up. That you had to even be involved in that. Honestly, I'm just completely mortified, and I can't stop thinking about it," she says quietly, her eyes holding mine intently. I can see the shame in her expression, and I hate that she's feeling embarrassed over that fuckwad's behavior. I rein in the sudden urge I have to pull her into my arms to comfort her.

"Hey, don't apologize for him. You have nothing to be sorry for, Addie. He's the one who acted like a dick, not you. You have absolutely nothing to feel embarrassed about," I reply lightly.

The crease in her brow deepens as her eyes flicker with emotion. "I know. It just… that was so crazy, and he's never done anything like that before. I mean, we've never really been alone, though, without our parents. I knew he was kind of a jerk, but nothing like this . Not until tonight… I guess I saw what's been hiding in plain view all this time."

As she speaks, my gaze travels along the delicate slope of her nose, which is scattered with faint freckles, then to her cheeks, which seem to finally have some color back in them now that she's warm. Thick, dark lashes frame her pale blue eyes, and her pouty pink lips are pulled downward into a frown. A frown that for some reason I would give anything to erase.

I probably shouldn't be staring at her, drinking every inch of her in, but I can't stop myself. I've waited so long for this moment, to see her face-to-face, and now that she's here… I'm memorizing everything about her, committing it directly to memory. That way, I'll never forget.

"You should never be alone with him. Never. No man who puts his hands on a woman is worth a fuck. He's dangerous, Addie. He could really hurt you."

She sighs raggedly, her entire body deflating. "I know. I don't want to. Trust me, I wish that I wasn't in this… mess with him to begin with. He gives me the creeps."

Reaching out, I grasp her chin between my fingers gently, turning her gaze to me. Her eyes widen, and I watch as her throat bobs. "You don't have to be around him ever again if you don't want to, Addie. I meant what I said?—"

"About marrying me," she interrupts, and I nod.

"Yeah, about us getting married. I meant what I said, and I know it probably seems rash. Which is why I think we should both sleep on it. Talk about it more tomorrow when we've had a chance to think about things with a clear head?"

"Yeah, it was just a lot at once. I should probably go." Pushing off the cushions, she stands like she's going to leave, and before I can stop myself, I reach out and gently grasp her hand.

"Wait. Addie, I didn't mean you had to leave. Will you stay for a bit? So we can just… talk? Not about anything that happened tonight but just like we used to? It'll give you a chance to warm up."

I'm hoping like hell she says yes because I'm selfish, and I want just a little longer with her. As long as she'll give me. But I also understand that tonight had to have been hard on her.

A beat passes, and she finally nods, sinking down onto the couch and leaning back against the arm before pulling her knees up to her chest. The black hoodie she's wearing is so big that it covers her entire body, and I can't help but grin.

"What's funny?" she asks.

My shoulder dips slightly. "Just never thought I'd see you in a baseball hoodie. You know, since you're so anti-sports ."

"That is not true." She blanches. "At all."

"Bullshit."

When her jaw falls open, I smirk. "I distinctly remember your hatred for all things sports related. Don't you remember how we met?"

"Of course I do, but that was simply because I felt passionately that the athletic department gets favoritism over the arts, and I was just saying that we should all be equals. That's all." The determined expression on her face is fucking adorable.

"Mhmm," I hum cheekily. "Always the activist. I see some things never change."

Like me teasing her every chance I get. Except now… it's face-to-face, and I can enjoy the adorable flush of her cheeks that she's trying to hide. The tilt of her lips as she tries to restrain her smile, but the twinkle of her eyes gives her away.

I could never see that through a screen. And fuck, I love it.

Those pale blue eyes roll as she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth before releasing it. "Does that mean you're still delusional?"

My head drops back as the laugh bubbles from my throat. "Yeah, ArtGirl. I guess so. Tell me what I've been missing for the last nine months."

And just like that… we fall right back into the way things used to be, as if we never missed a beat. We both realized that the whole point of us meeting up was to return her sketchbook, yet I left the damn thing in the truck because I was so nervous to see her for the first time. She tells me about the bakery, about her art classes, and how her corgi, who is currently staying with a friend, is still as chubby and grumbly as ever. About how she's working on her art thesis portfolio so she can graduate come May. I tell her about my last baseball season and my current training. About how Reese and Lane have graduated and moved away and how they both are basically married at this point. And of course, I tell her how Davis is a literal pain in my ass.

She's shy at first, and I can tell that I make her nervous, but the conversation continues to flow for so long that I lose track of time.

"Yeah, so basically, I've become the team's fucking dad. I feel like I have a bunch of toddlers running around, even though they're grown-ass men. Especially Davis. He's the ringleader, and I swear the universe sent him to destroy me because I finally got a reprieve from Reese. I love them—they're my teammates, and we're family—but I also need them to stop getting me into shit that jeopardizes my future. That's why I'm keeping us on the straight and narrow, whatever it takes," I mutter after giving her the rundown of how things have been on the team.

Addie laughs quietly, then reaches up and covers her mouth as she yawns.

Shit, it's got to be after midnight at this point. I reach for my phone and check the time, seeing that it's actually almost 1:00 a.m.

"Shit, I didn't realize how late it had gotten. Do you want me to take you home?" I ask, turning my phone to show her the screen.

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, she hesitates. "Oh. Um… yeah, sure." She wraps her arms around herself protectively, suddenly seeming uneasy at the thought of going home.

"Or… you can also stay here instead," I say lightly, "If you wanted? And tomorrow… we can talk more about things?"

An instant look of relief flickers in her eyes. "Honestly? I really don't want to go home tonight. I don't want to chance facing my stepdad."

"Stay here. You can have my bed, and I'll take the couch."

"Really?" she says quietly, tucking her damp hair behind her ear.

I nod. "Yeah, of course. I'd honestly feel better about you being here instead of there anyway after everything that's happened."

"Okay. Yeah, I'll stay… if you're sure."

There are a lot of things I'm not sure of right now, but the one thing I am sure of?

I don't want to let her go again.