Page 228 of Just for the Cameras
I see what he’s doing, and I see where this is going.
He’s attempting to push me away, and I’m not going to allow it.
“If you want me to leave, you’ll have to physically remove me,” I say, chin held high even though he’s not looking at me. “You can push me away with your words, but I’m not going anywhere. So go ahead, do your best, Graydon. Say your worst, try to hurt me, because it’s not going to work.”
He turns to face me, his shoulders showing defeat, his expression twisted with pain.
“You don’t want this.”
“I do.”
“You don’t,” he says, his voice growing harsher.
“Graydon, do not tell me what I want, what I deserve, or what my opinion should be.” I stand with conviction, my voice unwavering. “That is not your choice.”
He blows out a heavy breath and shakes his head. “Please just leave, Maple. This is not something you can fix.”
“I’m not trying to fix anything. I’m just not letting you push me away because you’re spiraling. You’ve had enough abandonment in your life; I refuse to be someone else who does that to you. So like I said, do your worst, but whatever you do or say is not going to make me leave you here alone. Not happening. We’re in this together.”
He pulls on the back of his neck, defeat evident in his body language as he pushes off the counter and approaches me. I hold my breath, preparing for him to escort me out the door. But when he reaches me, instead of forcefully taking me outside, he closes the space between us, wraps his arms around me, and buries his hand in my hair as he pulls me in close, hugging me.
The feel of him clinging on to me like a lifeline nearly breaks my heart.
“Fuck, I’m sorry,” he whispers, all the pain I know he’s feeling coming out in those three words. “I’m so fucking sorry, Maple.”
I wrap my arms around him as well, and I rub my hand up and down his back, attempting to soothe him.
“Let me help you, Graydon. Please. I want to be here with you. If I didn’t, I would have left already. Okay?”
He nods and then presses his lips to my neck. “I’m sorry.” He pulls me in tighter, holding me as close to him as possible. I press my face to his chest, letting him use me to calm down.
We stay like that for a few minutes before he bends, brings his hands to my ass, and then scoops me up into his arms. I circle his waist with mylegs and hold him as he brings me to his bedroom and lays me down on his bed.
Standing in front of me, he pulls his shirt up and over his head, then drops it to the ground. With his eyes set on me, he spreads my legs and kneels between them, hovering his massive body over mine before slowly lowering his head centimeters from mine. After a second of looking into my eyes, he closes the space between us and kisses me softly while his hand gently cups my cheek.
Our tongues mold together, his kisses like a drug, making me feel breathless and needy all at the same time. I could stay like this forever and be happy, getting lost in him and only him.
But there is a worry tapping at the back of my head, a gentle reminder of how the evening started. I kiss him once, twice, and then I pull away just enough to say, “Wait, we need to talk.”
He lifts up so our gazes match. “Talk?”
I bring my hands around his neck, holding him in place and reassuring him that I want him here, this close…with me.
“Yes, I just want to close out the issue with your dad.” My thumb strokes the back of his neck. “I need you to promise me that you’re not going to leave this house tomorrow or the next day or the next and have words with your father that lead to using your fists.”
His brow pulls together.
“I’m serious, Graydon. Please. I know what he has planned is wrong and could mess with your life, but taking action like I know you want to will mess with your life even more. There’s a smart way to go about this, and it doesn’t involve getting into a fight with your father.”
“He’s never going to stop if I don’t handle it.”
“And you can handle it without using your fists. Let’s be smart about this and think how we can best him with your smarts and the popularity you’ve been able to obtain over the years.” I play with the short strands of his hair. “We don’t have to come up with a solution right now, butwe can think on this together, okay? Please just don’t try to go fix it yourself.”
His jaw ticks, clearly not happy with my ask.
“Please, Graydon. Promise me.”
He drops his head and lets out a heavy sigh. “Okay. I promise.”
