He flashes me that grin that still melts me and leans down to press a kiss to my lips. Instinctively, I pull back, glancing over my shoulder.
“Uh, the cat is absolutely out of that bag, honey. Kiss me.” His voice is low, playful, insistent. And then his arms are around my waist, tugging me flush against him before kissing me properly.
From the couch, Marlow makes exaggerated gagging noises. “Fucking gross!” she hisses, slamming a few keys on her laptop before returning her attention to the screen.
Grant chuckles, finally letting me go, and gestures to the open box. “Well, before we were barged in on, I had this plan for us to put up Christmas decorations. Just me and you. Start a tradition, maybe?”
The thought tugs at something warm in me, and I lean in for another kiss. He thought of everything that would make me feel special this weekend.
“I’d like that a lot. But…right now, the Christmas spirit feels a little lost. At least while…” I tilt my head subtly toward Marlow, not daring to say her name outright. “She’s still mad at me. Jolly and cheer won’t feel right untilwe’reright. My stand-in.”
Grant frowns, puzzled. “Your what?”
I shake my head quickly, brushing it off. “Nevermind.”
That’s the thing about my relationship with Marlow. While Grant and I have spent the last six months fighting every damnfeeling clawing its way to the surface, Marlow and I were building something else. A collection of secrets, inside jokes, nicknames for our dysfunctional little friend-group—my stand-ins.Her and Tatum became family, in every sense that ever mattered.
And now, because I’ve never had this before, because I’ve never been allowed this kind of belonging, something inside me feels like it’s splitting open. Like I’m the most selfish woman alive for choosing a man over my best friend. For choosing my happiness while hers is crumbling.
I glance out the window, spotting Declan on the dock, hands in his pockets, staring out at the water.
I turn back to Grant. “I’m going to go talk to Declan, alright?”
Grant pulls me close, presses his forehead to mine, grounding me. “She’s going to be fine. I know my girl. She’s stubborn and feisty and her feelings are hurt. But she’ll come around. You just have to give her time.”
I shake my head, resolve already knotting in my chest. “I don’t like the idea of letting time pass where hurt festers. I’ll get through to her. You just wait.”
Grant laughs and drops a kiss to my temple. “Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. And if her eyes turn red, just duck. She throws things.”
I can’t help but laugh with him, the sound easing the weight for just a moment. Then I pull away and head outside, the chill in the air biting at my skin as I make my way toward Declan standing alone by the lake.
“Hey, Declan. How are you? How are you holding up?”
He shrugs, casual as ever. “This is all media drama. I guess it’ll blow over, right? I mean, I know Marlow’s worried. But I don’t understand what the big deal is. At least it’s out in the open. We don’t have to hide anymore.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, then sigh. “Okay, so, I’m going to drop my professional hat so I can speak as truthfully as I know how.”
Declan nods, attention still on the water. “Okay.”
“Declan, that is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say. But you’re a boy and you’re pretty, so I’ll give you a pass.”
He frowns. “I don’t understand.”
“Exactly,” I tell him. “This entire time, Marlow has been screaming about her image, about not being taken seriously as a woman in this field. It had nothing to do with you—or not taking things public—not specifically. It was always about protecting something men never have people question in her same position! Her respect. Her dignity. And now, her damn career.”
Declan’s shoulders dip, a rare humility in his expression. “I guess I lost sight of that.”
“You think?”
“How do we fix it?”
I shake my head, helpless. “That’s exactly what we’re all trying to figure out. I just wish your wife would talk to me.”
That’s when he smirks. “Yeah, my wife is stubborn, I’ve learned. Whenever my brother and I were fighting, my nonna would lock us in a bedroom and make us stay there until we came out best friends again. Brothers.”
A grin tugs at my lips. “Declan, I knew I liked you for my girl Marlow!”
Then I slap the man on the back and head back into the house.