Chapter 26

I could feel the sunlight against my eyelids as I woke up. But I didn’t want to open my eyes just yet; everything was still perfect, and that would surely be ruined if I was thrown back into reality. Smiling, I stretched out on the bed, feeling the sensation reach my toes. Then I curled back up into a ball and decided it was time to welcome the morning.

I opened my eyes to the brightness, rubbing the sleep away with the back of my hand. Then I turned towards Grant, but his side of the bed was empty. He wasn’t there. He was gone. I began to panic. Was yesterday just a dream? Had I just made it all up in my head? I couldn’t have done… Lifting up the covers, I discovered that I was, indeed, naked.

So we had slept together, that was for sure. Which left me with one more, even scarier question: where the hell was Grant? I felt my eyes prick with tears as I came to a horrifying realization. I knew Grant was the type of guy to sleep with a girl and up and leave in the morning, but I never even thought that he would do that to me.

Was that all I was to him, just another girl? Or maybe he regretted what had happened between us last night. Maybe he felt guilty about going behind his best friend’s- my brother’s- back. Or… maybe he didn’t like me anymore. How could I have been so stupid to think that, even for one second, I was actually special to him?

I couldn’t stay in that bed any longer, after what we did last night- after he left. I threw my legs over the side and forced myself to get up. Slowly, almost as if I was on autopilot, I got dressed. That was when I saw a note on the top of my drawer. Almost cautiously, I picked it up, immediately recognizing the handwriting as Grant’s:

I didn’t want to leave you this morning, but I had to go home and pick up some more clothes since I ran out. –Grant.

I began to cry again, but this time it was out of relief. He didn’t leave me. How could I even think that he would do something like that to me? I felt awful for jumping straight to the worst scenario I could think of. Grant would never leave me.

I grabbed my towel and headed for the bathroom. I took a nice, hot, long shower to calm myself down, and pulled on a fresh pair of sweat pants and an old t-shirt. Slipping on my running shoes, I scraped my hair up into a bun and basically skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Only my mom was there, sat at the counter and sipping her coffee. She smiled when I walked in.

“Good morning, sweetie.”

“Hey, Mom,” I greeted cheerfully.

“Someone’s happy today,” she noted.

I smiled. “I just had a good time at the party last night. I’m still kind of buzzed, that’s all.”

“Really?”

“Yup…” I trailed off. A moment of awkward silence passed between us. “Okay then,” I said, clapping my hands together. “I guess I’ll be off.” I ran out of the kitchen quickly before another word could be said.

“Wait!” she called after me. I cringed, turning back and returning to the kitchen. “Where are you going? Did you forget that you were grounded?” Mom gave me a knowing smirk.

“I was going to go for a jog,” I explained. “Is that okay?”

“Sure,” she laughed. “Have fun, but be home soon, alright?” I nodded and escaped the kitchen again, heading straight out the front door before she could call be back again.

Stretching my arms above my head, I made my way over to the black car parked beside my house. I tapped on the window, making the old driver snap awake from his nap. Yawning, he rolled down the window.

“Yes, Miss Richards?” he asked politely.

I fiddled with my hands. “Uh, would I be able to get a ride?”

“Of course, Miss Richards,” he confirmed. “Where would you like to go?”

I told him the address and quickly hopped into the backseat.

After twenty minutes of driving, he stopped the car across from Grant’s house.

“Here you go, Miss.” He turned to smile at me.

“Thank you, um…” I stopped. “Sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

He didn’t seem offended, though. “Chuck Barris,” he offered, still smiling.

“Then thank you, Chuck. Would you be able to not tell my parents that you drove me down here please?”

“Sure thing, Miss Richards.”

I thanked him again before getting out of the car. Taking a deep breath, I wished that I had put on something nicer or at least thought to put on some mascara… It was too late for that now, though. I crossed the street, walked up to Grant’s front door, and rang the doorbell.

I waited for a few seconds before his mom, Mrs. Marcellus, opened the door with a friendly smile on her face.

“Oh, Rose,” she said, looking surprised. “What brings you here?”

“Is Grant here?” I asked nervously.

“Of course,” she answered. “I didn’t know that you two were friends.”

I chuckled. “We’re not. I just needed to ask him something.”

“He’s up in his room at the moment. I’ve just made some cookies, though. Would you like one?”

I smiled at Mrs. Marcellus and nodded politely. She was a Hispanic beauty with her gorgeous, dark brown hair and blue eyes. But she also had a very thick accent, so it was a bit embarrassing when I couldn’t understand what she said sometimes.

We walked through the house and into the kitchen. Grant’s mom put a plate of cookies on the counter and I sat down, taking one and stuffing it into my mouth. I sighed deeply as the cookie melted on my tongue- heaven in my mouth.

Then I realized I was being rude. “So I heard that you’re getting married,” I said, swallowing.

“Yes, and he’s a wonderful man.”

“Mm-hum,” was all I said, grabbing another cookie and taking a big bite. “How did you guys meet?”

“At the grocery store,” Mrs. Marcellus answered, smiling at the memory. “He saved me from a slip.”

“That’s really sweet,” I grinned, finishing off the cookie. “I’d better go up and see Grant now.”

“Okay, Rose. It was nice talking to you.”

“Likewise,” I said sincerely, smiling at her one more time before I left the kitchen. I climbed up the stairs and, before I reached Grant’s room, I heard what sounded like moaning and giggling.

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion. What was—?

“Oh, Grant,” I heard a girl moan loudly. She couldn’t be… No, there was no way she was talking about my Grant. I quickened my pace, trying to get down the hallway faster.

The moaning, the giggling, it all got louder. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. There had to be some sort of mistake. I finally reached his room and threw the door open, not caring to knock.

My eyes widened at the sight before me. Even through my tear-filled eyes, it was obvious what I was seeing: Grant, in bed… with another girl. I felt bile rise in my throat as I noticed it was the same brunette from the party.

They were still too caught up in what they were doing to notice me. Well, that was about to change…

“Grant!”