Page 48 of When Darkness Calls

It’s the perfect plan, Grayson. You’ve outdone yourself.

A two-hour shopping trip with three mid-20s guys, fifty bucks on rented movies, a dozen board games, and each of us armed with our own gift for her, we’re almost ready. Just have to get the Browniezillas in the oven and we’re good to go.

But then the door opens. Me, Keegan, and Alex all paused, glancing quickly at one another as we heard the hushed voices of Cade and Dani in the hall.

Rounding the corner, Cade jumps out in front of her, just as Alex rushes over holding out three party hats and they both yell, “Surprise!”

Dani laughs. A real, genuine laugh, like music to my ears. I don’t think I can ever get used to hearing it so freely again. She takes one of the hats and they all secure them on top of their heads.

Keegan goes over to her, his own hat in place, planting a kiss to the top of her head. It’s something he’s done to her a million times, hell we all have, but for some reason it makes my skin itch.

My jaw clenches as I watch her surrounded by my best friends.

I blink, giving my head a slight shake.

What the hell?

Nick takes that moment as the time to reenter the room, in his university hoodie and a pair of gray sweatpants, looking like the twenty-three year old grad student he is.

He walks over, throws an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close, and Dani looks up at him, her real smile made in his direction, and something inside me just…cracks.

The wooden spoon in my hand clatters in the bowl of cheesecake batter, and I’m grabbing my bag on the floor by the table and the keys to my bike before I really know what I’m doing.

“Hey, Cay. I—Um, I gotta go.” My voice is strained. I can feel the tension in my jaw down into my neck from the strength of my teeth grinding together.

“What? Wait, what do you mean? Where you going?” Cade’s brows rise as he assesses me. I really don’t want to deal with his judgment right now. Nick beside him still holding Dani tight against his side, gives me a once over too. If I can’t handle Cade’s overbearing concern, I sure as hell can’t deal with Nick’s psychoanalytical shit.

Muttering, “I have something to do,” I try to squeeze past them all standing in the hall. A hand wraps around my wrist, and it takes every ounce of self-control I have to not snap at who it belongs to. I barely looked over my shoulder to see Dani reaching out to me.

“Thank you, Grayson.” She’s sincere. I can see it in the open expression in her eyes and the gentle slope of her shoulders relaxed. She is the complete opposite of me right now. For one split second, my heart swells and that sinking, fluttery feeling settles low in my stomach, but my eyes land on his arm across her shoulder and I follow it all the way up to the shit eating smirk on his face and I see red.

The forced smile and curt nod feel wrong. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”

I don’t look back as I walk through the door, trekking through the dew-covered grass to my motorcycle. Throwing one leg over and settling back into the seat, I’m finally able to breathe. I just need to breathe. A couple of hours hitting the gym and I’ll be okay.

The way she looked at him…so happy, so comfortable.

Does she ever look at me that way?

Probably not. Not after everything. Hell, the only non-awkward conversations we have had since Halloween was because Cade was there.

No, I doubt it. She probably barely looks at me when I can’t keep my eyes off of her.

I’m never gonna be able to fix this.

I sigh, starting my motorcycle. The slow rumble of the engine grounding me.

I hope she enjoys her gift. And the deliciously wonderful monstrosity that is those brownies.

I haven’t slept. I walked out of Cade’s front door around ten last night, thinking the gym would help, but no. Every minute away gnawed at me. My mind whirled. My chest ached. My stomach rolled. I couldn’t shake it. The complete unease, not only of my reaction to Nick and the guys, but also in how I reacted to the reaction.

Why did I leave? Why was my need to get out of there so strong?

I’ve been…jealous…before.

I think that’s what it was. Jealousy.

That’s not new.