Keeping You (Destined Love #3)

11. Hannah

CHAPTER 11

Hannah

W atching Samantha cling to Grayson had me wanting to puke. It made me flash right back to the moment in the supply closet. Watching him stand up for our marriage without coming out and saying I was his wife had butterflies flying around my stomach. I wanted to smile, but I held back. His back was to me the entire time. He had no idea I was there, so he wasn’t saying anything to put on a show for me. I had to reward him in some way without making a show of it, so I voluntarily joined him for our break.

I can’t help but watch him for the rest of the shift. No matter what issues I have with him, I have to admit he’s great with his patients. He listens to them and gets them out of here as quickly as possible. No one really enjoys being in the ER, but he makes his patients comfortable while they’re here.

When our shift is over, I meet Grayson at the car and he takes us home. We go through our regular routine. I shower while he makes us something to eat. We eat together and then he showers before settling on the couch, and I move to the bedroom to read my book before falling asleep.

Home.

Routine.

Two things I never thought I’d share with Grayson Maxwell of all people.

On Saturday, I go with Grayson to his game. I know the girls will be there, and it’s become a regular thing for us to all end up at their games.

I feel eyes on us the second we walk in together. We pause outside the dressing room, and Grayson says, “I’ll see you after.” He looks like he wants to say more but stops himself.

I nod, and he pushes into the dressing room.

The girls are on the bleachers beside the team’s bench, and I join them. Charlie spots me and calls my name, and I can’t help but smile at the little girl.

“Hi, girlie. How are you?” I ask.

“Good. Did Grayson tell you I said hi?”

My brows furrow. I didn’t know Grayson had met up with them. “You saw Grayson?” I ask, looking at Bailey, too.

Bailey shakes her head. “Baby Girl, when did you see Grayson?”

“With Daddy at the park. Daddy pushed me on the swing, and then I played on the slide. Grayson was talking about Samantha and Daddy laughed.”

I stiffen. Why was Grayson talking about Samantha? If I was falling into a comfortable spot with Grayson before, this snaps me right out of it. I was right. I can’t let myself get comfortable with Grayson, because he’s going to pull the same bullshit as before. He must have been putting on a show with Samantha at the hospital because it’s the work place. He’s probably been seeing her this entire time. How can I be sure of where he’s been every time he’s left the house that wasn’t for a game. I know when his games are, and the girls would have said something if he hadn’t shown up.

I thought we were making progress, and here it is all crumpled up in front of me like a scrap piece of paper that’s been thrown in the garbage.

“Who’s Samantha?” Liv asks.

“Closet girl,” I say and watch their eyes widen.

“Don’t jump to any conclusions,” Liz says. “You don’t know what exactly they were talking about. Talk to Grayson about it. It might have been completely innocent.”

I roll my eyes, hard. “Grayson has always been a player. I’m not sure how being married to me is supposed to stop that. It’s not like he’s getting anything from me. So why wouldn’t he go get it somewhere else? And why not somewhere familiar like Samantha?”

Liz looks away quickly as she runs her teeth over her bottom lip. That’s unlike her. She’d usually say what’s on her mind if she thought I needed to hear it, but she’s holding back.

“What is it Liz?”

She looks at me for a second before saying, “I really think you should talk to him.”

“Why?”

She lifts a shoulder. “Han, he’s your husband.”

Why is she standing up for him? She’s supposed to be my best friend.

“In law only. The minute the ninety days are over, I’m done. Peace out. You know I want to be in a marriage with someone I love and who loves me. I’m not going to be my mother.”

She flinches before composing herself. “I would never say you’re like Lauren. You know that. I just think that you could clear a lot of this up with a conversation.”

Ugh. I’m so frustrated. Why can’t she just say fuck him and commiserate with me? Instead, she’s got to be all reasonable. Baby Cate whines in the carrier Liv is holding her in, and I reach for her.

“Aunty Hannah needs some baby time to recover from all this,” I say, and Liv helps take her out and put her in my arms.

I stand and bounce her as she stares up at me, all smiles. She is the cutest little baby. She is the perfect little mix of her mom and dad, with Josh’s green eyes and lips that will for sure look like her mom’s. I turn to walk with her and stop when I see Grayson walking towards us. He looks down at Cate in my arms and back to my face, and the look that crosses his face is pained. He says nothing as he passes me and steps onto the ice for the game.

Every time Grayson looks at me while I’m holding Cate, pain flashes across his face. Once I pass Cate back to Liv, the look leaves his face. He’s been good with Charlie and with Cate, so why does seeing me hold her cause that reaction?

I’m in my head the entire game, trying to process everything. I wish this was all as simple as saying I’ll never see Grayson again and everything will be fine, but I’m legally tied to him and even after I get our marriage annulled, he’s best friends with my friends’ husbands. I will never be able to just walk away and dust my hands of him.

The guys win, and when they come off the ice, Luke makes his way to me. He smiles at me, and I smile back.

“Hey, Hannah.”

“Hey, Luke.”

He grips the back of his neck and says, “So, about last time. I had no idea you and Grayson were even a thing, let alone married. I apologize for crossing a line.”

I reach out and grip his arm and squeeze. “Luke, it’s all good. I hadn’t told anyone yet. Grayson was just—” I pause, not knowing how to describe what he was. I wave a hand in front of me. “It’s fine. Really.”

He smiles again, and his hand grabs mine that’s still resting on his arm and squeezes it back.

“Luke.” Grayson’s voice carries over the crowd.

We both turn and look at Grayson staring at us, rage filling his expression. Even from twenty feet away, I can feel the anger radiating off him.

“Grayson, nothing is happening. He apologized. That’s all.”

Grayson stalks towards us, and we both drop our hands. “Luke, make another move on my wife and we’re going to have some serious problems.”

I give Grayson’s arm a slap. “Grayson Maxwell, stop it. He was not making a move. He was merely apologizing for last time. Now stop being an asshole and go change. You reek.”

Grayson stares me down before leaning close, his breath dusting over the shell of my ear. Goosebumps erupt over my neck and down my arms.

“I don’t share. Keep this up, and I might need to teach you a lesson when we get home. You are mine, Spitfire. Don’t forget it.”

“Don’t call me that,” I hiss.

“What?” He grins.

“Spitfire.”

“What do you want me to call you? Sweetheart? Babe? Baby? Wife? Honey? Snookums? I’m quite partial to Spitfire, but I could also go with Mine.”

The way he growls the word mine has me holding back a shiver. It’s possessive in all the right ways.

“Hannah is fine, thank you.”

“Spitfire it is.”

He takes a step back, and I scowl at his back until he disappears into the dressing room.

“He’s right, it suits you,” Liz says.

I throw my hands in the air and huff before crossing them over my chest. “Okay, what the actual fuck? You four”—I point at Olivia, Liz, Zoey, and Bailey—“are supposed to be on my side. You’re supposed to be my friends. Why are you siding with him?”

Eliza, the one who’s known me the longest, gives me a soft look. The look is so different from anything she’s ever given me that it has me slumping and crossing my arms over my chest.

“Oh, Han, don’t pout on me. I’m not picking Grayson’s side. I’m telling you the truth. I’ll always be on your side, no need to worry.” Liz smiles.

“Same,” Liv, Bailey, and Zoey say.

“Whatever,” I grumble.

Liv laughs and links her arm through mine. “Okay, Spitfire. Let’s get some food.”

I glare at her, but she just laughs in return. I know these girls are pushing my buttons on purpose to get a rise out of me, but I also know if I need anything, I could count on them. We grab a long table like usual and order drinks and food, Liv orders for Josh, Matt, and thankfully, Grayson while Bailey orders for Caleb. It’s not until the guys come up to join us that I notice how the girls strategically placed Bailey, Olivia, and I on the ends of the row, leaving empty seats at the head of the table for Josh and beside Bailey and me.

Grayson pulls out the chair beside me and the hair on my arms stands. He’s radiating an energy that has my entire body on fire. Once he sits, his arm goes around the back of my chair, his finger grazes across my shoulders, and I shiver. He leans over and whispers in my ear, “I know about the text to Matt. I’m going to get you back for that.”

I bite my lip as I lean forward in my seat, away from his touch. I cannot let this man affect me.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” I whisper back.

He raises a single brow, and I know he sees right through my act. “Spitfire, you really think I don’t know it was you who sent a text to my friend about naked time? I got shit for that the second I walked into the dressing room. Just remember, payback’s a bitch.”

We join conversation around the table as we wait for the food to be delivered. The entire time, I feel assessing eyes on Grayson and me. I know everyone wants to know what’s going on. They want all the juicy details about our relationship, but there is no relationship. We cohabitate and work together. That is the extent of it.

“What are you guys doing for Canada Day?” Liz asks.

“We have the usual family neighbourhood party at my parents,” Liv says.

“I’m going with,” Zoey says. “The food is just to die for, can’t pass on that.”

Bailey looks over her shoulder at Caleb and then back to the group and shrugs. “I’m not sure.”

Caleb kisses her temple, and she melts into him. I lean back in my chair and can’t help the jealousy that rises in me every time I see the simple acts of affection between my friends and their partners. I’m so incredibly happy for them. I couldn’t be happier that they are with people who love and worship them. But I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever find that love. Will I ever find someone who loves every part of me the way Caleb loves Bailey and Josh loves Olivia?

Grayson’s eyes burn into the side of my face as he watches me. His thumb brushes the back of my arm, and I stiffen. It continues to move in soothing strokes up and down. I can’t explain it, but it helps. My body loosens, and my jealousy starts to fade. It pisses me off that I react to him like this, but it’s like I just can’t help it.

“I’m going to spend the week at my parents,” Grayson says, and everyone’s eyes land on me.

Liz beams at us. “Oh, Hannah, that sounds fun. It will be a great way for you to get out of your mom’s insane party. She can’t fault you for visiting family, right?”

I never thought of that. Going to my mom’s party alone will not be fun. Spending an entire week with Grayson in a small town with his family can’t be any worse. Plus, it might be nice to get away from the city.

“I’ll need to see if I can get the time off of work. Nothing’s decided yet,” I say.

Olivia rolls her eyes. “Hannah, when was the last time you took more than one or two days of vacation? Take the time, the other nurses can cover for you. You do it enough for them, it’s time for them to pay it forward.”

I chew on my lip, and Grayson says, “She’s right. You’re always the go-to for the nurses when they want a last-minute shift covered. They owe you.”

I don’t know how Grayson knows that.

“You deserve some time to relax,” Bailey says.

“Honestly, anything would be better than your mom’s party. I’m not sure how you’ve put up with those for so long,” Zoey says. She went with me one year after me begging her not to make me go alone. I had just gone through a rough patch with my mom and knew not going would just make it worse. At least if I brought a friend, she couldn’t lose the perfect facade she keeps up because she couldn’t risk her perfect reputation. It worked, but Zoey still got to see how stuffy the party was and how everyone was there just to gossip.

I grab my drink and take a sip, not wanting to verbally agree with her because she is right. Thankfully, everyone seems to drop the conversation and move on to new things. I’m beat after this week of long shifts and am ready for bed.

Grayson waves over the server as I yawn and grabs the bill. It’s not until he says, “Well guys, we should get going,” and gets up that I realize he paid for both our meals.

“I could have paid for my own meal,” I huff quietly as I stand.

“Spitfire, I can pay for my wife’s dinner.”

I shake my head and make my way around the table hugging my friends before I follow Grayson to the car.

When we enter the apartment, I head straight to the bedroom but stop when Grayson says, “A week away could be good. You could spend time outdoors, maybe ride a horse, go for a swim. It could be fun.”

“If I say yes to spending a week with you at your parents’, it doesn’t mean anything. It just means I need a week away, and I really don’t want to attend my mother’s party.”

He stares at me for a few seconds before he nods. “Fine. It means nothing.”

“Then fine, I’ll go.”

After all, I’m already married to the man, how bad could a week in a small town with his family be?