Tell Me It’s Right (Sweetspire #1)

Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

LIAM

“But it’s like I was telling ’em, definitely wasn’t up to code. But no one wants to listen to me, and so I…”

Bill’s voice fades in and out of my awareness. I can’t even say I stopped listening halfway through his story. I haven’t been paying attention since the start. But after half a dozen sessions with him, I’ve come to expect it. Luckily he’s the type of talker that can have an entire conversation with himself. The occasional nods and grunts on my end are usually enough to keep him satisfied.

The rest of the event the other night wasn’t nearly as painful as I’d been expecting. Maybe it would’ve been under different circumstances, but with Gracie…she made getting through the whole thing easy. Maybe even fun at times. The endlessly shaking people’s hands, forcing smiles for pictures, having to stand on stage with the family as Dad gave some bullshit speech—as long as I could find her in the crowd or go back to holding her hand after, the rest of it didn’t matter.

For someone who didn’t grow up in that world, Gracie navigated the whole night…well, like my mother did. With ease and grace and a smile the whole goddamn time.

She even took the edge off running into Hailey, which I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been dreading.

Hailey’s eyes locked on me the moment Gracie and I returned to the terrace. She’d taken a few steps forward like she was planning to come talk to me, but then Gracie—my five-foot-three, deer-in-headlights, nonconfrontational Gracie—all but shoved me behind her like a guard dog and stared Hailey down until she turned away.

Once the threat was neutralized, Gracie snapped back to her usual self, a faint blush on her cheeks as she looked at me, like she was worried how I’d react.

It shouldn’t have turned me on nearly as much as it did.

“Remind me to never get on your bad side” was all I said, and she blushed harder.

Which just had my imagination running wild with ways to make that blush spread further.

I blink back to Bill’s calf, wipe the excess ink, and crack my neck before coming at it from a different angle, my eyes flicking to the front door of the shop every few minutes, even though I know I won’t find what I’m looking for. I gave Gracie the day off since she’s been putting in so many hours outside the shop.

I haven’t seen her since the launch party the day before yesterday.

Which is fine. I’ve been busy getting caught up with work stuff, she’s been spending time with her family. We’ve exchanged a handful of texts over the past few days, but this is still new. We’re still learning each other in this way, and I don’t want to come on too strong, so I’ve been giving her space.

But it’s like fucking withdrawal at this point. We wouldn’t even need to talk. I just want to see her. To be near her.

The shop was too quiet when I opened it. Too empty. Prepping for the day’s clients alone felt all wrong, even though I’ve done it a hundred times before. I kept expecting to hear a camera shutter go off, or Gracie’s voice asking if I could jump into a quick video. To hear her humming while she worked on admin stuff, which I’m pretty sure she doesn’t realize she does. Or even to just look up from what I’m doing and see her sitting at the front desk.

I didn’t realize how used to it I’d gotten.

What the fuck is going on with me?

I wrap Bill’s piece up around noon, then pace around the shop while I shove a protein bar down for lunch and wait for my next appointment at one.

The bells above the door ring, and I practically break my neck as my head snaps up to see…

“Leo?”

He’s standing several paces away with his hands in his pockets, shifting his weight uncomfortably back and forth like he hasn’t been here a million times before. He grimaces when he meets my eyes, the twist of his mouth identical to Gracie’s when she makes that face.

We haven’t spoken since Gracie’s birthday—the longest we’ve gone without talking since we met, I think. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the course of our friendship, it’s he can’t be rushed. His immediate reaction to something is almost never how he feels about it in the end, but the only thing that can change his mind is giving him time to process it on his own.

So I’ve held off from reaching out to him, no matter how many times I wanted to. Though I admit, I was starting to doubt waiting it out was going to work this time around.

“Is Gracie here?” he asks.

I can’t read whatever that expression is on his face, so I try not to look too eager about him being here. “Uh, no. I gave her the day off. I think she said she had plans with her friend Carson.”

“Oh.” He frowns.

But he doesn’t leave.

For a moment, I think that’ll be it, but then he sighs and glances around even though we’re the only ones here. “I don’t like this.”

“Leo—”

“Let me finish.”

I pinch my lips together and nod.

“I don’t like this. But I also…” He meets my eyes again and sighs. “But I also trust you with my life. And sometimes I forget that Gracie isn’t a kid anymore who needs me to look out for her. I want her to be happy, and I want you to be happy. And if this is what does it… I don’t know if this is ever not going to feel weird, but I’m going to try to get used to it.”

I crack half a smile. “Did Keava write that script for you?”

He rubs his eyes. “We came up with a few different ones.”

“Is she here?”

“She’s waiting in the car.”

I chuckle, and when he lowers his hand, he’s smiling too.

“I’m sorry about the way you found out. I wanted to be the one to tell you. And I wish I’d done it sooner?—”

“I know it’s not your fault. She told me she asked you not to.” His eyes flick to the shop behind me. “I’m sorry about some of the things I said.”

I shrug.

“No, really, Liam. I didn’t mean…obviously I know that you’re not…” He scratches at the back of his neck as he fights for words. “I was being selfish.”

I blink and shake my head. “No, Leo?—”

“No, I was,” he insists. “I didn’t realize it in the moment, but I think what I was really worried about was if this doesn’t end well, then what am I supposed to do in that position? I’ve always been on your side, but I’ve also always been on Gracie’s. And if the two of you don’t work out, that won’t be an option anymore.”

“I can’t speak for Gracie, but I’m pretty sure she’d agree that we’d never want you to pick sides if it came to that, Leo. But I know it’s an awkward position to put you in. I’m sorry.” Slowly, I rise from my chair and offer my hand. “So we’re good?”

We shake hands, but he tightens his grip before I can let go. He stares at me, hard. More serious than I ever think I’ve seen him, at least when it comes to me. “Don’t think just because we’re friends that I won’t kill you if you hurt her.”

“I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”