Page 105 of Burning Embers

“Love?” I gape at him and then burst into slightly hysterical laughter. Every word he says is another knife being jammed into my heart. How many more can I take before I bleed to death? “What the fuck, Grayson?”

“It’s the truth!” His hands ball into fists at his sides.

“So…what? You want me as your side piece as you go fuck your actual girlfriend?—?”

“I’m not fucking her! I never even touched her!” Grayson snarls. “And don’t you dare talk about yourself like that. Izzy, listen to me.”

Abruptly, he grabs a hold of my arms again, only this time, I don’t push him away. I have no idea why. Maybe a masochist part of me wants to hear what he has to say.

“Everything I do is to protect you.”

“Are you really feeding me that BS excuse?” I blink at him.

I suddenly feel tired. No, not just tired. Exhausted. It’s the type of bone-deep weariness that weighs down my eyelids and slackens my muscles.

“There are things that you don’t understand,” he insists, his voice breaking on the final word. He clears his throat and tries again. “Not everything is as it seems.”

“Grayson, I don’t want to fight. I’m tired, and my feet hurt, and my head is pounding, and I just want to go to bed.” I’m practically pleading now.

“Izzy…”

“Look, why don’t we just forget this ever happened? Okay?” My heart batters against my rib cage.

I doubt I’ll ever forget the feel of Grayson’s lips against my own, but I’m giving him an out. We can still be friends, he can continue seeing Sydney, and everything will be right in the world.

Even if it feels as if my heart is being shredded into confetti-sized pieces.

Grayson looks as if he wants to argue, but whatever expression he sees on my face has him reconsidering.

He reluctantly nods.

“Yeah, okay.” He shoves his hands into his pockets and walks me back to my bedroom window.

We don’t speak, which I’m grateful for. Every word he said before twisted me up inside, and it’ll take years for me to untangle the mess he left behind.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers just before I can climb inside my room.

He leans forward, and at first, I think he’s going to kiss me. Instead, his lips brush against my cheek in the softest of caresses.

Without another word, he’s gone.

And so is a shattered piece of my heart.

Thirty-Five

IZZY

“If you start feeling lightheaded or faint or sick, give me a call,” Hale says for the one millionth time as he pulls the car to a stop in front of the ancient theater downtown.

“I will, Hale,” I assure him…also for the one millionth time.

Hale wasn’t pleased when I told him I still planned to show up for my job interview today. He tried to tell me he knew the owner and could get it rescheduled, but I refused. For one, I feel perfectly fine. For two, I don’t want the owner to think I need special privileges.

I need this job.

My phone buzzes where I have it face down on my knee, and I pick it up with a smile. I have two new texts, one from Emery and one from Ethan.

And over two dozen messages from Grayson, but I’m pretending those don’t exist.