NESSA

I nearly collapsed when Grayson opened the door.

The memory of him standing in front of Ackley Hall hadn't been enough to convince my brain that Grayson was okay. But he was. He was more than okay. He was the best damn thing I'd ever seen with his predictable football tee and surprisingly messy hair, and I hated that I'd gone these past few weeks without him when I didn't need to.

"Nessa," he breathed, his face slack in shock.

Fresh tears were on my face now. I'd known it would be useless to try to keep them at bay.

"I talked to Julian," I choked out. It was the only thing I could think to say that would explain my sudden appearance. "He told me..."

I couldn't say it.

Grayson just stood there, blinking at me. When he finally spoke, his voice sounded scratchy. Unused. His eyes looked tired. Lonely.

"What did he tell you?"

It was quiet for a moment while I struggled with what to say.

"Everything," I finally whispered, but Grayson continued to look at me like he didn't believe it. He didn't believe I was actually here.

"Jules texted me," he said, "and he mentioned that you might be coming, but I still didn't think...."

Trailing off, Grayson looked me up and down. Drinking me in. I felt my cheeks grow hot.

"I'm so sorry," I added, praying he'd forgive me. "I wish I'd let you explain. I should have—"

Taking two swift steps forward, Grayson cut me off by grabbing my face with both hands and kissing me hard. Hard enough that I gasped, and he coaxed apart my lips with his so that he could deepen the kiss.

His mouth on mine felt like the home I'd always wanted.

"I needed to make sure this was real," he murmured after pulling back slightly.

"It is, I pro—" The rest of my word was muffled as he went back in to capture my lips again.

"Finally," he groaned.

My body instantly reacted to that, to the feeling of just...Grayson. But I still needed to talk to him. To apologize.

"Grayson," I muttered, trying to get the words out. "I'm so sorry. I feel so—"

Whisking my breath away, Grayson seized beneath my knees and hoisted me up in his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist without a second thought, my arms flying to circle his neck.

"Shut up and let me kiss you," he growled.

So I did, letting his lips caress mine so perfectly. A kiss like only this annoying, lovable, football player knew how to give. With his mouth attached to mine, Grayson kicked the front door shut before pulling us down onto a white, cushy couch. He settled me into his lap, so I was straddling him, and then tucked his hands under my ass to tug me closer.

"God, I've missed you," he said after nibbling on my lip.

I swallowed a sob. "Six weeks, Grayson. I didn't know where you were for six weeks."

"Fuck, I know." He brushed his lips over mine tenderly. "It was one of the first things I thought of when I woke up."

I pulled back, searching his face. "It's true, then?"

Part of me hadn't wanted it to be.

Grayson used his thumb to brush my tears away. "That I was in a coma?" His expression looked apologetic, and it made me want to scream. "Yeah, baby. It's true."

I sucked in a breath, but Grayson caught it before it could disappear, kissing me again. One hand came up to cup my face, holding it steady so he could capture my lips over and over. It was like he was fixing every little part of me that had broken in the last two months. All the little pieces of me that fell apart. He was putting them back together again with every brush of his mouth against mine.

I wanted more. I wanted everything. But I forced myself to push back from him.

"Are you okay?" I asked, raking my eyes over him again.

He gave his head a little shake, which made an alarm go off in my chest. But he just chuckled and leaned in to breathe over my mouth.

"No." He smiled against my lips. "You keep talking when I want to kiss you."

I smacked his chest lightly. "I'm serious, Everett."

"And now you're calling me Everett," he said, still smiling. He covered his hand over mine and brought our palms to rest over his heart. Like he did outside Ackley Hall a few weeks ago. A fresh stab of pain coursed through me as I realized what he'd been telling me that day. "You're killing me here, Adler."

"Don't say that." I closed my eyes as pictures of Grayson in the hospital flashed through my mind. "It's not funny."

"Hey." His breath tickled my mouth while his free hand pulled me back to look at him. "I'm okay." He flicked away fresh tears on my cheeks. "I'm okay now that you're here."

I sniffed, digging my fingertips into his shirt. "I'm serious," I repeated.

He caught my face between both of his hands again. "So am I."

His eyes bore into mine for a moment, deep enough that I felt like I was seeing every little bit of him. All the bits he wanted me to see from the beginning, and I was too stubborn to even look.

Leaning down, I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. I wanted to hear it and make sure it was steady and strong and everything I wasn't.

"It's as good as new again," he said softly. "They fixed it all up."

I closed my eyes. The gentle thumping was the most reassuring sound I'd ever heard.

"You didn't tell me," I whispered without lifting my head. "I thought you didn't lie?"

"I've never lied to you, Nessa."

"But you didn't tell me. I don't understand why you didn't tell me."

"Who wants to give a girl their heart and then tell them it's broken?"

I looked up at him. "I don't care if it's broken. I never wanted you to be perfect, Grayson. I just wanted to know you wouldn't...."

He brushed a hair out of my face. "What?"

"Leave."

His eyes fluttered shut. Pain lingered there, even though he tried to shut me out from seeing it. And the last thing I wanted was to cause him more heartache. More pain.

"Will you tell me now?" I asked quietly. "Tell me about your heart."

Grayson nodded, opening his eyes again. I returned to my spot on his chest again, pressing my ear against his shirt.

"Coarctation of the aorta," he said, and I felt the deep rumble of his voice. "That's what I was born with. Meaning my aorta is more narrow than it should be and my heart has to work harder to pump blood through the opening. It was fixed when I was a baby, but I've always needed to monitor it. I've always had high blood pressure."

"Then...it came back?"

"Yeah, it came back. That was always a risk. A pretty uncommon one, but it happens."

"And it caused—"

I glanced up at him to find his eyes on me already. It took the words out of my mouth.

"A stroke," he whispered. "I had a stroke, Nessa. Which resulted in the coma. And even once I woke up, there was so much I couldn't do. I swear I was trying to get to you, but by then, you were so out of reach."

It hurt just as bad hearing it a second time. I nodded, trying to tell him I understood. I understood everything.

"It happened right after you left my house, didn't it?"

He bit his lip, almost as if debating if he wanted to answer that question.

And then he nodded.

"Yeah, it did."

My throat momentarily twisted shut, and I couldn't breathe or talk or even gasp. But then it opened up again, and my words fell out.

"God, I knew something was wrong. I knew it."

"Nothing is wrong now," Grayson said softly, smoothing his hand over my hair.

It was quiet for a long moment. I sank into Grayson, trying to decide what to say next. There was so much to say. But his breathing and heart rate were all I wanted to listen to. Grayson eventually interrupted, though, curiosity in his voice.

"How did you get here?"

"Bren," I said, my words muffled in his shirt. "He's outside."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grayson glance sharply down at me. And then he twisted around and looked out the window. Bren was leaning back in his driver's seat, finger tapping on the steering wheel.

Frowning, Grayson pulled out his phone, and it took me a few seconds to realize what he was doing. I saw Bren pull out his phone, too, looking down at it with a raised brow.

"Grayson," I hissed, but his phone was already pressed to his ear. And I could hear Bren's voice answer.

"You can head out now," Grayson said without pretense. "I've got her."

Bren's chuckle came through the speaker.

"Let me talk to Nessa."

Grayson hesitated.

"Fine," he muttered.

"Hey, Bren," I said as he handed me the phone. "It's okay." A deep exhale. It felt amazing to finally breathe again. "You can head home. Thanks for the ride here."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure."

I was so incredibly sure.

"Okay, let me know if anything changes. I can always come back."

I could tell by the crease in Grayson's forehead that he could still hear Bren through the phone. And it was that look on his face that made me smile as I replied to Bren.

"Nothing will change."

There was also a smile in Bren's voice as he said goodbye.

Grayson watched intently as Bren pulled away. His eyes followed the Mustang until it was out of sight, and then he sighed.

"I'm glad he brought you here," he admitted. "But Jules said he gave you my number, and you know I would have come to you. Didn't you read my note?"

"I did," I whispered. "But after talking to Julian, all I could think about was seeing you. And this just seemed like the fastest option. I'm sorry for showing up out of—"

His lips crashed onto mine again, slamming heat into my body like a struck match.

"Don't apologize, Nessa. God, I'm so happy you're here."

I was, too. But I didn't bother trying to say it. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his neck again and kissed him back. Eagerly. Grayson appreciated that, grabbing onto my hips and dragging me even closer. And when I was settled into the perfect spot, a spot where every little bit of Grayson was touching every little bit of me, he let his hands slide lower.

"You're not wearing a skirt," he moaned. "Why the hell aren't you wearing a skirt?"

A laugh fell from my lips as Grayson squeezed my jean-covered thighs. "If I'd known this was going to happen, I definitely would have."

"Please tell me that means you haven't been wearing skirts for other guys while I've been gone."

"No other guys. Only you."

I felt Grayson's quick intake of breath.

"Only me?"

Our lips slid apart, and it was my turn to whisper against his mouth.

"Only you. I missed you, Wilder."

There was suffering in Grayson's eyes as I pulled back. But I didn't see it for long because he tucked me down against his chest again. We stayed like that for a long time, with him stroking my hair and me listening to that steady beat in his chest. But it was long enough.

Long enough for my tears to dry and my heart to burst, and everything to fade into nothing.

Nothing except Grayson.

💗

ahh was nervous to share this one!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter
and hope their reunion was worth it in the end
xoxoxo amelie