“Grandma said you and Uncle Lexi are gonna get married,” Asami whispered with a gleeful look in her eye. “Can I be the flower girl?”
I almost fainted, and I know I wasn’t imagining the dry chuckle that rose from Grandmother’s throat.
“I think you’re going to have”—she held up two tiny fingers—“two boys.”
I swear I swooned, and I might have fallen out of the chair if her hand hadn’t shot out and grabbed me by the side of the shirt to keep me in place.
“I don’t… I don’t know about all that, Asami,” I tried to say and heard it come out high and wheezy as I gripped the table to keep from falling over. “We’re friends, and I like him, but I don’t think…”
The little girl’s eyes flicked toward her grandmother, and I saw the smug, smug smile form on her face. I didn’t need to look over to know the older woman was probably smiling at her too, mixed up in their own little secrets. Secrets I was pretty sure I partially understood.
“Remember what I told you about choices,” Grandmother said. “Life is full of them, but there are some that matter more than others.”
CHAPTER
THIRTY
A few days passed, and I still hadn’t heard a word from Alex. Not a call or text. Not even a smoke signal.
It was fine. It was cool. It wasn’t like he knew my number anyway.
Knowing his sneaky ass, he might have gotten it somehow behind my back though.
In the meantime, I took my time putting the finishing touches on my new work site. The same one that I really wasn’t sure I would be able to use. I planned on talking to Alex to see what he thought.
I’d also wandered around the property. I had annihilated a lot of his food supply too, not wanting to leave the house and drive his fast car. I’d swear I went through a pack of cookies faster than I thought I would and that there had been more sodas in the fridge, but I figured I just had my mind on more important stuff and wasn’t keeping track.
I slept a lot too. I was feeling better, but my body was still so tired. My soul was as well if I was going to be honest. That conversation with Alex’s grandma had really gotten under my skin and into the cavities of my heart.
I was just as confused as I was lonely, and it was weird to be both when I thought my past would have prepared me for all the time being spent in a quiet house.
And that was the excuse I used when I finally broke down and dialed the number that Alex had left me. It only rang twice before a familiar-ish voice answered, “Hello…？”
“Hi, Selene. It’s Gracie.”
“Hey, Gracie.” She sounded so cheerful. “What’s going on? Do you need something? I know he’s in London right now. I just got back yesterday from Vegas, otherwise I would have come by to check on you. I heard Grandmother dropped by to surprise you.”
How had she heard?
Asami. I’d bet my life it was her who spilled the beans.
The memory of her holding up two fingers haunted me suddenly.
Did she say he was in London? Huh. “Yeah, she did a few days ago. She said she would see me again soon.” I swallowed. “I was actually calling because I need groceries, and I was wondering…？”
“I need to go grocery shopping too. We can go together,” she suggested.
Go together? “I don’t want to be an inconvenience. I’m just not sure how to get in and out of the neighborhood—”
Selene cut me off. “You’re not. I want to. I hate going grocery shopping by myself. I make bad choices,” she said. “I’ll be over to pick you up around six.”
“Okay… are you sure?” I didn’t like asking for favors, but I didn’t hate the idea of spending time with her. I’d gotten a good feeling about Selene.
“Positive.”
I scratched my nose and reminded myself that things were different now. That no one had any idea where I was. That here I could be someone else. Branch out a little more.
Maybe I could make another friend here.
I nodded to myself and said it. “Thanks, Selene. I’ll see you then.”
“Hey, don’t thank me. That’s what family is for.”
The next few hours dragged by, mostly because I was unusually restless. I had some money saved, but not enough for long-term. Plus, I wanted to give Alex money for utilities and have enough to start over. I had already wired Selene what I owed her, and my new favorite superbeing brushed me off every time I brought up what he’d let me use.
Money, money, money, fucking money.
And all this uncertainty was driving me fucking nuts.
I’d spent my whole life with a singular goal in mind: staying inside my bubble as happy as anyone could. Now I was just antsy. Something felt off, and I had no idea what it could be.
That was a lie. The truth was, I had an idea, but I didn’t want to focus on it too much.
So when I heard the doorbell ring and a minute later heard Selene call out, “Gracie?” I was already ready.
I ran down the front staircase with my purse and Alex’s card and stopped when I found Selene in the foyer. My plan was to pull out cash from an ATM and pay him back. It would be safer than using my card in actual places.
She was wearing dark gray sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt, her hair in a bun.
The cute blonde smiled just as another voice called out, “I don’t know how the hell I can hold so much pee in my body. I could have put out a fire with it.”
Just like that, Selene rolled her eyes the same exact way Alex did. “I didn’t mean to bring her, but she was waiting for me at my car, and I couldn’t convince her that she doesn’t buy groceries.” Those bright blue eyes slid slightly behind me, and I was pretty sure I saw her mouth a prayer under her breath.
“Bonjour, Gracie!” the same voice bellowed out as a woman, a young woman, even younger-looking than Selene, strolled up beside me and instantly threw her arms around me.
I only froze for a second before I hugged her back.
Who the hell was I to say no to a hug from a friendly stranger?
They were a touchy-feely bunch, I was starting to learn, which surprised the shit out of me. Even their grandmother had wanted another peck on her cheek when she’d left. Asami had planted one on mine along with the most gentle, big hug in the world after we’d played two tense games of Candy Land.
“Gracie, this is my niece, Hiromi,” Selene said.
Oh. “Oh, hi,” I told the curly-haired, dark blonde.
She pulled back and then gave me another tight, unexpected hug. She was shorter than Selene and had more of The Primordial’s frame than Selene’s long, lean one. Her skin was a shade close to mine, but where mine was more bronze, hers was a unique golden. She was beautiful. This whole family was. Their genetics were miraculous.
“It’s nice to meet you. I wanted to come by before, but Mom wanted to give you and Lexi some time to settle in. Sorry I had to use your bathroom. I drank a venti on my way to wait for Selene, and it makes me have to go pee like a busted fire hydrant.” Hiromi pulled back and dropped her arms, wiggling her eyebrows at Selene. “Wow, you weren’t joking. Uncle Lexi got really lucky.”
This family and their fucking secrets.
“It’s not my bathroom,” I told her, feeling shy all of a sudden. “Coffee makes me have to go pee like crazy too.”