“I have to go talk to Grant. I mean…he loves me. He basically said he loves me, right?”

“I mean, yeah…I assumed that’s what he meant when he dedicated the song. He’s definitely never said anything like that onstage before.”

Yeah, and she would know since she was a groupie. The anger flared up in me again, but I pushed it back down. There was nothing I could do about that right now. I just needed to find Grant.

“I don’t forgive you for what you did,” I told her bluntly. “But thank you for apologizing and for reminding me.”

“Um…you’re welcome.”

Then, I was dashing out of the building and through the parking lot to my car. I drove recklessly to Grant’s apartment. I knew he’d be alone since all the guys were at my place, but that nagging suspicion crept up in me, wondering if maybe he wouldn’t be alone. I tried to squash that. I could only deal with that when the time came. There was no use in worrying about it now.

The lights were out, and Grant’s truck was missing when I arrived, but I decided to try knocking anyway. When he didn’t answer, I slumped back against the door in defeat. I didn’t know where else he could be. He could be anywhere really. It would probably be best just to call him and find a place for us to meet up. But I wasn’t going to do that tonight.

I had a hunch about his whereabouts, and even though it felt totally insane because he really could be anywhere, I still started up my car and followed my gut instincts.

Chapter 49: Grant

“This f**king sucks,” I grumbled into the wind.

I rested my hands on my knees as I sat on the blanket, and I stared out at the ocean. My foot absentmindedly kicked at the cold sand. I’d brought extra blankets with me, but I was just suffering through the icy temperatures.

After threatening Donovan and getting thrown from the party, I’d driven straight down the shore. I didn’t have anywhere else to go. My friends were hanging out at Ari’s apartment, a place where I didn’t belong. I didn’t want to be in Princeton where I could sit around and be miserable. The only place I ever wanted to think was the beach. And I had a lot to think about.

I hadn’t been out here long, but already, I was questioning if it was helping any. A lot of demons were chasing me, and none of this was making it any better. I suddenly wished that I’d brought a bottle out with me or at least a joint. Any of my old vices would have done the trick. Anything to numb the pain, but I didn’t have anything with me. I’d more or less given everything up cold turkey when Ari had walked out.

I just had the sand, the water, the moon, and a million tiny stars to mock me. Congratulations on ruining your entire life, f**k up. You’re a good-for-nothing, worthless waste of space. How you managed to get this far in life, we’ll never understand.

I rolled my eyes at my own thoughts, dropped back onto the blanket, and threw my arms over my face. Maybe I’ll just sleep out here. Hypothermia sounds preferable to this shit.

Footsteps echoed in the sand behind me. Hopefully, it wasn’t a cop who was going to tell me to get the f**k off the beach. That would just be my luck.

I thought the person had passed by until a shadow fell over me. There wasn’t much light out here, but there was enough to know someone was standing over me.

I dropped my hands and started to sit up to explain to the cop that I was going to leave, but I just stopped everything I was doing and stared.

“Ari,” I whispered. My voice was strained.

She was here.

How?

No. This didn’t make any sense.

She was a vision, a beautiful ethereal vision.

Before I knew what was happening, I scrambled to my feet and reached my hand out to touch her cheek. Her skin was warm beneath my icy fingers, and she shivered. Oh God, she’s real. She was so soft, and f**k did I want her. It wasn’t just physical need either. I wanted to f**k her, but I wanted her. I just wanted to pull her into my arms and know that she wasn’t f**king going anywhere.

“Hey, Grant,” Aribel finally murmured.

“How did you know I would be here?”

“I didn’t.” She sighed softly. “Can I sit with you?”

“Sure.” I gestured for her to take a seat on the blanket. “So…if you didn’t know I’d be here, why did you come?”

“I just had a feeling, and I needed to talk to you.”

“So, now, you can talk to me?” I didn’t know why those words had left my mouth, but I couldn’t help it. I’d pounded down her door. I’d been messaging her for weeks. She hadn’t said a word. Now, she was just showing up with no explanation? Fuck that.

“Yes,” she snapped. “Now, I can talk to you.”

“How did that space work out for you, Princess? You have a good time? Go to any fancy parties?” Yeah, I was pretty much purposely antagonizing her. I had no f**king clue why.

“Would you shut up?”

“Not likely, darlin’. You drove all the way out here to see me. You’re going to have to sit here and have a conversation with me.”

“This isn’t a conversation! This is us yelling at each other again!”

“Well, I’m just trying to figure out why it was so damn hard for you to use your f**king phone in the last three weeks. Is it broken? Did you not get any of my messages?”

“No, my phone is not broken! I just needed some space. I believe I told you that.”

“I didn’t think space meant you were going to ignore all your problems for three f**king weeks.”

“And I didn’t think space meant that you were going to go and f**k someone else!”

I snorted. “That’s good coming from you.”

“What the f**k does that mean?” she shouted.

“You f**ked Donovan, Princess! Did you think he wouldn’t tell me?”

“Now, you are being ridiculous!” Her hurricane blue eyes were so dark, and she looked f**king shocked at my suggestion. “When would I have slept with Donovan? And even if I had the opportunity, you think I’d just sleep with anyone?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know? You disappear without a word for three weeks, and then I get wind that you slept with Donovan. To be honest, I beat the shit out of him for it.”

“He deserved the ass-beating. He kissed me, but I didn’t sleep with him!” she cried. “I would never sleep with someone I just met. But you would…and did on New Year’s.”