“You know what this means?” Grayson says to me, waggling a brow with that signature sexy smirk on his face. “You’re going to have to get it pierced now.”
I scoff and shake my head. “Oh, I don’t think so, buddy.”
“You chicken, baby?”
I nod. “Damn right I am. I’ll make you a deal. You have a Prince Albert and I’ll think about it.”
Grayson cocks a brow. “What, you think I wouldn’t?”
I chuckle. “Of course you won’t. I know how precious your package is to you posh.”
He grins at me, winking. “I think it’s pretty important to you too, baby.”
“Okay,” Izzy pipes up from the back of the car, wiping her tears of laughter from her eyes. “I really don’t want to hear how precious your dick is, Grayson. This is a conversation you two need to have when I’m not around. Thank you, though, for cheering me up.”
I lean to the side in my seat and reach back and offer her my hand. “You doing okay?”
She places her hand in mine. “I’m okay and thank you, for being such a good friend. I couldn’t have done that without you today.”
“Anytime.” I tell her with a smile.
Grayson pulls up outside my house and I turn to Grayson as Izzy climbs out of the back of the car. I lean across the car and cup his neck. “Thank you for coming for us.” I drop Izzy’s keys in his hand. “Can you get Izzy’s car back to her house?”
Grayson nods and he leans in and kisses me. “Is she okay? She’s not pregnant, is she?”
I shake my head. “No, it’s not that and trust me, I’m trying to convince her to tell Dom, but she’s not having it. Can you just trust me that I’m looking out for her?”
“Of course.” He leans in and kisses me again. “I’ll see you tonight?”
“Hm-hmm.”
THREE HOURS LATER, heavy footsteps sound on the den stairs and I look up from the sofa to see Dom, closely followed by Grayson. Izzy and I have spent the afternoon binge eating chocolate and crisps and pizza and watched Netflix movies and argued whether Elordi or Centineo was hotter.
Dom throws himself down and places his arm over the back of Izzy’s seat. “Hey love.”
“Hi.” She tells him with a wide smile and she pulls him in for a kiss. Dom looks at her with a cheeky grin. “So, did it hurt?”
Izzy looks puzzled for a minute. “Oh, I chickened out. Ev was a warrior woman though and went through with it.” Izzy turns her head to me and there’s a shit-eating grin on her face. Bitch!
I shrug. “It was nothing.”
Dom pouts at Izzy. “I was kind of excited to see it.”
“You were?” Izzy says, surprised. “You’d have liked it?”
Dom nods his head several times. “Hell, yes.”
“Looks like you have disappointed Dom,” I say with a grin. “Maybe we should get you re-booked in for tomorrow.”
Izzy gives me the finger before getting distracted with her phone buzzing. “Hey Mum. No, he’s not with me.” Izzy looks puzzled. “Oh, well, he was earlier, yeah, but then he said he had stuff to do. He’s probably at Ben’s.”
Izzy winces as she puts the phone down. “I almost dropped my brother in it then. He owes me for covering for him.”
I look at her, puzzled.
“Owen told my mum he’d be late home because he was with us guys. Liar. That twin of mine is up to something lately.”
“Hey, weren’t you supposed to be spending time with Ems today?”
Grayson shrugs his shoulders, not taking his eye off the screen as he games with Dom. “Yeah we were, but she said an old friend contacted her and they were meeting up, so I was dumped.”
Izzy throws down her phone and turns her attention back to us. “We should do something fun this weekend. Why don’t we go do an escape room or go-karting?”
Grayson grimaces. “I can’t this weekend. I have another business thing my dad is insisting I attend.”
“Will she be there?” I ask, trying not to sound paranoid.
Grayson sighs. “I think so.” He reaches out and grasps my hand in his. “Remember what I said earlier, I’m just playing the game, Manchester.”
I nod. “Yeah, I know. It still doesn’t mean I have to like it, though.”
Izzy looks from me to Grayson with a puzzled look on her face. Dom shakes his head at her. “Don’t ask, honestly.”
“Grayson’s dad is trying to marry him off to some air-head socialite for a business deal.” I explain.
Izzy’s eyes widen, and she turns her attention to Grayson. “Seriously?”
Grayson nods in response.
“That is fucked up. I mean this is not the eighteenth century!”
Grayson sniggers. “Yeah, well, you’ve met my Dad, Izz, so this should not surprise you one bit.”
Izzy reaches over and grabs the gaming remote off him. “This is serious shit. Why are you playing along with this?”
Grayson rolls his eyes, clearly not wanting to have another conversation about this subject. “I’m biding my time, that’s all. I just have to make the right noises until my inheritance comes through from mum’s will.”
Izzy looks at me, brow arched. “And you’re okay with this?”
I run a hand through my hair and sigh. “Of course I’m not okay with it, but I’ll have to live with it for now.”
Grayson pulls me from my seat at his side and on to his lap. “You know it means nothing.”
I nod, running my hands along his shoulders. “I know. It doesn’t mean I have to like it.Can’t you just move out? Dad would let you stay here if you told him what is going on.”
Grayson grimaces. “If it were that simple I’d have done that straight away, but he still has to pay my final terms tuition. I can’t afford to miss this last term and my exams.”
I look at him in horror. “He wouldn’t do that though, would he?”
Grayson scoffs. “You’ve met my dad, right? He’ll do anything to get what he wants.”
Little did Grayson know how
