Bounce (24 page)

Grey

G
arrett, mind if I take off for an hour?” I ask him. He's in a tuxedo, and he looks sharp. We're filming a Christmas party scene for the movie.

I've spent the day watching him and Skyler pretend to flirt in front of six film cameras and two dozen people. I don't mind them flirting, obviously. What I don't like is how Brooks pulls Sky aside whenever there's a break in the shoot schedule. What I don't like is the way his goddamn hands touch her back or her arm or her hands, like he can't freakin' speak unless he's touching her. I feel possessive of her. Insanely. And I've pushed her right into Brooks's arms by acting like a total tool last night.

Skyler didn't sleep at the apartment. I know she slept at Brooks's place, even though I'm pretty sure they didn't hook up. I don't think. I don't know why I think that. Maybe it's just what I want to believe.

“Sure, Greyson. I'll survive without you for an hour, most likely.” Garrett looks from me, to Brooks and Skyler, to Adam and Mom, who are standing together holding lattes. So alike. Stylish and lean. Polished. Garrett takes my face in his hands. “Try and come back without that frown you've been wearing all day.” He winks and lets me go.

I glance at Skyler as I leave the soundstage. She's under the bright lights, surrounded by tables and props that make this warehouse look like an upscale restaurant. Skyler is sitting at a table, and Mia has plopped into the chair Garrett was occupying during the scene. They look like they're in a deep conversation, and I wonder if it's about me.

What choice did I have last night? If we'd slept together, she'd have regretted it. Does she have any idea that stopping us was one of the toughest things I've ever done? It destroyed me. Mentally, it was the right call. Physically, I'll never forgive myself. It
hurts me
to imagine what I passed up—and I've been imagining it all damn day.

I close my eyes and hear her voice. “If your solution to every problem is to smash it, then I'm glad things didn't go any further back there.”

Even last night, she was already relieved. Smash or avoid. That's what she thinks of me. That's how she thinks I deal with problems. She's right. I left home last August, when the shit hit the fan with Mom. And I left Adam's place last week, when the same thing happened. Avoid and avoid. And I did smash her phone last night. I really am the Hulk.

I walk to the parking lot, feeling better with a little fresh air, and hop in the Mercedes. Twenty minutes later, I'm talking to a salesman at an electronics store. I buy an unlocked model of the newest iPhone and drive back to the studio. It's dark, but all the cars are still here. They're still filming. I open the box and take out the new phone and power it up. Then I find the record voice memos option, and click it.

“Sky . . . ​It's Grey. I have a few things I want to say. First thing. Sorry about your phone. Hope this one's an okay replacement. The guy at the store said this is a better model than the one you had. Newer. Anyway, I hope you like it. Second thing . . . ​I've been thinking you're right about some of the things you said about me. How I smash or avoid, and . . . ​I'm going to do better. You probably don't give a shit what I do but . . . ​I'm going to change that stuff about me. I'm standing by what I said, though. I mean, by what I did, by not hooking up with you. Skyler . . . ​I can't risk messing up with you. I couldn't use you, and I couldn't let you use me, and I think that's what last night would've been. You're too good for that.

“Anyway, I'm not going to avoid you or make it awkward between us. I don't want to do that again. It's going to majorly suck, because I think you're kind of with Brooks, but whatever. I'll deal. So, if you're up for it, we should be friends. I want to be your friend. That sounds really lame. Shit. I actually had a plan going into this. All right, I'm going to wrap it up. Sky, this is me, making the first move: let's be buds?” I'm laughing at my idiot self as I stop the recording. Let's be buds? Seriously? But I leave it the way it is. That message burned all my courage.

I put the phone back in the box. Then I sit in the car for a little while, just watching the parking lot. I already feel better. I know she'll accept my offer. When we talk, when there's none of the attraction bullshit going on between us, it's so good. We connect. I know she feels that, too. That's what I don't want to lose. That's what I'm fighting to keep.

I use my truck's spare key and unlock it, and leave the new phone on the driver's seat. I notice, as I lock back up, that my truck smells like her now.

I don't see her the rest of the night. We miss each other at the studio. When I leave, I go straight to band practice since it's late. The guys give it extra gas as we move through our songs. I feel us improving, fueled by the upcoming showcase. We sound awesome. The girls are quiet, watching us, Nora and Beth. Evie and Renee. In their expressions, I see something that's close to wonder. I see us becoming something unique, whole. But at the same time I'm conscious of the barrier I noticed at our Amber performance. How I hold back the last small part of myself and don't give over completely. I push for it when we play “Runner.” I push for honesty. I push to let out the pain, the rejection, the fear. I edge right up to it, but I can't break down the barrier.

We shut it down around midnight, and I head back to the apartment. Now that Beth and Titus are together, they've been going to his place a lot. Titus lives in a studio apartment, and privacy is a big plus for them right now. They can't keep their hands off each other.

I'm disappointed when I get home. Skyler's still out. I grab my guitar and sit on the couch and mess around with it for a little while, telling myself I'm not waiting up for her. At two, I shower and get in bed. At two thirty, I hear her come in. I hear the shower go on, and then I hear her get out, and the door to her room shuts.

Damn it. She's still mad at me.

My phone lights up on the bedside table.

Skyler:
Are you awake?

I grab it and text back, typing so fast I confuse the hell out of autocorrect my first few tries.

Grey:
Yep. I'm up.

Skyler:
I like my new phone. Thank you.

I'm smiling so big, I want to punch myself.

Grey:
Welcome.

It's quiet for a long pause, then another text pops up.

Skyler:
Good night, buddy.

Grey:
Night, Sky.

In the morning, I'm brushing my teeth when Skyler pushes the bathroom door open. She's working some serious pink bedhead. She gives me a sleepy smile, and I scoot aside. She loads up her toothbrush, and we stand at the sink for about five minutes, scrubbing the hell out of our teeth, like it's some kind of competition.

I hand her a towel after she rinses.

“Don't you love having clean teeth?” she says, wiping her mouth.

“Who doesn't?”

We're both smiling. I'm not noticing the soft t-shirt that barely reaches her thighs. She's not noticing that I'm only wearing flannel boxers. It's cool. We decide to drive to the studio together, since we're both going there, and we talk music the entire time. Skyler has an idea for changing the arrangement in “Runner.” She describes it to me, and I spend the entire morning playing it in my head. It's going to make that song unforgettable, and I can't wait to get to the garage tonight to tell the guys.

With her schedule today, I don't expect to see her again the rest of the day, but she steps into the trailer around one, holding a plastic salad container. I set my half-eaten sandwich down and wipe my face with a napkin.

“Garrett's not here,” I say.

“I know. I saw the shooting schedule.” She lifts the salad. “I saw you leaving the lunch spread and thought maybe we could eat together.”

“Sure. Have a seat.”

She slides into the bench seat opposite me. I take down my sandwich in about thirty seconds, and Sky pushes her organic greens around. As we eat, we laugh at some of the takes from the morning. Garrett was in rare form. My eyes keep moving to Skyler's bare shoulders. She's wearing wardrobe again, a cocktail dress that's silver and shimmery. I notice she's looking smaller. I think she's dropping weight since the shoot started. The way she picks at her salad's a pretty good indication why.

“Want me to get you something else?” I ask.

She pushes her salad away. “No. I'm fine.” She sighs and melts against the booth seat, closing her eyes.

“That dress, Sky,” I say.

She peers at me, quirking an eyebrow. “You like?”

“Hell yeah.” Then I change the subject, because it feels like we might be violating the buddy code of conduct. “So, how's it going with Brooks?”

Skyler gives me an upside-down smile. “He's nice.” She sits up. “We're going out tomorrow.”

I nod. I can't say anything to that.

“Grey, we don't have to talk about Brooks.”

“It's okay. We should be able to talk about other people with each other.”

“You're right. We should.”

I want to tell her Brooks never wants anything serious with girls. I feel like Skyler should know that. It was something he and Adam had in common before Ali came into the picture. Brooks is really only looking for someone to have fun with for a little while. But as much as Brooks is getting on my nerves lately, he's a friend. And maybe that's all Skyler wants, too. Shit. I'm thinking too much.

“Brooks is a good guy,” I say, at the end of all that. Skyler is smart. She'll do what's right for her. Which is me. Hah.

“I think so, too.” Skyler frowns. “Grey . . . ​Are
you
seeing anyone?”

“No. Nora's been trying to set me up with someone. But, no.”

“Who's she setting you up with?”

“She hasn't yet. She's friends with some girl who just got back to LA after working in Paris for a year and a half. Nora's trying to introduce her around. She just texted to see if Juliette could come to band practice tonight.”

I shake my head. It's all true, but why the hell did I say it? Why the hell do I feel weird that I said it?

Skyler picks up her fork, then sets it back down. “Is she? Coming to band practice?”

“I said it was fine with me.”

“Cool. I hope she's cool.”

I shrug. “Me too.” Shane's met Juliette and says she's a Kate Upton look-alike. I guess I should be pumped about that, but I can't even picture a casual hookup. All I picture is Skyler. Who, if I didn't know better, is showing hints of jealousy.

I don't think we're just buds. What the hell are we?

Mia knocks on the door and steps inside. “There you are,” she says to Sky. “We need you.”

“Okay,” Sky says. “I'll be right there.” Mia's a little surprised Sky doesn't jump up to leave, but she shuts the trailer door. Skyler looks back at me. “I don't want to go back.”

“Stay.”

“I wish. See you at home later?”

“Yeah. Hey, Skyler. Brooks is persuasive. I mean, he's a good guy. But he's good at getting what he wants, too.”

She studies me for a second. “Thanks, Grey. Let me know how ‘Runner' goes, okay?”

“It's going to be epic.”

Skyler gives me a huge smile. “Yeah,” she says. “It is.”

  
Chapter 28
  

Skyler

I
open the front door to find Brooks standing there with a huge smile on his face and an African violet in his hands.

“This is for you,” he tells me, handing me the plant, which is gorgeous, with budding purple blossoms. “The lady at the flower shop assured me it wouldn't be a pain in the ass to take care of, so I hope it's okay. I didn't want to buy you something that was going to die in two days.”

“It's beautiful.” I rub a velvety petal between my thumb and finger, feeling suddenly shy around someone who's already seen me in various states of dress and emotional upheaval.