more freckles, but their hair and eyes were alike enough that they could have easily passed as cousins. “She’s pretty.”
Grey nodded and smoothed her thumb over the edge of the photo. “Yeah. She was.”
“Oh…” Lauren’s voice trailed off as she did not know how she should respond to Grey’s use of the past tense. “I…”
“She’s my fiancée. Or, was,” Grey offered quietly. “Emily. She, uh, she die d…a little over three years ago.”
“Shit.” Lauren’s right hand hovered in the air above Grey’s shoulder for half a second before she gave it a gentle squeeze. Suddenly Grey’s ‘ they’re all just distractions ’ comment from the night before made perfect sense. “I’m so sorry, Grey.”
Grey closed her eyes, drawing strength from the touch even as a feeling of guilt surged through her because of it. “Thanks.”
Lauren’s gaze dropped to look at the picture of Emily as Grey’s shoulder relaxed beneath her palm, the brunette’s head turning ever so slightly toward her, like she was trying to lean into the touch without actually doing so. Grey’s expression was so heartbreakingly fragile that Lauren found herself needing to look away, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw Kim’s head pop into view.
“Hey,” Kim called out.
Lauren bit her lip at the way Grey tensed at the sound of Kim’s voice, and sighed when Grey sat up straighter, rolling her shoulders to try and shrug her hand off. “We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes,” she told Kim.
“Closer to ten,” Grey piped up, her voice only a little rougher than usual as she shoved the picture between her leg and the seat.
Kim’s eyes flicked between the two women and she nodded as she flashed them an apologetic smile , clearly aware that she had interrupted something private. “All right, thanks.”
Lauren looked down at Grey, who was staring resolutely ahead with jaw clenched tight and her hands squeezing the life out of the wheel. Everything about Grey screamed to be left alone, and two days ago, Lauren would have done just that. But she remembered the way Grey had leaned into her only moments before, the way her body had relaxed as took the comfort Lauren was offering, and she could not find the motivation to leave. Not when Grey was clearly hurting, and definitely not when she might be able to do something to help ease that pain. Lauren licked her lips nervously as she laid her hand gently back on Grey’s shoulder and she let out the breath she had not realized she was holding when Grey relaxed into her touch. Lauren smiled sadly and slid her hand across the back of Grey’s shoulders to pull her into a one-armed hug, nothing too much or too confining, but just a light embrace to let Grey know that she was not alone.
As Lauren felt Grey sink into her side, she wished she was better with words so that she could thank Grey for sharing Emily with her. But words had never been her strong suit, and instinct had her turning her head to press a gentle kiss to Grey’s temple. It was what her best friend always did to make her feel better when she needed it, and it was not until her lips came into contact with Grey’s skin that she realized what she was doing. Her breath caught in her throat as she froze, and then she pulled away as if burned. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her arm dropping to her side. “So sorry,” she repeated as she turned and hurried down the stairs.
Grey had frozen at the feeling of Lauren’s lips on her skin, and she only let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding once she was sure Lauren had gone. She pulled the picture of her and Emily out from under her leg, and she could not contain the few tears that slipped silently down her cheeks as she looked at the face of the woman to whom she had once promised forever.
Chapter 11
Sandy Spit was a small island that sat just off the northern coast of Jost Van Dyke, with a wide sandy beach
Grey nodded and smoothed her thumb over the edge of the photo. “Yeah. She was.”
“Oh…” Lauren’s voice trailed off as she did not know how she should respond to Grey’s use of the past tense. “I…”
“She’s my fiancée. Or, was,” Grey offered quietly. “Emily. She, uh, she die d…a little over three years ago.”
“Shit.” Lauren’s right hand hovered in the air above Grey’s shoulder for half a second before she gave it a gentle squeeze. Suddenly Grey’s ‘ they’re all just distractions ’ comment from the night before made perfect sense. “I’m so sorry, Grey.”
Grey closed her eyes, drawing strength from the touch even as a feeling of guilt surged through her because of it. “Thanks.”
Lauren’s gaze dropped to look at the picture of Emily as Grey’s shoulder relaxed beneath her palm, the brunette’s head turning ever so slightly toward her, like she was trying to lean into the touch without actually doing so. Grey’s expression was so heartbreakingly fragile that Lauren found herself needing to look away, and her breath caught in her throat when she saw Kim’s head pop into view.
“Hey,” Kim called out.
Lauren bit her lip at the way Grey tensed at the sound of Kim’s voice, and sighed when Grey sat up straighter, rolling her shoulders to try and shrug her hand off. “We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes,” she told Kim.
“Closer to ten,” Grey piped up, her voice only a little rougher than usual as she shoved the picture between her leg and the seat.
Kim’s eyes flicked between the two women and she nodded as she flashed them an apologetic smile , clearly aware that she had interrupted something private. “All right, thanks.”
Lauren looked down at Grey, who was staring resolutely ahead with jaw clenched tight and her hands squeezing the life out of the wheel. Everything about Grey screamed to be left alone, and two days ago, Lauren would have done just that. But she remembered the way Grey had leaned into her only moments before, the way her body had relaxed as took the comfort Lauren was offering, and she could not find the motivation to leave. Not when Grey was clearly hurting, and definitely not when she might be able to do something to help ease that pain. Lauren licked her lips nervously as she laid her hand gently back on Grey’s shoulder and she let out the breath she had not realized she was holding when Grey relaxed into her touch. Lauren smiled sadly and slid her hand across the back of Grey’s shoulders to pull her into a one-armed hug, nothing too much or too confining, but just a light embrace to let Grey know that she was not alone.
As Lauren felt Grey sink into her side, she wished she was better with words so that she could thank Grey for sharing Emily with her. But words had never been her strong suit, and instinct had her turning her head to press a gentle kiss to Grey’s temple. It was what her best friend always did to make her feel better when she needed it, and it was not until her lips came into contact with Grey’s skin that she realized what she was doing. Her breath caught in her throat as she froze, and then she pulled away as if burned. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, her arm dropping to her side. “So sorry,” she repeated as she turned and hurried down the stairs.
Grey had frozen at the feeling of Lauren’s lips on her skin, and she only let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding once she was sure Lauren had gone. She pulled the picture of her and Emily out from under her leg, and she could not contain the few tears that slipped silently down her cheeks as she looked at the face of the woman to whom she had once promised forever.
Chapter 11
Sandy Spit was a small island that sat just off the northern coast of Jost Van Dyke, with a wide sandy beach
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