Page 53

I’m just struggling to accept this is going to work.

We are supposed to be in this together, and right now, it’s more him than me.

I need to change that.

“Well, I’m excited for you,” Layla says and holds up her water. “To my aunt Grace, the best role model a girl could ever ask for, who deserves true love.”

Ah, fuck.

“To Grace.”

All the girls join in, and I lean over to give my niece a side hug.

“Thank you,” I tell her just as my phone lights up.

Preston

Did I take things too far earlier?

Layla reads the text and then looks away, her lips pressed together to keep from smiling.

Well, that was smooth.

I stand up.

“I’ll be right back,” I announce as they fall into conversation about this week’s book. I wander into one of the rows of bookshelves before I text him back.

Grace

No. Sorry. I was distracted. I’m at girls’ night now.

Preston

Good. Did all the girls make it? Hudson mentioned it’s been hard for all of you lately to have the same night off.

Grace

Just Sadie and Brooke tonight. Layla conned me into bringing her, too.

Preston

That’s what Gavin said.

Grace

He knows?

Preston

Oh yeah. I dropped him off at his house about a half hour ago, after he told me about how he found one of her books in her room when he was putting laundry away. And he has that Find My Friend thing on her phone.

Grace

Is he okay?

But he’s obviously okay. I’d have heard about it if he weren’t.

Preston