Always & Forever (Nick & Bailey #2)

8. Ian

After leaving the house, Ian's not even sure where he's going. Normally in this situation, he would call Nick to hang out.

He had every intention of staying close to all of his buddies from high school, but the truth is that life got in the way. He was focused on his life in California, not his life back home—which was all fine and dandy until he's here and has nowhere to go. The one person that he still considers a good friend just betrayed him.

He knew something was off when Bailey asked about Nick the second she walked in the door, but he just brushed it off. And now that he's thinking about it...they were probably together this morning. That's why they showed up so close to each other!

The final straw was when he saw them at dinner. The way she was staring at him, Ian knew then, without question, that they were fucking. A girl doesn't look at a guy like that unless she's got something on her mind.

He never would have guessed that they'd actually be dating, though. Nick's never been in any relationship, and he chooses Bailey to start with?

And when those two break up—and Ian knows they will break up—he's going to either be out a lifelong friend or a sister. It's not fair. This wasn't his dumbass decision.

And the fact that it's been going on since Christmas?!? Unbelievable. How many times has Ian talked to Nick since then? He's had plenty of opportunity to be honest, but he didn't. He lied.

Ian must have done some really fucked up shit to deserve the karma he's received in the last month.

He really thought he was falling in love with Kiley. He thought she was different, but it turns out she was just like every other girl craving attention from the nearest male. And then Brody...fucking Brody...couldn't keep his dick in his pants.

At least what's happening with Nick and Bailey isn't as bad as that whole fucked up situation was—not yet, anyway.

Ian finds himself on the other side of town only a couple of blocks from his grandma's new retirement home. He hasn't been to visit her, and there's no time like the present. He's sure she'll be interested to hear what her granddaughter's been up to.

As he's walking toward the front door, he appreciates the ridiculousness of the situation. Instead of hanging out with his friends or partying on his first night home for the summer, he's visiting his grandmother.

He checks in at the front desk, and the staff tries to call her room but she's not there. Even she has a more social life than Ian does at this point. After a young boy in scrubs returns from the rec room, he says, "Bee said she'll meet you in her room. Room 47."

Ian thanks them and turns to look for his grandma's room. He finds it fairly quickly and sees that the door is already ajar. He lets himself in and sees her in her miniature kitchen, pulling a frozen pizza out of the freezer.

"I already ate," he says when she sees him.

"It's not for you." She holds her arms out to pull him into a hug. "They had liver and onions in the dining hall tonight...no thank you."

Ian laughs. "I'm glad to see this place hasn't changed you too much."

She releases him from her arms but continues to rub his back soothingly. She was always able to tell—more than anyone else—when he was stressed. "They don't let me smoke in here, so I have to go outside, which has dramatically lowered my intake. So that's changed."

"That might not be a bad thing, grandma."

"Now you sound like Mandy." She bends over to put the pizza in the oven and sets a timer. "It's funny that the two grandkids that I only get to talk to on the phone are the ones who all of sudden want me to be 'healthy'. I'm seventy-six years old. I'm not going to change now."