He gave me adrenaline, passion and thrill. I just didn't know at what cost...
When small town girl Mia Thorpe moves to London to begin a new life, the last thing she expects is to fall head over heels for the charming yet mysterious Grayson Cooper...
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I exit the bus with weak legs and dizzy thoughts.
As I stalk towards Grayson's flat, my hands fly to my stomach, hoping that I can dull the queasiness that churns inside of it.
But I can't. Of course I can't. Because very soon I'll find out the truth about what was going on that night, and right now, I'm not sure that I'm strong enough to handle what he might say.
I might cry, or be sick—or both.
I've played out the scenario in my head countless times over the last few hours: Grayson tells me he does drugs, that deep down he's an addict and can't help himself. I tell him that it's fine and that we can move past it.
But can we? Because what I saw that night shivers me to the bone. I may be naive, but when I picture a drug addict, I don't picture Grayson. I'd have never put him in with this kind of scene. Grayson is kind. He's humorous, he's caring and he's smarter than I ever gave him credit for. He dresses well, he's a gentleman and he has morals.
None of this makes sense.
Battling with my thoughts, I reach the huge entrance door to the freakishly modern and expensive apartment building. When I lift my shaking finger to the buzzer, I feel I could throw up.
"Hello?" Grayson's voice sounds deflated on the other end.
"It's me," I say, trying my damn hardest to find some strength in my words. Although I'm not sure why I bother, because Grayson can see straight through me like a clean cut piece of glass.
"Come up," he tells me.
I swallow what feels like a hundred times, before pushing open the giant door when the buzz sounds.
Once inside, my whole body tingles. I step into a vacant lift and close my eyes as I ascend. In no less than a minute I'll see Grayson. And we will have to face our issues like proper adults.
Why does everything have to be so difficult? I came to London to start a new job, and here I am, feeling sick as I'm about to allow my new boyfriend to explain himself to me. This is one thing I definitely didn't see coming. If someone had told me that this is what I'd be doing three months after moving here, I'd have laughed in their face.
When the lift doors sweep open, a strenuous heat suffocates the whole of me. I'd like to think it's the warmth of the building. But it's not. It's my anxieties ripping away at me.
You can get through this Mia. You have to.
I walk out. And I just walk and walk with my heart in my throat until I reach Grayson's door. I stare at it for a while. The wooden patterns look distorted through my dazed vision.
With a sigh, I lift my arm. But the door opens before I can even make contact.
My lips part slightly. In front of me Grayson looks as broken as I feel. He wears a navy sweater and grey joggers, his posture limp against the door. I wish for once I could look at him and not immediately think about how amazing he looks.
