First There Was You

Chapter 47: Greyson

August 7

Loon call Island, Lake Rosseau, Muskoka

Fucking Chiara.

"Grey, what an absolute treat. I guess chivalry's not dead, after all, am I right, ladies?" She trails her fingers over my bare shoulder as she leaps from the bow like a cat.

Giggles are the only response from the boat, and I lean over the canvas top to see who she's brought. I don't recognize anyone at first, not until a drunken squeal from the other bow seat pierces my eardrum and a small, dark-haired girl launches herself at me.

"Mads?"

"Greyson, Grey, who names their kid Greyson, anyway?"

Fuck. She's drunk as a skunk, slurring her words, and can barely stand up straight. Why do the other girls seem so sober, then?

"Hi, Mads, you having a party tonight?" I try to get a look at her face to see just how drunk she is.

"We're playing a drinking game, it's fun, you'll see. I want you and Theo to play with me. Chiara promised Theo would play with me." Her pout, which I imagine is supposed to be coy, or cute, is neither. She looks like a sad doll, the kind you have to tip backward to get their eyes to close.

Torn, wanting to leave, to see Elle, but something inside me is telling me to stay, to look out for her little, dramatic, and extremely intoxicated friend. Fuck. Life was easier when I didn't care about anything. Anyone. When I could just do whatever I wanted.

Wishing I wasn't about to do what I do, knowing I don't have a choice, I wrap my arm around Mads just as Theo wolf whistles from the top of the hill, and the girls go wild as they get a look at him in the spotlight. His lean, muscled torso gleams, clearly attracting these girls like moths to a flame. One flame. Watching the four of them scramble up the hill, I sigh, shifting Mads in my grip and turning to Chiara.

"What the fuck are you doing here? And why is Mads the only one who is absolutely wasted?"

She shrugs, examining her nails before walking past me. "Theo invited my friend Jen over, we were all at her place so we thought we'd tag along. I hear he likes a group. Pathetic, right? She's still into him after he left her hanging during my little game night. As to all this?" She waves her hand dismissively at Mads, "We're having a little initiation night. If she wants to party with the big girls, she has to learn how to keep up."

Grinding my teeth together, I let her walk away. Just listening to the way she speaks about her so-called-friends makes me ill. My sister once had friends like these.

"Don't move, Mads." I climb into her boat, turning off the navigation lights so her battery won't drain, then jump back onto the dock.

Dragging Mads to my boat, I take my phone out of the glove box, texting Elle.

'Get here, now. Chiara just crashed the party. Mads is with her, she's wasted. I'll take care of her, then I need a ride to your place.'

Grabbing the girl in question's bicep, I tug her up the path, intending to find Ry and dump her on him, while I talk to Theo.

This is literally the last thing I need right now. All I want is to crawl into bed with my girl, to keep all the thoughts and feelings twisting around inside me away for just a while longer.

When Mads stumbles, laughing like a lunatic, I give up, tossing her over my shoulder and letting her bounce limply as I wander back to the deck.

"I'm tossing some precious cargo in your guestroom T. Where are the keys?"

Theo walks around to check out the laughing girl with her head bouncing against my lower back. "Shit man, think she's okay?"

"Hey Mads," his concerned voice makes me a little less angry at him, he didn't orchestrate Chiara pumping her friend full of booze after all.