With that, he turned around and headed back into the apartment, slamming the door behind him and making sure to lock it. "Fucking piece of work. I can't believe you dated that asshole."
His gaze settled on Simone and he realized that she was shaking and tears were sliding down her cheek. "Babe…" He wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up against his chest and carrying her back into the bedroom. "Don't cry. He's not worth it."
She shook her head, curling her body into his chest as they lay back down on the bed. "It's not that. It's just…how did I not see what kind of person he was? How did I not see he was only looking for one thing?"
"Men are dogs," Grant said.
"We only went out on like…three dates? Maybe four." She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "I really didn't think it was that serious. I told him I wasn't ready for anything."
Grant kissed her forehead, gently stroking her back to comfort her as her tears began to slowly subside. "I'm sorry, babe. I mean, I'm glad as hell that he's out of your life, but I could seriously kill him for laying a hand on you."
"Thank you," she whispered softly after a minute. "For not killing him. A lesser man would have gotten in a fist fight or something. That wouldn't have solved anything and would probably get you arrested. What you did instead…that was a real man."
Pride welled in his chest at her compliment and how trusting she clearly felt. "Like I said, he's not worth it."
She nodded. "You're right. I don't know why I'm so upset. I was just so startled. The whole thing…it just caught me off guard."
He'd basically assaulted her, so Grant certainly wasn't surprised that she was emotional. Hell, he was still seething inside and wanted to run back out there and beat Jax to a bloody pulp. Piece of shit. He was damn lucky that Grant couldn't afford any run-ins with the law right now.
Damn lucky.
"Am I a terrible person?" Simone asked, barely above a whisper this time. "Do you hate me for being with Jax?"
Grant swallowed hard, considering her question for barely a second before responding. "Definitely not. Do I love the idea of you being with someone else? Hell no. Seriously, hell no. But we were broken up, and you had no reason to believe I'd ever be back. I admire you for being able to try and move on."
She trailed her fingers down the side of his face, gazing into his eyes. "I'm glad you're back, Grant. I…It wasn't the same without you. This is where I belong."
He brushed his lips across hers, kissing her gently. "I'm yours, Simone. I think I was the day we met. I think I always will be." His stomach suddenly growled loudly. "But also, can we please go get some breakfast? I might be dying of actual starvation."
Simone burst out laughing then sat up on the bed. "Come on. There's a cafe on the corner that has amazing breakfast sandwiches."
"God, that sounds so good right now," he said, climbing out of bed after her.
She giggled and swatted at his ass. "Such a simple creature," she teased.
"Food and sex, babe. That's all I need. Oh, and music." He counted off the three things on his fingers. "And now, you. Four things and I'm a happy man."
She slid out of his T-shirt and handed it to him, then went to go grab her own clothes. "What about back massages? I can't survive without a good massage."
He tapped his finger to his chin. "Does the massage lead to sex?"
She shook her head. "Nope. Just a massage."
"Then it doesn't make the list."
"You're ridiculous." She laughed again. "How did I get so lucky?"
Grant leaned over and kissed her on the top of her head. "I could ask the same thing."
Chapter Twenty-Two
"You can see the outline of my penis. And my balls." Grant crossed his arms over his chest.
Simone laughed, tilting her head to the side as she gazed at Grant's pelvis. He wasn't wrong. In the tight neon blue spandex outfit she’d made him wear, the outline of his package could be clearly seen. "Well, at least it's aerodynamic."
"What every man wants to hear about his penis," he replied. "You realize I'm going to fall and break my face, right?"
"This is super beginner aerial silk," she explained, even though she'd already told him all of this earlier. Clearly, he was not looking forward to these lessons, but thankfully, he'd been a pretty good sport about it so far. "I highly doubt they'll even have you off the ground on the first day."
"First day? I only agreed to do this once," he reminded her. "I'm not sure I could fit my balls into this outfit a second time. Literal blue balls, by the way."
Simone grabbed his arms, chuckling as she pulled him into the studio. "Stop being a big baby."
"Hard to do when I'm in a bright blue onesie."
Honestly, he looked amazing in spandex, mostly because she could see every rigid outline in his entire body. His muscles were prominently displayed, and Simone was struggling to keep her thoughts PG when she looked at him. Somehow, she'd convinced him to give aerial silk a try, and he was taking a beginner's lesson today. She was going to be joining in, even though she was far past the beginner's level.
"Hey, Nina!" Simone greeted the instructor when they entered the studio.
"Hi, Simone." Nina waved to her and walked over. "Is this your boyfriend?"
"Uh." Simone glanced at Grant. "This is Grant. He's my…" She honestly wasn't sure how to answer that question. They'd only gotten back together two days ago, and he was leaving for London again on Monday.
"Boyfriend," Grant finished the sentence for her. "Good to meet you, Nina. I apologize for my lewd outfit, but she made me wear it."
Nina's head tilted backward as she laughed at his response. "Spandex is what everyone wears to these classes, so don't worry. Baggier clothes get tangled in the fabric."
"See? I told you," Simone added, though she was still riding high from the fact that Grant had just called himself her boyfriend. I mean, it should be a small deal…but it wasn't.
The last few days had been a whirlwind and she was barely keeping up. Grant had assured her again and again that the incident with Jax wasn't her fault, and that he certainly wasn't upset by anything she'd done. Still, it had been hard to let go of the incident, or the guilt she felt around dating someone else while they’d been apart.
"We're going to start out on the mat, do some stretches," Nina explained, gesturing toward the mats underneath the silk hanging from the ceiling.
Simone's phone began ringing in her bag. "You guys get started without me. I'm just going to grab this really quickly."
Nina nodded and led Grant over to the mat.
Simone stepped out into the hallway and pulled out her phone. "Hello?"
"Simone, darling," Jasmine Rice, her agent, sang through the phone. "I have amazing news."
"The Broadway show?" She tried not to get her hopes up, but it was already soaring. Being a few days out from the live broadcast of Kiss Me, Kate, she was expecting to hear back any moment on the Anastasia role. "Did I get it?"
"You did, darling!" Jasmine sounded like she was clapping, even through the phone. "They want you in New York in two weeks to begin rehearsals. The show itself won't begin until the summer."
"Ah!" Simone screamed. "This is incredible!"
"You deserve it, Simone," her agent continued. "Your performance on Kiss Me, Kate is already receiving rave reviews. People are heralding you one of the greatest voices of the next generation."
Simone’s cheeks heated at the compliment. "Well, that might be a bit of a stretch."
"It's not," Jasmine replied. "You're incredibly talented, and we need to plan out your next steps. You'll do Anastasia—I'm assuming you're saying yes?"
"Yes! Of course, yes!"
"Great. So, you'll do Anastasia until the end of the summer. Then we can aim for another show on Broadway, or another film? Or we can go on tour. You'll definitely have enough of a following by then to be able to sell out venues easily."
"On tour? I don't think people want to pay just to hear me sing…"
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Jasmine scoffed. "Are you crazy? We're already getting offers for you to open for big names. You'll be the headliner in no time at all. We need to get started on recording an album."
Simone nibbled on her bottom lip, nerves building in her stomach. "Do you think I'm ready? I have a lot of songs I've written. They need some polishing, but I think I could do it."
"I'll set you up with a songwriter and the two of you can workshop what you've got," Jasmine replied. "But I have no doubt that you're ready. Let's aim for next summer to release your first album."
"One year…"
"You can do this, Simone," Jasmine assured her. "I wouldn't bullshit you."
That was certainly true. Jasmine Rice was one of the hardest working music agents in the business, and she definitely knew what she was talking about. With the success on American Voice and then Kiss Me, Kate, Simone knew she was positioned to launch a huge career. She just had to grab opportunity by the horns and ride it into her future.
"Thank you, Jasmine. I couldn't have done any of this without you." Simone glanced back through the window into the studio, trying not to laugh at the image of Grant with one leg up in the silk.
Damn, his penis really was on display.
"Not a problem, darling. I'll email you the details but start preparing for a move to New York! It looks like you'll be there a while."
Simone grinned. "I can't wait! My sister lives there, so I'll probably stay with her until I find my own place."
"Sounds perfect. Have a great day," Jasmine finished, saying goodbye before she hung up.
Simone tucked her phone back into her bag and then reentered the studio. Grant was face down on the mat with his legs up in the air, tangled in the silk.
"No, not like that," Nina was saying. "That's not even… No, I…Okay, let's just start over. I'm going to go grab a few more mats."
Simone tried not to laugh at Grant's clear failure as Nina walked off, but it was a losing battle. She burst out laughing, and Grant shot her an annoyed look.
"I can't feel my balls," he complained, falling onto the mat. He climbed back up to his feet, shaking off the silk. "Gracefulness is not my forte."
"Well, I was certainly enjoying watching," she teased.
Grant grinned, wiggling his pelvis. "Sure, you were. Who was that on the phone?"
"My agent, and guess what!" Simone clapped her hands together. "I got the Broadway role. I'll be in New York at least through the end of the summer."
"The same time I'll be there," he replied. "How serendipitous. Congrats, babe. That's amazing!"
"Thanks!" She wrapped her arms around his waist, leaned up on the tips of her toes, and kissed him. "I'm so excited. I've got to start packing and preparing to move."
"Let's just get a place together," he suggested.
"What?" She balked.
He shrugged, like it was no big deal that he was suggesting they move in together. "There's no point in us getting separate apartments while we're there because I definitely plan on spending every night with you."
Simone couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. "That sounds so…logical."
Grant chuckled but pulled her against his chest. "No, it sounds romantic. I don't want to be apart from you a moment more than our jobs already make us be. Hell, I'm climbing silk ropes with my balls hanging out for you, Simone. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that I'm falling in love with you."
She kissed him again, relishing the softness of his lips against hers. "I'm falling in love with you, too," she admitted.
"Good," he replied. "Because you're stuck with me. I'll have my realtor start looking for apartments in New York immediately."
"That sounds perfect."
"Any must-haves? Wood floors, giant closets, doormen?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I'm honestly fine with anything. Although…maybe it could be a pet-friendly building?"
"You don't have any pets," he pointed out. "Are we getting a dog?"
"I was thinking about it before all this happened." Honestly, she'd been wanting a dog for years, but she'd been putting it off because of how much responsibility she already had on her plate caring for her family. However, since she'd been focusing more on herself and making her own needs a priority, getting a dog seemed like the next best step.
"So, we're moving in together and getting a dog. No pressure," he teased. "Just promise me it won't be some little fluffy, prissy thing."
She grinned, having already been looking at pictures of little Shih-Tzus for weeks. "I can't make that promise."
"Oh, good Lord," he muttered. "All right. Let's do this. Want to go to the shelter after this?"
Her heart sped up, and she jumped up into his arms. "Yes!"
Grant laughed, catching her and swinging her around in a circle. "I can't even believe my life right now."
"Are you happy?" she asked, because she was feeling deliriously so. The man she was starting to fall in love with was giving her everything she'd ever wanted.
Commitment and a dog? Jackpot.
Chapter Twenty-Three
"She is the sweetest little thing I've ever seen," Teagan admitted, cuddling the small fluffy white puppy that Simone and Grant had adopted last week before Grant had left for his last two weeks in London. "What's her name again?"
"Mildred. Or Millie." Simone handed her a blueberry and the puppy mashed it up quickly.
Teagan chuckled. "You know that name is ridiculous, right?"
"Yep!" Simone didn't care one bit. She loved people names for dogs, and it perfectly fit hers. Grant had balked slightly at how tiny and fluffy the puppy was, but after some cajoling, he'd fallen just as in love with Millie as Simone had.
"Did you guys pick an apartment yet?" her sister asked. "You know which one I'm rooting for."
She'd shown her sister the options they were looking at, one of which was on the same block as Teagan's, so of course she wanted her to pick that apartment. "We signed the lease yesterday—and yes, it's for the one by you. Luckily, that's also super close to the theatre, so I can walk to work."
Teagan pumped a fist in the air. "Yes! Free babysitting!"
Simone laughed and shook her head. "I didn't agree to that!"
"Like you could resist Piper's little face," Teagan replied, then ran her hands over her belly which was getting larger and larger with every passing day. "Or whoever this little face is going to be."
"I am glad I'll be there when you have the baby," Simone admitted. She definitely wanted to be around for the birth of her next niece or nephew, and she was thrilled that the entire family now knew about Teagan's pregnancy. Honestly, it was pretty impossible to keep hidden at this point since she was so clearly pregnant. "And, of course, I'll babysit when I'm not working. During the show's run, though, I'll be doing eight shows a week. Six days—two on Saturday, and two on Sunday."
"I know that schedule all too well," Teagan admitted, no stranger to Broadway herself. "It'll be killer for those few months, but you won't regret it."
Teagan was now working on a dance film that she was going to be starring in—her first solo film without Reed. Her career had risen with the Break Down series she'd done with Reed, but it had taken off on her own now. She was one of the most famous dancers both in Hollywood and on Broadway and making use of every second of her fame. She was even hosting a dancing competition show with a million-dollar prize, and it was clear that she was one of the most respected dancers in the industry. The pregnancy had forced her to take a temporary pause, but she was still just as hot a commodity.
"I'm definitely nervous but looking forward to it." Simone picked up Millie from the floor and cuddled her in her lap.
"I still can't believe you two are moving in together," Teagan continued. "You realize you two barely know each other, right?"
Simone shrugged. "We know enough. And what we don't know, we'll learn. It's not like we wouldn't have spent every night with each other anyway."
"I guess th
at's true," Teagan agreed. "I mean, financially, New York is impossible without a partner or a roommate. Though, I've seen your check for the play, and girl…I'm jealous as fuck."
Simone laughed. "What? Why?"
"You're getting lead role money!" Teagan shook her head, as if she didn't know what it was like to be rolling in dough. Between her multiple salaries and Reed's paychecks, she made more than Simone could imagine. "It took me like three shows to get to that level."
"Well, I'm twenty-six. It's about time I start making a decent paycheck after living off Mom and Dad for the last two decades," Simone countered, because honestly, all of her gigs had barely paid out until now. Despite the fame American Voice had given her, she hadn't won and therefore—no prize money. Kiss Me, Kate had been a nice paycheck, but they'd vastly undersold her and she knew it. It'd been worth it, however, to break into the field and get her name out there. "Dad would be thrilled that I'm finally out of the house."
Teagan chuckled lightly, barely audible. "He loved having you there, despite all his complaining."
Simone nodded, because she knew that, too. A sigh rose heavily in her chest. "I miss him."
"Me, too," her sister agreed. "I'm thrilled to see Mom doing so much better, though."
"Is she?" Simone tilted her head to the side, because honestly, she couldn't tell. Sure, her mother got out of the house more, but their home was still a shrine to her father, and she visited his grave every morning. "It doesn't really feel like she's moved on."
"I don't think she ever will," Teagan replied. "Part of me thinks she shouldn't. Dad was her great love—her everything. I don't know if there is anything after that. She's holding on to those memories, that connection, but at least now she's making room for other people in her life. She's coming out to dinner and seeing all of us girls regularly. I think that's the most we can hope for."
Simone was quiet for a moment, gently petting a now snoring Millie. "Do you think that's really how it works? You get one great love, and then that's it?"