A/N It happened again. Wattpad didn't send notice of yesterday's chapter. If you missed it go back one chapter. Please follow me. I always post my chapters to my followers.

Gray offered to drive Monty and Sofia to Baxter Kane's house instead of babysitting. Sofia's parents were with Ana. They were staying overnight, even though they lived not far in East Boston. Sofia liked them to spend time with Ana. On Sunday, Julio, Rosa, and Lina would visit.

Gray slapped Monty's back. "Remember when it was just the two of us?"

Monty smiled. "See what you're missing."

Sofia's family was fun. He had tried to imagine K bringing him to meet her family. They would probably tell him to eat in the kitchen.

As he sat in the car on Saturday night, he couldn't concentrate. Ever since the day she took the photographs, he thought about her constantly. Before too, but it seemed as if it was his new state of being.

When the car door opened, he sighed as if his heart finally beat on the right rhythm. He looked at her, with her hair in a ponytail. It was a new look, and he loved it. "I was waiting for you."

She laughed. "You were?"

"Uh-huh. You would have disappointed me if you didn't come by."

"You know, you can invite me over. I'm sure Monty won't mind."

"He's from your world. He knows I don't belong."

"But he married Sofia."

Gray frowned. "Because his family isn't like yours. He hated his father when he married Sofia."

"We aren't talking about marriage. Tell me you don't like to spend time with me."

"I won't lie." He leaned over and brushed her lips. "I really like you, K."

"I like you too. It isn't because you saved me. Here. Did you see this?"

She handed him a magazine. He studied the cover. "Did you take this?"

"Yes."

He flipped through the article but only looked at the pictures. "Can I hate him?"

"Yes. I do. You taught me so much."

He looked at her. "Like what?"

"Self respect. Mutual respect. You inspire me. I've been clean since I met you, except for an occasional drink. I would stop if you wanted me too."

"You can drink."

Gray was used to wine on the dinner table, but Monty didn't keep hard liquor or beers in the house. His friend sipped scotch with his wealthy friends and probably had a glass in his hand inside K's brother's house. More than Gray's friendship, Sofia had grounded him. He hadn't drunk to excess since he married her. Marriage changed Monty, because his problems stemmed from needing to be loved. Sofia filled the void and Ana topped it off.

"I didn't drink at dinner because I wanted to kiss you."

He smiled as his heart thumped. "You did?"

"I think about it a lot."

Gray's heart soared. Unable to hold back, his lips sought hers. Kissing with the console between them was awkward, but it would keep them from going too far. He didn't keep condoms in the car and they were on a public street.

As they kissed, she sighed and his dick stiffened. He pulled back. "Maybe we should talk." He reached for her hand.

Even in the dark car, he could see her blush. "Okay. You know we could talk more if we exchanged phone numbers."

Countless times, he had thought about calling her. He would pick up his phone only to put it back down. "I have one condition."

"What?"

"Don't keep calling if I don't answer. I'll call you back when I can."

She nodded. "Sounds like you have dated some obsessed women."

"You know I have dated a lot."

She frowned. "I haven't dated a lot."

"Seriously? I don't believe you."

"Remember, I'm the girl who dated the violent rocker. I used to party which excludes the dating definition. Now you know so if it bothers you tell me and I'll leave."

He looked at the hurt etched across her face. "You don't give yourself enough credit. I know why I developed a drinking problem."

"Yeah, war."

He nodded. "The effects of it. Monty drank to excess because he felt unloved, but he could point to one night as a turning point that started his slide." She opened her mouth and shut it. "Don't ask. I might have said too much already. Why did you start drugs? Did you have a moment?"

She looked at their joined hands. "The first time I got high was the day of my sister's best friend's funeral. A truck hit her when I was thirteen, and for days, I couldn't get the image out of my mind. I had nightmares. I found some older guys getting high after the service and I tried it. The image disappeared. Over the years, a lot of problems felt better when I was high, like being the dumbest in my family."

"You are not dumb."

"Well, the worst student."

"But the most artistic. I watched you work. You are talented." He pointed to the magazine. "Those are incredible."

"I partied because that's what rich kids do, and there was coke, so I tried it. The party seemed better, and that was my life until I partied with the wrong people."

"And you just told me you survived your own trauma without getting high."

"Because of you. I didn't want to disappoint you. Do you know what I thought about every time I looked in the mirror?"

"No. Tell me." Her honesty hadn't pushed him away.

"One, I would remember how caring you were by removing your mirror."

He chuckled. "I was afraid you would get hysterical if you saw."

"I don't believe you. I think you were protecting me." She squeezed his hand.

"You said two things."

"Yeah. I would look at my grotesque face and remember you called me beautiful. You saw past my bruises."

"It was easy to see. You are beautiful, especially tonight with no makeup."

She giggled. "I might have a little."

"I had to look past the bruises, otherwise I would feel the anger. I wish I had punched the sonofabitch a few more times, and I'm a lover not a fighter."

She laughed. "You told me that, before I knew just how good a lover you are."

"Woman, you are wicked."

"Is that bad?"

He shook his head. "Not at all." He leaned over and kissed her tenderly.

Somehow he wanted to convey just how much he cared about her. She had healed him without even knowing. Gray saved her because he was in the right place at the right moment. It helped him finally accept he couldn't have saved Beth. He wasn't there. It was a matter of logistics.

A knock on the window drew them apart. Monty looked at him with a cocked eyebrow. Gray looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He looked at Doyle. "Your brother and sister want to meet Gray to thank him. Should I tell them he's too busy kissing their sister?"

"No. You should meet them. I'll go home."

"How?" Gray asked.

"Walk. The same way I got here. It's only around the block."

"I'll go in for a minute and then I'll drive you."

"Okay."

Monty frowned. "If either of you thought they would approve you would walk in together."

She shook her head. "Not yet. We're just getting to know each other."

Gray breathed. His biggest fear was that her family would end it before they were ready. "I agree. Plus, my relationships never last long."

She frowned. "You told me that."

He stepped out of the car and adjusted his pants before straightening his tie and combing his short hair with his fingers.

"You look fine, Romeo."

As he walked towards the door, he frowned. They had known each other for months, but they had hardly seen each other.

He entered a narrow dining room with Sofia and two couples at the table. Monty laughed. "It took some convincing. This is my friend, Gray."

Sofia smiled and jumped up. "Sit here." She kissed his cheek.

Gray smiled. She wanted to show them he wasn't scary even though he was big. "I can stand."

The man with K's eyes said, "Thank you for saving Doyle. Do you have a little sister?"

He shook his head. "Except Sofia. I love her like a sister."

Everyone turned to Sofia. "He does. It's mutual. He got me out of some trouble once too."

A woman with dark hair said, "Doyle is my sister and I know he could have killed her if you hadn't been there. Life is about seconds. Your seconds intercepted with Doyle's and I'll be forever grateful."

In his mind he heard her words, a truck hit my sister's best friend. Seconds mattered, maybe not for Beth unless another humvee went first and someone else's loved one went home in a box.

"The Marines trained me to act. I promise you if I had known who she was, or that you were worried about her, I would have gotten word to you. K, um Doyle didn't want anyone to see her. She lied about her name. She said she was Katherine."

"Her middle name. We know our sister. You took care of her and we are grateful." Baxter reached out his hand and Gray shook it carefully, not too tightly. It was the hand Doyle had been holding.

"I appreciate your thanks, but it wasn't necessary."

The blonde who sat quietly asked, "Are you hungry?"

"No, thank you. I ate earlier. I'm going to go back outside."

Monty followed him to the door. Gray whispered, "Her sister looks like someone."

He hissed, "Don't start."

Gray smiled. As soon as he opened the car door, K asked, "What are you smiling about?"

He chuckled. "Your sister looks a little like Monty's highschool sweetheart."

"You didn't know him in highschool."

"No, but she grew up in the house next to where Rosa works."

"So he still sees her? What did they say?"

"Thank you. They love you. Don't fuck my sister."

She gasped. "They didn't."

"No, but I guarantee they will if they ever found out."

She frowned. "Did I mention my sister just got engaged?"

He shook his head. "Let me drive you home."

"Only because you are going to give me your phone number. I'll call you."

He smiled. "I might not answer."

"And I'm not a stalker, so I'll wait for you to call back."

"Good girl." He handed her his phone, and she sent herself a text.

He didn't pull up directly in front of her house. She leaned over and kissed his cheek before getting out. Neither said a word. Both knew they would speak soon. Once he was back at her brother's he looked at the text she sent and laughed out loud.

Hey K, I want you in my bed. Call me.

His phone rang. "I liked your text."

"Tell me it's true." She giggled.

He felt himself get hard. "It's true, especially when you come."

She laughed, and they talked about everything, and nothing until he saw the front door open.

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