The Running Series Box Set: Books 1-3 Read online

  Grayson was gone. There was no sign of him ever even being here. I checked my phone and the only messages or texts were those I’d missed before my shower. He had also left without leaving a note, I realized smugly.

  Wow, what a hypocrite. He talked a good game, but he chose to run. Maybe he needed to take a lesson from his own playbook.

  Well, he was about to find out just how stubborn I could be. I could wait him out, and I’d be damned if I was going to reach out to him first. How could he turn on me so quickly? We’d just spent the most beautiful night together, or at least, I thought it had been beautiful. Of course, he’d just screwed it up by letting the reality sink in this morning of just how controlling he really was.

  If anyone should be fuming and turning away, it was me. What was he doing talking and dreaming about Olivia, especially while snoozing in my bed?

  I didn’t hear from Grayson the rest of the weekend. Maybe it was all about the chase with him. Now that he’d conquered me in bed, the game was over and he was free to run back to Olivia. Of course, I couldn’t pretend my accidental declaration of love couldn’t be what drove him away so quickly. I thought I knew how he felt about me, and maybe he even felt the same chemistry I did, but he wouldn’t be the first guy to tuck tail and run when he thought his lady friend was getting a little too serious.

  But that couldn’t be it. I’d seen that look in his eyes when we touched, and it was like wicked witchcraft. He’d certainly seemed under a spell since I’d met him.

  Monday came and went without so much as an email from Grayson, and by Tuesday, I was actually starting to worry something serious had happened to him. I prepared myself to be the one to cave, so I went to his office just before lunch. After all, if everything went well, maybe we could go to lunch together and have a real talk.

  Millie wasn’t at the reception desk, but I was more than just some sales rep who had to take a seat in the waiting room. I went through the private door and turned down the hallway toward the sound of voices.

  Grayson was in his office, speaking with Zoe. Make that listening shamefacedly, while Zoe did all the talking. The door wasn’t completely shut, and I could hear their heated, one-sided conversation.

  “Grayson, how could you do this? Alex is still healing from her accident and obviously fighting her feelings for you, which have got to be getting stronger by the minute now that you’ve spent the night with her. She works in this hospital, too! How long do you think it’s going to take for her to hear about Olivia? You have to tell her before someone else does!”

  What…what was she saying? What about Olivia?

  “Zoe, there is nothing to tell about me and Olivia. We’re not going to be a real couple, and it’s not what you think. I didn’t plan on hooking up with Olivia! It was a one-time mistake.” His words were so angry.

  What was he talking about? What had happened? When had they hooked up? He didn’t sound like he was planning on reconciling with his former girlfriend, but it certainly sounded like something was going on.

  How could this be happening? A familiar feeling of anxiety came over me. I had to get out of Grayson’s office. The last thing I needed was for him to see me and try to pass off some lame explanations. I knew what I’d heard, and there was nothing good in it.

  I needed to put some space between us as quickly as I could. As I turned to sneak out the back private entrance, I was stopped cold by a way too familiar voice behind me.

  “Alexandra, please don’t run away,” Grayson called to me from the doorway of his office.

  I turned toward him, but I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t make eye contact, so I stared at the floor. “I’m not running. I’m leaving. I called you all weekend. Last I checked, you were the one who walked out on me on Saturday. I went for a run because you were calling out for Olivia in your sleep. Then I came to your office to try to make up and overheard you and Zoe discussing something about her. Did you think I wouldn’t find out you’re back with her? I said I loved you, and I meant that, but I won’t share you, Grayson.”

  “It’s not what you think, but it’s complicated.”

  I sensed pain in his voice, but my gut wrenched with his secrecy. I looked up and tried to meet his eyes. “What’s complicated? I deserve for you to be honest, and I don’t understand what it is you feel you can’t tell me.”

  But it was his turn to stare at the floor. He didn’t seem capable of looking me in the eyes. He was hiding something; that was for certain. The frown on his face I could’ve easily confused as disappointment.

  “I just need a few days to work some things out. There’s some unfinished business with Olivia that needs to be sorted out.”

  “You said you were single when we hooked up. Obviously, you’re not over her.” I walked out of his office.

  Grayson called after me, but once again, I ran away. Way to go, Alex. I should see if they’d make it an Olympic event.

  I did love making a snap decision. It was the whole reason I’d applied to Northwestern; mostly because it wasn’t even close to what kind of school my dad had wanted me to attend. I’d made a snap decision to move to Dallas, taking the first job offer I received after graduation. I’d even made a snap decision—a stupid one, I could now see—to fall into bed with the handsome doctor I had dated all of a couple of days, not including my stint in the hospital. Making choices without thinking them through seemed to be a theme with me, but I made it work.

  It was time to kiss Dallas and Grayson Brooks goodbye and head home to Chicago.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The more I thought about it, and I’d had plenty of time to think it through on the long commute back to my apartment, the decision to return to Chicago just made sense. If Drew would agree, I could work remotely and continue my therapy there. If nothing else, he would see I needed to get away and get back to the people who cared about me, if for no other reason than my health.

  Talking to Drew on the way home was helpful. He agreed for me to work remotely on a short-term basis and then see how the situation was working out. It was nothing definite that was for sure, but at least, I wasn’t turning my back on my job.

  Talking to Cooper wasn’t going to be as easy. The whole reason he’d agreed to pack up his life and move to Dallas was to be my rock while I tried to exert some independence for once. I felt bad about what my impulsiveness was going to mean to him. Plus, I had a pretty good idea he was going to tell me I was running away again, a fact I was all too aware of.

  Cooper had analyzed me years ago during his freshman psychology class in college and came up with the unofficial diagnosis that I ran away on purpose to suspend any intention of committing to a relationship. But Grayson was different. I had been interested in commitment, as I’d proved by stupidly opening my big mouth with a heartfelt declaration.

  Sure, our connection evolved quicker than any relationship I’d ever known before, but that was only partly because the feelings resembled a kinetic energy, and the intensity of sexual desire was new to me. I had believed without a doubt he was my first love. In my heart, I thought he might be the last, but I could add that to the growing list of things I was wrong about.

  “What do you mean you are going home to Chicago?” Cooper sputtered that night when I told him, nearly spitting about four dollars’ worth of chardonnay on the countertop. “Alex, the whole reason we’re here is because of you! This is what you wanted! And for a minute there, Grayson was what you wanted, so you basically have everything you ever wanted. Don’t run, not this time. Stay here and fight for what means the most to you, for once in your life.

  “I can’t,” I whined. “I’m beaten this time. Look what loving Grayson has gotten me. A hospital bed with a view of the parking lot and a guy who has a habit of hooking up with his ex-girlfriend while I’m in therapy.”

  “Grayson is not the reason you had a stroke, and you know it. And something else you know deep down is that he’s not the reason you’re leaving. He’s the excuse.”


  “I thought you’d be a little more supportive, Cooper,” I shot back, angry at the tone he was taking and the words he flung at me. “I’m not the one who took advantage of someone who put herself out there, then walked away, straight into my ex’s bed!”

  “I just can’t believe you’re doing this so soon, especially since you are still recovering. You haven’t even given Grayson the chance to offer some pathetic excuse. Please, I am begging you to reconsider.” Coop’s voice was flat and breathy like the wind had been knocked out of his lungs. It was painful to hear him beg, as if he knew that once I left, I would never come back. “Can’t you think about it for a few days? Give it time to settle before you throw away your whole life? When are you leaving, anyway?”

  “Dad is sending the jet for me on Saturday night after the gala. He thought it might be easier for me. A courier will be coming to pick up my things next week. I just need some time away to think, Cooper. I’m sorry. I swear this isn’t about you or anything you did to get Grayson and me back together. Whatever he has going on with Olivia, he needs to finish it on his own. I don’t share well with others,” I joked feebly.

  Drew didn’t force me to attend the gala, but I knew he felt like it was important to the company that I finish what I started. I wouldn’t have to see or interact with Grayson at the event, but it was a sure thing that I’d see him.

  I decided to take Cooper as my date and my bodyguard, so to speak, to run interference for me. Deep down, I knew it was for the mental support I was going to need to not burst into tears and head for the little girl’s room the moment I laid eyes on Grayson.

  Cooper helped me get ready in the cream and gold silk evening gown and matching wrap. The dress was to die for, and Cooper was right. It was a true gift, courtesy of another of his stylist friends. The gown just screamed, “I’m off to make my jerk ex-boyfriend sorry about what he just tossed out.”

  The gold beaded Grecian neckline didn’t require any jewelry and was starkly breathtaking. The cream silk had a tiny thread of gold woven through it that would twinkle with my every movement. I still couldn’t navigate well in heels, so I ended up wearing gold beaded, low-heeled slip on sandals that matched perfectly. The ensemble complimented my hair and my skin very well. I was going to miss Cooper’s stylist friends when I was back home that was for certain.

  “Alex, I don’t have to tell you that you look breathtaking in that dress. You’re going to knock ‘em out tonight, especially anyone who gets a look at you from this angle,” Cooper teased, twirling me around and swatting my rear end suggestively. His mood was playful, but I knew he was still trying to hide his hurt that I was leaving.

  Giving him a sultry smile, I played along. There wouldn’t be too many more of these moments between us, and I wasn’t going to spoil one of our last outings by letting my emotions run over us both.

  “You’re just admiring your styling prowess. It has nothing to do with my ass! But I have to say, you’re the one who’s going to get all the compliments tonight. It’s completely unfair. All those other men worked so hard to dress up, only to be upstaged by a fashion model in a tux. You do clean up nice, well, maybe except for the sexy scruff!”

  Coop was smoking hot in a very modern tuxedo and unshaven bedroom look. He oozed with confident gorgeousness, ready for any celebrity red carpet, let alone a hospital benefit. His dark hair glistened in messy curls, picking up reflections from the lights. He was sure to break a heart tonight, and I was secretly glad he was my date. Anyone who had heard rumors about Grayson and me would put those thoughts to rest when I walked in on Cooper’s arm.

  The entrance of the gala was buzzing and well-staffed with photographers. As we entered, the hostess found our table cards and mentioned there had been a last-minute seating change. We were the first to our table, and I flipped the other cards around to see who our table partners would be.

  No. It couldn’t be. What had I done wrong in a previous life?

  Dr. Grayson Brooks and Olivia Balcone.

  He was bringing her?

  I’d believed he was a big enough jerk to actually show his face with her at the gala I had to work so hard on, but why on earth were we sitting together? Considering how he had invaded my dinner with Cooper to make it into a date, the last minute seating chart change didn’t seem like a coincidence. Forget an anxiety attack, the emotion running through my blood was pure rage.

  “Cooper, I can’t do this! Oh God, not now. This is just wrong. I need to get out of here.” I started looking around frantically for the closest exit that wouldn’t put me directly in front of anyone I knew.

  “Alex, calm down. Just snatch up our cards, and we’ll switch them with another table. C’mon, we’ll sit over in the corner by the back door. We’ll be out of the way, and if we need to retreat, we can make bolt out that door.” Cooper’s shoulders had to be crushed under the weight of having to sweep in and rescue me all the time, but he seemed proud of his sneaky plan. I’d never have thought on my feet that fast.

  We had a few minutes before the start of the gala, so I made my way to the foundation chairman’s table to exchange pleasantries. Cooper and I posed for at least a dozen photos, and now, I could at the very least feel I had made my appearance known, in case we had to make a fast getaway.

  We took our seats at the new table, and as the room began to fill, I tried not to search for Grayson, but I couldn’t help it. My mind was clouded with about eight different emotions—anger over his betrayal, rancor for his dishonesty, bitterness for his lack of concern for me and what I thought was our developing relationship. I was sure I must have looked like I had steam billowing from the top of my head. The horrible thing was knowing that deep down it was never a relationship, at least not to Grayson. It was all a lie.

  The band took their seats on the well-lit stage and started the prelude entertainment. Cooper extended his hand for a dance.

  “Oh no, seriously, I don’t want to,” I protested, shaking my head and looking around to see if anyone had already noticed his invitation. “You have no idea how much I don’t want to go out there.”

  “Well, you need to. You have to. So get on your feet and join me, or I will embarrass you like no one in the history of embarrassment!” He was laughing when he made that threat, but I knew him well enough to know he would be more than happy to do something stupid to draw attention.

  I reluctantly joined him on the dance floor, and he carefully steered me around. The photographers spotted us again and took several more photos as we danced around the perimeter of the room.

  Too late, I realized how dangerously close we had danced to the far corner. I was given a front row seat to the spectacle of Olivia making her way to her table. Of course, she had to be beautiful and young, with blonde hair straight out of a shampoo commercial. It went nicely with her red evening gown that had what appeared to be fake tits practically falling out of the plunging bodice. Great. She was a card-carrying member of the plastics.

  My strength had not completely returned. I still tired easily, so a much-needed break was the perfect excuse to go sit down before those two could decide to join us. We returned to the table, and I tried to focus my attention on Cooper. Despite the black cloud hanging over the evening, a cloud that I apparently had brought with me, we were having a great time.

  The waiters started serving champagne, placing a couple of glasses in front of us. We were happily visiting with our table mates and enjoying polite conversation when a familiar voice came from behind me. It was Grayson.

  Was she with him? I couldn’t tell. Not wanting to turn and look, I searched Cooper’s face desperately. His wide-eyed expression said it all. Grayson was either coming this way, or he was too close for comfort already.

  “Hello, Grayson. I believe your table is number two over to the left,” my dear, sweet best friend interjected, pointing Grayson away from our table and in the direction he needed to go.

  “Cooper, nice to see you. I was wondering if I might have a moment with
Alexandra?”

  I couldn’t face him, not tonight, and I wasn’t about make a public spectacle. I stood up and quickly walked straight through the exit door, never looking back. I waited for Cooper to join me in the back hall where we exited the side entrance of the building.

  I wasn’t about to give Dr. Brooks a chance to hurt me or reduce me to tears in front of every colleague I had at the moment. He didn’t deserve that opportunity.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Cooper took me home and helped me pack the few things I would need immediately. On the drive to Love Field Airport, he held my hand and kept repeating to me that he thought running to Chicago was a bad idea.

  “Alex, you will never find your happiness if you keep starting over. You keep hitting repeat before the song finishes playing; you never get to the ending. You’re not even ending it this time with Doctor Cheater-Pants; you’re just leaving.”

  I stared out the window. It was one thing to argue with someone when you had a point to defend. I didn’t, and I knew it. The fact that Cooper was right about me didn’t make me want to stay. If anything, it made me more determined to get away from here.

  He pressed on. “I love you too much not to tell you this, but one of these days you’re going to run full circle. The awful, ugly thing you’re running from will be the thing you run right into.” Cooper was quiet for a few moments but finally asked, “By the way, he has no idea that you’re leaving, does he?”

  “No, I couldn’t talk to him. The last thing I need right now is more rejection. His words were horrible enough, but it’s what he didn’t say that hurts the most.” I looked down and picked at the frayed string of my favorite hooded sweatshirt. I must have been really pathetic if Cooper let me out of the house in this thing. “I poured out my deepest secret to him. I gave my body to him, and I told him I loved him. He took all of me, heart and soul, and dumped it as if nothing mattered. I’ve suffered an accident, almost died, and now I’m left with a shell of a body that doesn’t work completely. The absolute least he could have done was ‘do no harm’.”