Intertwined

chapter twelve

I SHOULD MIND my own business. If I wasn't me, and this wasn't Greyson, I wouldn't be so distracted by the not so subtle look he shoots Robyn when he slides into the booth next to me after arriving to family dinner late. He'll tell me what it was about when he's ready, but I'm nosy and can't help but take notice to the flush that marks Robyn's dark skin. She tries to hide it, ducking her head to avoid everyone else's stares as they turn their attention to Greyson, but I see it.

A little spark of excitement worms its way into my chest knowing exactly what it means.

I want to pry and dig it out of Greyson but am distracted by Stevie's boyfriend, Felix at the opposite end of the table as he leans forward. "How was your meeting?"

"Good," Greyson says while Jonas slips into the chair next to Robyn at the end of the table, making himself at home as he wraps his arm loosely around the back of her seat. "Really good."

My lips curl up, leaning forward on my elbows and level Greyson with my glance. "Please do share about this secret meeting of yours. Robyn wouldn't tell us anything."

Robyn's laugh brightens the table. "I already said I didn't know!"

I playfully glare at her before turning my attention to Greyson. "Grey? Care to share?"

"I've got some news."

"News," Jonas scoffs, earning everyone's attention. "I'd say being signed as Sunset Records' newest artist is a little more than just news."

My lips part as excitement falls over the table, everyone just as excited for Greyson as he is for himself, and I can't help but fight back against the burning behind my eyes. Excited isn't even close to being the right word for the race of emotion in my chest. I've spent my entire life watching Greyson hone his craft, fighting every ounce of self-doubt to get to where he is, and it's finally here. He's doing it.

"That's..." I trail off and lean over to wrap my arms tightly around him, squeezing my eyes shut as I lean my head against his. "I knew it," I whisper, curling my fingers into the ends of his hair while trying my best to not cry. "I knew you could do it. I'm so proud of you, Grey."

His smile matches mine, a secret smile, only ever meant for me. The kind that he's given me our entire lives. A thank-you-for-having-my-back-and-for-believing-in-me kind of smile. It's all he has to do before he presses his lips to my hair and gives my arm a tight squeeze.

"My brother, the rock star," Isaac says from across the table with the same wide grin. Anyone, especially his family, knows how desperately Greyson has wanted this. Music is his entire life, and for the longest time he's been afraid to want it. Afraid that anyone with real credibility won't think he'll have worked for it because of who his dad is, but there isn't a single person in the world that I know that works harder than Greyson Alexander.

He deserves every ounce of success he gets.

Even when he gets in his own head and doesn't believe it, and I have to remind him of how talented he is. There isn't an ounce of doubt in my bones that he's not going to make it far, stepping out of the shadows of a chart-topping rock star of a father. I was there for the first twenty-three years of buildup, and I'm going to be there for the rest of them, cheering him on for the rest of my life. In every sense of the word, he's my favorite person.

As the table continues to fill with chatter, questioning everything from what happens next to what he plans to call his first album. I can't help but watch the smile on his face, half-listening to how this came to be when he sent the song he showed me to the higher-ups with a few changes that I didn't hear, including the addition of Jonas.

Greyson could do this solo if he wanted to. He has the talent and it'd be impossible not to fall in love with him, but knowing he has Jonas to do it with him to form a duo eases any of the anxiety I may have about him getting in his own head. Jonas would never let him doubt himself, because he sees what I see and it makes me so happy knowing Greyson has another person to always be there, to cheer him on. To be his champion when he can't be his own.