Tansy Crowne stood next to the stairs leading up to the open plane door. Grayson said nothing, taking the stairs, as Tansy spoke.

“Oh, dear, you know we have all the help we need on these trips.”

I froze, stuck on the stair directly parallel to her. Despite her carefully manufactured neutral tone, tension hung in the air.

“The help needs all the help they can get,” Grayson said.

He kept walking and I scurried after him. Though she spoke kindly with her son, her displeasure was like rotten food.

“I think this is a bad idea,” I whispered. “Your mom—”

I stopped, freezing on my words, staring into the jet. It was bigger than the whole servants’ quarters. Luxurious, as I would expect. With hallways leading into more rooms. Multiple televisions, a fucking fireplace.

Grayson plopped down on a couch, turning on the TV, bored as always.

“Sit, Snitch.”

I did.

I looked around the plane. It had freshly cut flowers, multiple couches, and a bar. That was just what I could see.

“Close your mouth,” Gray said.

I did, feeling caught.

Gemma stumbled in a few minutes after us, looking hungover from the night before, her fiancé, Horace, at her heels. The rumble of the plane engine starting up vibrated, but still no Abigail. Gray kicked up his feet, playing some kind of video game.

Abigail barely made it on the plane, her bodyguard Theo with her. Tansy followed after, looking pissed. Well, as mad as Tansy could look.

We lifted off.

My mind wouldn’t shut up.

I’d be gone from Uncle, and during that time he’d be getting cancer treatment. And what would my uncle think of me if he knew what I was doing?

I swallowed, glancing at Grayson from the corner of my eye. If what we’d done earlier had affected him, he didn’t show it.

Grayson Crowne is the harmless crush you know you can never have. It doesn’t matter if he’s wrong for you in every way, because he’s unobtainable. Rock stars, book boyfriends, and movie villains all fall into the same category.

So what happens when the unobtainable becomes in reach?

How do you deal with that?

How do you stop looking at him?

“I heard you say I love you!” Abigail yelled, pulling me out of my internal monologue. “You can’t trick me on this, Theo.”

Both Gray and I paused, looking in their direction. Was something going on with Abigail and her bodyguard? Gray threw his remote, and it landed on my lap with a thud.

“Okay, this is way more interesting than demolishing eleven-year-olds,” he said, crossing his arms overhead.