“Not everything.”
Chapter 11
Lennox
It’s been two days since I’ve really talked to Grant.
He’s drifted in and out of work like a ghost of himself.
I know I wasn’t supposed to be there to see him at his breaking point. But I’ve watched him long enough to know when he’s breaking, even when he thinks he’s hiding it.
“Do you want my red or yellow dress?” Juliet asks, holding up the two options.
I lean my head out of the bathroom in her apartment to get a better look. Tonight is Noa’s class reunion, and because getting a fake fiancé was Juliet’s idea, she’s in charge of making me beautiful tonight.
“Red?”
Juliet nods. “Yeah, good choice. Yellow would wash you out.”
“Thank you… Wait.” I glare at her, but she just grins.
“I’m kidding. You would look gorgeous in anything. Let’s finish your hair before you put this on.”
She resumes curling my hair, and I find my thoughts drifting to Grant again. I’ve only seen him from a distance at work, but I know he’s tired. It’s understandable. He just lost his home. His possessions. The cedar chest he made with his grandpa. Losing such a physical reminder of his grandpa must have killed him.
I remember when I found the box he made for me for graduation. It took me by surprise because I knew how much he had loved woodworking with his grandpa. How much he loved his grandpa, period. I had hoped that his gift meant something special, that the only reason he made it for me was because he had feelings for me, and the note on the inside had given me hope.
“Congratulations. I hope you fill up this box with things that make you happy.”
Below that, he had started another word, then scribbled out until there was nothing but a blob of black ink. I’d studied it for days, wondering what else he had wanted to say. I had thanked him and mentioned it every time I saw him for the next couple weeks, but he’d just shrug off my praise like it was nothing. Maybe it was because he wasn’t used to praise, or maybe he had just made the chest to be nice, and it didn’t mean anything. Regardless, I filled my box with things that made me happy. Most of them with some connection to Grant. Like the leather bracelet he’d worn throughout high school. He’d given it to me after he graduated and I carried on his tradition.
I sigh and turn back to the mirror. Memory lane is a dangerous place to get lost.
I still can’t help but wonder who he’s staying with that would cause him to be so exhausted?
“So is Grant staying with Micheal?”Well, just come right out and say it, Lennox.
Juliet drops the strand of hair in her hand and looks at me in the mirror. “Why would he be staying with Micheal?”
So that’s a no. Where would he be then? Trent and Sean don’t have a lot of extra space at their place, and I’m sure if he was staying with them, they’d be talking about it. They talk about everything.
“There was a terrible fire at his apartment complex Monday.”
“What? Why didn’t he say anything?” she asks.
“Because it’s Grant.”
I bite my fingernail, an old habit that only comes out when I’m stressed.
Where could he have gone? His dad is in town, but even though I don’t know him, I know he wouldn’t go back there.
“Do you….” No, he wouldn’t. Would he? “Do you think he’s sleeping in his car?”
Juliet seems to mull it over. “I don’t know. I’ll text Micheal.” She says, pulling out her phone.
I grab it out of her hand. “No, Juliet. He’ll be ticked if he knew I told people.”
“But he’s like family,” Juliet protests. “Family doesn’t let family sleep in their car. He can come crash on my couch. My roommates won’t mind.”
