“Yeah.” He gives me a faint smile.
Swallowing down the worries, I throw my arms around him, holding him in a long hug until I feel the crushing weight of his arms around me. “Thank you,” I say into his chest, feeling tears hit the corners of my eyes. I blink them away, refusing to let them fall.
I will not cry. I will not crumble.
”You know it’s okay to cry, right? It doesn’t make you weak, Naya.”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks, as if he could see the thoughts lingering in my mind. I swallow down the thickness in my throat, clearing it and instead focusing on something else to say.
“I can’t tell you how immensely grateful I am.”
“That’s what friends are for, right?” He tries to laugh, but it comes out strangled, emotions cloaking his voice.
He clears his throat and moves to the front seat of the car, grabbing a backpack. His shoulders are stiff, and he avoids looking at Grey, discomfort evident.
“This has everything you need, from money to extra clothes, for the days ahead. I prepared it when we first considered escaping.”
“Are you sure we can take it?”
He reaches it for me to grab, and I take it uncertainly.
“Working for Arthur allowed me to save up all my payments since I wasn’t allowed to leave. I didn’t know if I would ever be allowed to. He had my life in his hands, just like all the others.” Taking a deep breath, he shrugs as if his words doesn’t carry a heavy weight. “You saved me as much as I saved you. So thank you.”
“I wrote down my number on a piece of paper that’s stuffed in the backpack, too. You know, if you ever want to contact me again, if you get the chance.” His smile is tentative, but when I offer him a small one in return, his shoulders relax and it broadens into something warmer. “You can remove the bandages in a few days. Luckily, the wounds are nothing lethal.” He glances at my bandaged wrists.
Grey approaches us, standing behind me with his arms around my waist. I feel how he looks at his brother in the corner of my eye, but neither of them utters a word, both unsure of how to bridge the gap between them.
Daxton casts one final look at Grey, a gaze with so much indifference, regret, and sorrow that it makes me unable to decipher any of its meanings.
He remains silent, only nods and turns his back to us, heading toward his car.
Grey’s grip on me is so tight his knuckles turn a paler shade, seeking comfort in our embrace.
A heavy sensation lingers in my chest, telling me that I might never see him again. This feels too much like an eternal goodbye than a temporary one.
“Until we meet again.” He looks at me, avoiding his brother, as if it’s too painful to face him directly.
Another thought hits me, and I scramble to get closer to his car, but Grey’s arms tighten around me, holding me back. “Wait, where are you heading?” I shout at him when he starts slowlydriving out of the parking lot.
Sticking his head out through the window, he offers me a grin. “New adventures. Sweden.”
I grin back at him, remembering isolated times in the doctor’s office when he shared his dream of exploring Scandinavia.
Meanwhile, Grey’s grip around my waist is ironclad, and the tension in his hold tells me everything—he’s struggling with not getting a goodbye from his own brother.
Daxton’s car turns around a corner before disappearing forever, leaving the parking lot empty with the silence heavier than ever. Grey’s arms remain around me, as if he’s trying to anchor himself amidst the swirl of emotions.
His grip is strong, yet I feel the tremor that reveals the sense of betrayal he must feel once more from his brother.
Chapter 5
Naya
”Grey?” I ask ona heavy breath that escapes my lungs the moment I draw back the curtains inside the motel room.
My heart has a violent beat, and it’s been a few hours since Daxton drove off. I cannot help but worry now that he’s not here. Like a lingering sense of paranoia, my mind refuses to settle unless I know he’s safe, but there’s no way for me to even know that. Merely driving his car is perilous, with how the license plate is on the news channels for the suspected arson.
”Yeah, little doll? Something wrong?”
