She sniffled, but cleared her throat and powered on, tripping over her words. “I’m leaving Nate. I walked in on him with my friend Mariella in our bedroom, and, and, I don’t think it’s the first time. I feel like such a fool.”
“I’ll be on the next flight out.”
“No, don’t come. I’ll figure it out. I just needed to say it out loud.”
“Seriously, I can be there tomorrow. Do you have friends you could stay with in the meantime?”
“I don’t trust any of them right now.”
He gripped the phone tighter and wanted to chuck it at Nate’s pretty face. “That piece of shit. Tell me what you need.”
“I just needed to talk to someonenormal. That isn’t a creep.”
Grady snorted under his breath, wishing to hell that was him. “Is he moving out?”
“Yeah. He’s in a hotel for now, then he’s looking for his own place. But I hate this house. I can’t stay.”
“Come home. I’m looking for a new place anyway and can get something with a spare bedroom so you can crash with me until you know what you want.”
The sniffling calmed, but there was still a fire to her tone. “I will come home.” She seemed to smile, her voice lightening. “I’ll fix up my house.”
“I thought you sold that after your dad passed.”
“No... Honestly? I hadn’t even considered it until just now. Nate didn’t think it was worth anything, so I continued on with the rental management company Dad had used, and I get an update every year or so. It’s been vacant for a few years because it needs updates. I’m going to fix it up andyoucan stay withme.”
“That would be awesome, but that’s a long way off, I can’t stand another day under Patricia’s roof. Especially while Ryder’s there with his fiancée.”
“Ryder’s engaged?”
“You didn’t know?”
“I’ve been avoiding Patricia. I don’t want to tell her.”
“For all her faults, she’ll take your side. When she found out my dad was cheating on her? She threw him to the street and didn’t even take us to his funeral.” Grady rubbed a hand over his jaw and dropped to the kitchen barstool. He knew his dad hadn’t been a decent guy, cheating on Patricia and then wrapping his car around a tree while drunk driving a year after she’d left him. But he’d still been his father, and Grady knew next to nothing about him. Except as Patricia’s excuse for where Grady’s temper came from. Or any of his inadequacies.
“Ugh. Maybe I’ll call her.”
“Better yet, get away for a few days and come rescue me from the gala.”
“Shit. I was using Nate’s annual holiday party for work as my excuse to avoid coming.”
“I’ll cover for you if you don’t want to come.”
Haley paused, and he heard a heavy exhale as she considered.
“Hey, Haley?” Grady said as he glanced out the window, but as full dark had set in, all he could see was his own reflection, the shiner from the shitty case he’d taken glowing bright as the moon, his hair frazzled like a madman, and his jaw clenched so tight he might break a tooth.
“What’s up?” she asked, her tone sympathetic before she even knew he needed it. As if her problems disappeared as she worried after her big brother. Luckily, she’d had a decent dad to take after, unlike Grady, who was stuck between two terrible choices of parents.
He released the breath he’d been holding in, suddenly glad his sister had called. “I’m the same sort of jerk. I fell for Ryder’s fiancée.”
“Uh-oh.”
“And I made a move, then ditched her before we could hash it out.”
“You are a jerk.” The words were harsh, but she held the sympathetic tone. “Does she feel the same?”
“I think so.”
