He clumsily puts his feet beneath him and stands, leaning the majority of his hulking weight against me. “Well, when you put it that way, no.”
As we slowly stumble to the door, Grayson peering down at me with a dopey smile and me grunting against his heavy weight, I pant out, “Did you leave Bambi for two days?”
He straightens, pulling me to a sudden stop, causing us to almost topple over. “No! I was with her just a few hours ago. I wouldneverdo that, ever.”
Despite his slurred words and the way he can’t stand still, the sincerity and horror in his voice has my worry fading.
“Okay, I believe you.”
His shoulders sag. “She’s stressed but she kept licking my face, trying to stop me from drinking.” He scowls in her direction but it’s half-assed at best. “She’s too smart.”
I snort as I grab my key out of my pocket. “Good one, Bambi.”
“Pfft. If you killed your family member you wouldn’t want anyone getting in the way ofyourrrdrinking either.”
The jumble of words makes me freeze, my hand halfway to the door with my key.
Did he just say he killed his brother?
Taking a breath to steady myself, I push the key in the door. He keeps talking but his words sound like he’s underwater now, all the words beginning to slur together to the point I can’t understand him anymore.
The moment the front door opens, Bambi is upon him.
“My girl!” Grayson exclaims, his tone suddenly cheerful despite the drunken confession.
I don’t urge him up the stairs right away, both to give him a moment with Bambi and to give myself a second to pull ittogether. This must be the real reason Grayson flew off the deep end for over a year.
Bambi, too smart for her own good, starts nudging Grayson with her nose toward the stairs, herding him like cattle. Grayson’s laughter is deep and gravelly and despite the heavy atmosphere he’s entirely unaware of, the sound still makes my heart perk up.
Laying a gentle hand on his back, I urge, “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
“Okay, I give consent,” he declares. “Take advantage of me, Blaze. I’ve been dying for your touch!”
I do my absolute best not to laugh, putting all my focus on making sure he doesn’t fall down the stairs and snap his neck. “You are going to sleep, and I am going to go downstairs.”
I don’t tell him I’ll likely stay in the corner chair in his room. I’m too scared to leave him alone to sleep. What if he rolls on his back and chokes on his vomit?
His sigh is heavy. “I had a feeling you would say that.” He hiccups as he spins, his eyes widening as he topples backward. Unconcerned, even though he just fell on his ass, he peers up at me through his thick black lashes, with the saddest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. “Can you stay with me?” he whispers. “I can’t stop seeing his body.”
The splinter through my heart cracks it completely, sending shock waves of pain throughout my body for the man breaking before me.
Bending so I’m at his eye level, I whisper, “I’ll stay with you for as long as you need me, but we need to get you into bed, okay?”
He nods furiously. “I’ll do whatever you want if it means you’ll stay.”
I help him rise again, thankful that we make it to his bedroom unscathed.
Grayson doesn’t slow down. He flops onto his stomach in his clothes on top of the covers. I don’t bother trying to get him dressed or under the sheets. I merely slip his shoes off and find a blanket in the closet, laying it gently over his body.
I’m not at all surprised to find his eyes shut, his breathing slowand even already. I’m just happy he’s on his stomach with his head to the side.
Without his prying eyes on me, I allow myself a moment to soak him in. To allow my mind to take in that he’s here and he’s safe. The anxiety and stress that had consumed me slowly ebbs out of my body, leaving a bone tiredness in its wake.
Except I know I won’t be able to sleep.
I was terrified something had happened. So incredibly fearful that I would never see him again that it made me realize how much I care for this man. That despite my best efforts to keep my heart locked away, it snuck out of its cage and ran directly to him.
Brushing my fingers through his shaggy brown hair, my eyes start to sting. I suck in a sharp breath to get my emotions under control and go to move away when Grayson’s hand suddenly darts out, his eyes remaining closed as he whispers, “Will it go away?”
