Page 123 of Gravity

“Okay,” he whispers. As he strokes my nose with the tip of his finger, I try to control the tears that are threatening. A few minutes go past before he speaks, and it’s as if he knows my mind is in a whirlwind.

“What’s on your mind, Shortcake.”

“I’m confused.”

“About what?”

My voice cracks. "What direction do I go in now? How do I know what is right?"

When he places a kiss on my forehead, my eyes open. The comfort in his gaze soothes my anxiety. "You go in the direction your heart tells you to."

All my feelings are tangled up, and I can’t breathe. I just want it all to stop. I want everyone to heal after the turmoil we as a family have been through. I want to wake up each morning loving the day and not have to carry so much unhappiness. And with Asher now possibly serving another jail sentence due to the accident once his court date comes through, the urge to make things up with him now has never been greater. “I want to see him, Grayson,” I whisper. “I want to see Asher.”

He pulls back to look at me, studying me while his own eyes flicker with unanswered questions. “Are you sure?”

I nod. “I need to. I have so many things I want to say and more questions I want to be answered. I don’t think I’ll be able to move forward if I don’t get them off my chest.”

“Okay. But you do know you may not get the answers you’re after.”

“I know. But Mom said he’s not doing great as he’s carrying so much guilt. And as much as he annoys the hell out of me at times, I can’t have him possibly go to jail for years and not make things up with him.”

He tucks my hair behind my ear. “Baby, it’s his first offence. He may not even serve jail time, and if he does, I highly doubt it will be more than twelve or eighteen months.”

My head is so messed up, and even though I’m here saying I want to see him; it might be a different story when he’s standing in front of me. When Dad died, I wanted nothing more than for Asher to come home, and when he did, the first thing I did was lash out. “Even so. I can’t lose him, Gray. I need to see him, and I think deep down, you do, too.”

I know he’s concerned. I know he’s infuriated, but he can’t deny that he doesn’t want to see him. They’ve spent years living in each other’s pockets; I know the distance between them is secretly killing him, regardless of my brother’s behavior.

“Okay. I’ll sort it. But if for one minute he should do anything to upset you then it stops. I won’t have you upset any more than you already have been. I forbid it, Nora.”

“Agreed.” I nod. “Thank you.”

He kisses me on the lips and whispers, “Now get some rest. I’m right here.”

Closing my eyes, I hold on to him, hoping I can sleep a little better.

* * *

The knock on the door makes me jump, and Grayson looks back at me as he stands from the couch. His shoulders are tense, and he’s been fidgeting around all morning. He’s nervous. And so am I.

“You sure you want to do this?” he asks, looking over at me as he reaches the door.

“Yes. Let him in.”

It’s been two days since I said I wanted to see Asher. Grayson had made me sleep on it a little more as he’d wanted to make sure I was in the right state of mind before we reunited again. And I couldn’t have been more grateful as my mental state has been all over the place.

Sitting myself up, I release a deep breath as the large figure that is my brother steps into the house. At first, it’s as though he and Grayson have a standoff, like they are about to fight right there in the hall. Asher’s shoulders are sharp with tension as the two men stand face to face, exchanging words with their eyes. It’s torture to watch, and I clear my throat, needing the suspense to be cut.

“Are you both going to stand there all day?”

The second I speak, it’s like I’ve broken the spell between them, and Asher’s eyes find mine.

The air is ripped from my lungs, and my heart races at the sight of him. He looks… broken. Where I was once enraged with him, I now want to wrap my arms around him and hold on tight, telling him that everything is going to be okay. But I can’t. I can’t because I need to heal my own heart before I can help him heal his. I need answers.

“Asher?” I whisper.

“Nora.” He doesn’t move. Everything about this moment is more awkward than I thought it would be. Not that I’d known what to expect.

I hold my hand out and gesture for him to take a seat. “Come. Sit down.”