Grayson ducked his head so he could see Reece’s face. Despite the bright gray of the day, Reece’s pupils were fully dilated, his empathy in control and his eyes those twin night skies again. Grayson shifted one hand to Reece’s wrist, feeling for his pulse. It was hammering under Grayson’s fingers unnaturally fast, his blood pressure probably sky-high to match.
“Maybe I can help them all.” Words were tumbling fromReece’s lips, though whether he knew what he was saying, Grayson wasn’t sure. His breaths were also too quick, hard but shallow puffs. “Why won’t they let me try to help Cedrick Stone—”
He listed to the side. Grayson grabbed for him, keeping him up before he could hit the pavement. As far as Grayson knew, no empath had ever come back from corruption. Would Reece’s body be able to handle the change?
Wasn’t looking real good.
Around them, more cruisers had pulled into the street, cops joining the mess. Grayson tried to shield Reece with his body, pulling him in closer. He reached for one of his hands, aligning their bare palms and intertwining their fingers. “Reece. Look at me.”
Reece didn’t react, didn’t seem to hear Grayson or know he was there. His pupils were still blown, his empathy fully in control.
Grayson squeezed his hand harder, trying to get his attention. “Care Bear,please.”
Nothing. Grayson might as well have been a ghost—
But then, he was a ghost to Reece’s empathy, wasn’t he? It didn’t matter that they were touching; if Reece was overwhelmed and overtaken by his empathy, he would have no idea that Grayson was even there, because there were no emotions in the Dead Man for that empathy to pick up.
I don’t want to feel anything anymore anyway, he’d told Alex in that bunker, and Alex had made it come true, had helped build a wall so strong Grayson had become the Dead Man, completely immune to empathy, as dead inside as a corpse.
I’ll tell you exactly what I told Reece: it’s permanent for all intents and purposes. I can’t break it; no empath can. The only one who could tear it down is you—but you never, ever will.
Don’t you see? Because to break it, you’d have to want to—and you’re no longer capable of feeling that emotion.
Grayson looked into Reece’s lost eyes. There was no one else here they could trust. If Grayson couldn’t reach him, what would happen to Reece? Would he stay lost, alone and spiraling, until he was permanently damaged or worse?
Maybe he’d fall back to the corruption.
Or maybe he just wouldn’t make it at all.
And we’re going to have to say goodbye, Reece had said on the ferry,just like we always do.
Grayson’s hand tightened on Reece’s. This was it, then—there was nothing he could do—
But there is, said a voice in his head, or maybe his heart, one that he barely remembered.Because walls have two sides.And on the other side of the wall, youdowant something.
Grayson leaned down. “You have to come back, Reece,” he whispered hoarsely. “Because I want us to be done saying goodbye.”
And as he pressed his lips to Reece’s, something in his chest gave way like the first crack in a dam.
Reece’s eyes went wide. “Evan?” he said against Grayson’s lips, his hand tightening where it still held Grayson’s. “Oh my God.Evan.”
Grayson’s heart was starting to pound, a buzzing in his ears growing louder, drowning out the shouts and the sirens. He heard Reece say something more, but the words were lost as Grayson’s own heartbeat rose deafeningly loud in his ears. His was the breathing that was too fast now, and his vision was going dark around the edges, like he was in rising water, and his chest was painfully tight—
But suddenly Reece wasn’t holding his hands. He was cupping Grayson’s face. “I got you.” His eyes were so close, big glittery pupils ringed with deep brown. “Okay? I’m here. I got you.”
Grayson tried to speak. “Something hurts—”
“That’s grief,” Reece whispered. “Maybe for the parents you never got to mourn. I’m so sorry. I know it hurts.”
Grayson swallowed. It was too much; he couldn’t breathe. “What else?” he managed to say.
“Fury. Guilt. Shame. It’s all hitting you, and hearts aren’t meant to feel two years of buried emotions at once.” Reece brought their foreheads together, wrapping his arms around Grayson’s neck. “But it’s going to be okay, I promise. Because under all that are the good feelings. They survived too. And no matter the feeling, I’ve got you. I’m here.”
Grayson closed his eyes and let Reece pull him into a hug. Around them were shouts, people running, yelling. But they stayed like that, hidden behind the Maybach, arms tight around each other in the empty parking space, as the rain started again.
Chapter Thirty-Four
My empath half brother is offering to consult for the police. It’s pretty rare to get an empath to do this, but he knows what I do and he wants to help.
