Even that light touch sent sparks over Reece’s skin, his empathy automatically picking up the unmistakable warmth of Grayson’s affection, like a glimpse of blue sky peeking through the rain clouds of his own mood. “There’s no playbook for processing these emotions,” he said, throat still too thick as he showed Grayson his phone.
Grayson’s eyes flicked over Jamey’s texts, then met Reece’s eyes. “You deserve to be locked up in Orion.”
Lie.
Reece bit his lip.
Grayson set his own phone on the counter. “You heard that lie, right?”
“It doesn’t mean it’s a real lie. It just meansyoudon’t believe it—”
“That’s true, but my point was that you’re stillhearinglies,” Grayson said more softly. “We don’t know what that means. We don’t know what might happen if you’re back in the company of other corrupted empaths, and no one—not me, not your sister, not Dr. Easterby, not even Stone Solutions—wants to risk it.”
Reece ran a hand over his face. He could appreciate their logic, but it didn’t help the guilt. “Who was that?” he asked to distract himself, nodding at Grayson’s phone on the counter.
“Stone Solutions’ new CEO, actually, officially approved and instated by the board of directors this week.” Grayson folded his arms on the counter. “Ms. Marist and I are gonna have to figure out our new working relationship. She wants the senate bill to pass, but she’s not running secret laboratories, so that’s one step up from the real low bar set by her predecessors.”
Reece bit his thumb. “What’s happening with the Stones?”
“Couple of board members are pressing charges against Charles Stone. They’re not real swayed by his argument that his ends were justified when his means involved their money.”
“And Cedrick?” Reece prodded.
“He’s back at Orion. For now.” Grayson added a little more softly, “I know being an empath’s hard. But you’ve got to give it time.”
There was no sarcasm in his voice, nothing but sweet understanding. Reece sighed.
“I did get good news from Marist,” Grayson said. “Stone Solutions is picking up the bill for both our cars.”
Reece straightened up. “No more Hayabusa engine ruining my gas mileage?”
“Unfortunately,” Grayson said, which made Reece snort. “She didn’t understand why I hired Mr. Lane’s cousin to fix my old truck instead of buying a brand-new one, but she gave me what I wanted.”
Reece broke into a smile. “So are they ready?”
Grayson nodded, then licked his lips.
Reece frowned. “Why are you nervous?”
“I’m not—”
“Big lie right there.” Reece narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What else did you do to my car—”
“Nothing.I just—well.” Grayson cleared his throat. “Alex is back in hiding. The other empaths are safe for now. And the truck’s fixed. I had this thought that—if you were interested—that maybe we could—you know. Hit the road. Together.”
Reece blinked.
“Before I met you, I drove so much alone, too dead inside to appreciate all the beauty around me,” Grayson said more quietly. “Meanwhile you’re still hearing lies, but maybe if we get you somewhere else for a while, away from all the reminders here in Seattle, that’ll finally reverse itself too.”
“Evan.” Reece’s heart leaped with want, then crashed. There was no way, simply no way that he could ever let that happen. “Wecan’t,” he said, swallowing. “You’ve got your emotions back. If there’s any risk the corruption could set back in, then it’s not safe for you to be that alone with me—”
“Sugar,” Grayson said, patient and gentle. “You don’t remember your corruption, but I do. So I know there’s no lie in my words when I tell you that no version of you is ever gonna hurt me. I know it like I know my own heartbeat.”
Grayson was right: It wasn’t a lie, and Reece could read the truth of it in the depths of those open hazel eyes. His throat tightened for a new reason. “I don’t know how you can believe that,” he said plaintively.
Grayson put his hands on the back of the barstool and turned it so they faced either other, his arms boxing Reece in snugly. “I got my reasons.”
The corner of Reece’s mouth grudgingly turned up.
