AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We will spend a lifetime making sure he knows that, Lori. I promise.”
A single tear rolled down Lori’s cheek as she offered me a small smile.Thank you,she mouthed before Phil wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her from the room.
We sat for a while in silence, listening to the monitor beeping Grayson’s heartbeat out.
“Do you remember when we were teenagers, and all we wanted was for someone to give us a chance and let us play? How long we spent in that garage? How many times Lori demanded that Frankie play with us until she became part of the furniture?” Tanner spoke, his voice low and quiet as if he wasn’t sure if he should be replaying his memories.
“I would have loved to have seen that,” I replied, giving him the permission he needed to relive happier times.
“No, you really wouldn’t. I was a neglected teen who was scared of being found out. Mav was a womanizer, Gray was the silent, mysterious one and Frankie had braces and bad hair.” He laughed out.
“Rude,” Frankie fired back. “But true.”
“But at no point did we ever think we wanted to become some corporate puppets who just do as we’re told. I’m a fucking addict because of this lifestyle. Gray… God, he’s been punishing himself for years because he doesn’t think he deserves all this and despite all that, the people who are supposed to be looking after us made him feel exactly that. It can’t go on Addi. We have to do something.”
“What do you have in mind, Tan? You heard, Hazel. You’re under contract. If you try to leave, they will sue you foreverythingyou have. I’m not sure how we can get away from that. And even if you did, what would we do? I know I told Hazel we had other offers and I’m sure we would, but it wouldn’t mean it would be any different from how it is now.”
“There has to be another way, Addi. We just need to think of what it is,” Tanner replied with a sigh.
As they talked, I thought I saw Grayson’s hand twitch. I wondered if I was seeing things, so I didn’t mention anything, but as the conversation continued around us, his throat flexed and his body stiffened. I reached over and slammed the call button for the nurse as he struggled to cope with the tube down his throat.
Seconds later, the nurse ran in, before calling for the doctor who appeared moments later.
Gray’s eyes flashed around the room, confused, and terrified. I reached over and slipped my hand into his. I didn’t speak. I just smiled and rubbed my thumb over his wedding ring, hoping he could feel it was back where it belonged.
“Mr. Hill, let’s get this breathing tube out of your throat. I want you to take a nice deep breath in and then cough for me. It will feel strange, but we’ll have it out in no time, okay? Just focus on your wife and she can distract you while we get this sorted. Then you’ll start to feel better.”
We all watched silently as the doctor removed his tube and waited to see how Gray’s monitors reacted to him breathing on his own. He took a deep breath in and out, and then his lips parted.
“Sorry,” he croaked out. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Chapter 26
Grayson
Thefirstwordoutof my mouth when I woke up wassorry.I wasn’t sure at the time what I was sorry for or why I was so desperate to tell them all, but I was sorry for something. Over the next few days, I understood exactly what I was apologizing for.
I was sorry for what I’d done. I’d looked for a new way to silence the noise in my head and the itch under my skin and I’d found something sharp. I didn’t remember consciously looking for it or even finding the razor. It was just in my hand. I’d only meant to run it over my skin. To cut and find the release I was desperately searching for. When I saw the blood, I knew I’d gone too far, but as I stood in that shower, watching my pain slip down the drain, I couldn’t say I was that sad about my choice.
I was sorry because I didn’t, for a second, think about anyone else.
I was sorry for not talking to them, not telling them I loved them, for not explaining how broken and alone I felt.
I was sorry for leaving Ivy and Ethan without ever explaining.
But most of all, I was sorry for being so weak I couldn’t stand up to that God-awful woman and demand the life I wanted.
I apologized a lot. Every chance I got. I wasn’t sure all of it made sense to them, but I needed to say it.
Eventually, after days of apologies, Ivy pulled a chair to sit next to me, pressing her hand to my heart. “You, Grayson, have nothing to be sorry for. We’re all sorry for lots of reasons—not fighting harder, not protecting you better, not noticing your pain sooner, but beating ourselves up won’t change what’s happened. No more apologizing, Grayson, please. Find your strength, find your smile. Let’s get you healing, so you can get out of here.”
“Out of here to where?”
Ethan had hardly spoken to me since I’d woken up, and I knew how angry he was with me for what I’d done to them bothagain. He moved to sit on the side of the bed, reaching out for Ivy’s hand as I waited for him to break my heart. Instead, he pressed his lips to mine, before he took my hand as well.
“Home, Gray. We’re taking you home with us, where you belong.”
I couldn’t hide the smile that spread across my face, feeling happy for the first time in months.
