Page 52 of Grayson

Turning my body sideways on the couch I find Skye worrying her lip as she stares off in the direction Tori had gone. “I didn’t expect things to be easy, babe.”

“No, I’m pretty sure a trip to hell would be more enjoyable than the path you’re about to take with her.” I smile at her confession. The raging war with Tori I am not looking forward to, but I’ll face it for them. Hell, I’ll jump through hoops of fire if forced to.

“She’s protecting you. It’s what you two do for each other. But I just have to prove to her that I’m here to protect you both too.”

I stand and start to walk around the couch toward the hallway, when Skye’s panicked voice stops me. “Where are you going?”

“Jumping headfirst into the fire.”

With that I continue down the hallway and just before I knock I hear the cork to the wine bottle from the fridge pop. I imagine my girl drinking straight from the bottle with worry on how this will end.

I hold my breath when I lift my hand to knock on Tori’s bedroom door.

I’ll admit my nerves are going wild.

When she opens it and crosses her arms over her chest, staring at me, I see a small crack in her armor.

“Can we talk?”

35

Grayson Hawk

“I prefer we play dodge ball with bricks and you have your hands tied behind your back.” Tori shrugs as she turns around and walks further into her room. I remain in the hall, waiting for her to agree. I’m not here to piss her off or make her feel like she has to talk to me. She holds the power here.

“Are you just gonna stand there like a weirdo or what?”

And that is my okay, maybe not the words I’d been waiting for, but her version of come on in.

I look around the space, closing the door behind me. The blue walls remind me of the night we’d painted them while laughing and eating pizza. The fun we’d had and how it all ended. Me with a shaved eyebrow and hours upon hours of bullshit from the guys. Joke after joke they’d tossed at me because I’d been outwitted by a teenage girl.

The room was all decorated and put back together, a mixture of sweet and sassy. I noticed the oversized dog with floppy ears on the floor beside her bed. I’d gotten it for her after she’d begged Skye for a dog. She glared at me but later that night she passed out on the floor while we were watching a movie, cuddled up with the fluffy thing and all I could do was smile.

Tori pretends to be all hard and angry on the outside, but on occasion she lets that act take a backseat to her true self. I got a glimpse into the girl I’m sure she was prior to the loss of her parents and her world changing in one horrific night.

“I know you’re mad at me.”

“Oh wow, we have a genius on our hands, ladies and gentlemen.” She flops down on her bed, kicking the stuffed dog in the process.

“Don’t like it anymore?” I ask, pointing to the stuffed animal.

“It’s not the dog, it’s more the person it reminds me of.” Another kick to my gut. I take a moment to rethink my approach, looking up at the corkboard above her desk. Pictures were pinned to every inch of it. Her and Rachel laughing and being normal teenage girls, making faces and peace signs. There are a few mixed in of Vivian and even Scarlett I’m sure on the nights they end up over here hanging out. I swear my heart skips a beat when I notice the one of Skye and I, snuggled on the couch asleep together. But it’s those of Tori and I that I didn’t even know existed that surprise me the most.

One where we are playing video games and it’s more of the back view of us, both holding the controllers out completely consumed by the battle on the television. Then one where we are playing Monopoly, our heads down focused on the board. A third one, me sleeping again on the couch and Tori leaning back against the couch her head resting on a cushion behind her that’s over my legs.

“I meant to take those down,” she says out of nowhere and I look over to find her staring at the board too. “They irritate me.”

I nod, still unsure of what to say. I’ve never been more at a loss than I am now.

“I understand why you’re pissed.”

“Because you’re a liar.” She glares at me. “Because you said you wouldn’t hurt her but you did. Because you made us believe that we matter, and we don’t. Because you?—”

“Hurt you too,” I add and she only stares at me. “We got a call at the station the shift before last.” I start talking about the call for the first time since leaving Ruby’s after the guys and I got loaded. “There was a house fire, a neighbor noticed the smoke. We got there and the flames were already shooting out the windows upstairs.”

Tori grips her pillow tighter pulling it into her chest.

“The mother was on the front lawn crying, down on her knees clutching a small blanket while staring up at the house. Her husband had gone back in after their daughter who was asleep upstairs.”

---