Page 86 of Hold Me Before You Go

Sighing, I shook my head, pulling out my keys. “Too much fucking shit.” I jerked my chin to him. “How’s everything over here?”

He nodded. “Good. She’s been quiet, mainly writing in her journal.”

Relief hit me. I’d made sure to grab her journal, laptop, and camera before leaving Astoria. I was glad she was writing. It would do her some good to get those thoughts out onto the page. “Right,” I muttered. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her.”

Jake studied me for a moment. “I don’t like the way you said that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like you didn’t think I would,” he answered honestly.

I blinked.

“You know damn well I’d do anything for you Grayson,” Jake reminded me, tipping his head towards my front door. “That includes her too.”

Fuck.

The weight on my shoulders suddenly felt heavier than before. My team—my guys—were stepping up for me and the woman I loved in ways I never expected them to. Before I could utter a reply, his phone began ringing in his pocket. As he fished it out, I continued to stare at him, wondering how in the fuck I deserved all of this—them, Carrie, my own mother…?

Jake muttered an excuse me as he put the phone to his ear and disappeared back into his apartment.

As soon as I unlocked the door to the condo, I heard Tic-Tac’s collar bell jingling as he ran out of the bedroom, bolting for me, meowing the whole way.

“Grayson?” Carrie called, her sweet voice carrying through the space as the familiar scent of berries filled my nostrils. “Is that you?”

Fucking Christ.

My chest tightened. Coming home to her and the orange fuzz ball for the last two days had been nothing short of a dream, one I’d only gotten a taste of before it was ripped from me a week ago. I looked over into the kitchen, searching for her. Fear crawled its way up my back then, its talons digging into my skin.For the second time, this dream—this happiness was about to be ripped from me.

I was at a crossroads, and I was scared shitless.

“Yeah, Sunshine,” I answered her, locking the door and looking down at Tic-Tac. I pushed the fear aside as the cat greeted me, rubbing his body against my leg. “Hey, buddy. You have a good day?” I bent down to give him a rub, and when I rose back up, I found Carrie standing at the mouth of the living room, wearing the clothes I’d brought down from Astoria—light-colored jeans that made me want to slowly pull them off her as she whimpered and begged for me and her sweatshirt from Rossy’s Books. She tugged at the ends of the sleeves as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

“I need to ask you something,” she blurted out.

“Anything,” I vowed, noting how her pupils were slightly dilated.

Was she…nervous? Scared?

She looked down at her purple socks, wiggling her toes, her bright ringlets hanging down over her shoulders. She looked better—morealive. Her skin was bright, her bruises were fading, and the light was back in her eyes. “Before you do that, baby, get over here and kiss me,” I murmured, needing to taste her.

“I don’t think you’ll want to kiss me after I ask this question, Grayson,” she whispered, looking back up and remaining in her place.

I stiffened. Something was wrong. “Carrie, what is it?”

Her next string of words came out thickly, barely above a whisper. “I want to go home.”

“That’s not a question. That’s a statement,” I told her, taking a single step closer. It also wasn’t an option, not right now at least. Taking her back to Astoria would just put a target on her back.

She folded her arms around her herself, looking away from me. “Will you take me home?”

Fuck.“Baby—”

“Please,” she rasped, tears coming to her eyes for the first time in days as she looked at me again. My body tightened, my gut twisting painfully at the sight.

Didn’t she understand I would give her anything? Do anything for her?

I moved then, going directly to her, closing the distance quickly. My arms were around her in seconds, and she sobbed into my chest as I kept her soft body against mine. “Grayson, I want to go home,” she pleaded.

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