Page 111 of Shattering

"Best gift," he murmured.

It all led up to the day of the World Rugby Tournament at the Millennium Stadium. The atmosphere was electric, the stadium pulsing with anticipation. They had secured seats in the VIP box, courtesy of Byron, who was already halfway through a pint by the time they arrived.

When the All Blacks stormed the field to perform the Kapa o Pango haka, Cadi felt chills rush down her spine. Gray stood next to her, arms crossed, eyes locked on the field in reverence. When it ended, he exhaled sharply, muttering, "Fucking brilliant."

They cheered like maniacs during the match, losing themselves in the raw energy of the game. Gray's arm looped around her shoulders at one point, pulling her into his side as they celebrated a try. It felt easy. It felt right.

Back at work, Gray had changed. He was thriving. He had finally started using the money, making improvements, easing the pressure off himself.

And then, one day, Cadi caught Gray and Tomos sneaking a dog into the garage.

She had just stepped out to take the bins when she saw them—both crouched low, moving suspiciously toward the side door with a large, shaggy creature padding behind them. The dog was enormous, an indeterminate mix of breeds, with a patchy coat of brown, black, and white, and one ear that looked like it had been bitten clean off in a past fight. He looked up at her with the most soulful brown eyes she had ever seen, filled with cautious hope.

"What the hell is that?" Cadi demanded, crossing her arms.

Gray froze mid-step, turning ever so slowly. Tomos, who was holding the dog's makeshift leash, let out a guilty cough. "Uh, Mum, meet Scrap."

"Scrap?" she repeated, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you sneaking him into the garage?"

Gray straightened, clearing his throat. "We weren't sneaking."

"You absolutely were." She stepped forward, eyeing the dog warily. "That thing is huge. He's going to shed everywhere. And I am not—let me repeat—not doing poop duty or walking him."

Gray had looked at him and declared, "He's got more street cred than any of us. Me and Tomas will deal with the poop."

Tomos piped up, "But you'll do cuddling?"

Cadi let out a long-suffering sigh. "As and when required."

The dog let out a soft huff, as if sensing the shift in the conversation. He cautiously wagged his tail, still unsure if he was staying.

Gray grinned, reaching down to scratch behind Scrap's half-ear. "Welcome home, mate."

Life was settling into something good.

But not everything was mended.

Regan had tried calling. Cadi ignored it. The wound was still too fresh, too deep.

Callum, however, had reached out in a different way. He sent her a message—brief, acknowledging that they would never go back to how they were. But he hoped that one day, the door would be open if Gray ever wanted it to be.

She had told Gray about it. He hadn't said much, just nodded and changed the subject. But later, as they lay in bed, he muttered, "She never wanted me to know, did she?"

Cadi sighed. "Maybe she thought she was protecting you."

Gray didn't respond right away. When he did, his voice was softer than she expected. "Callum's heading back to Yorkshire?"

"He's already got a job lined up."

Gray exhaled. "Good for him."

They didn't speak about it again that night. But Cadi knew the door had been cracked open just a little, and maybe, just maybe, Gray would walk through it one day.

Chapter 51

The tension between them had been building for weeks. A kiss here, a teasing touch there, a hand skimming over the small of her back when he passed, a firm squeeze of her hip when he thought no one was looking. They played this game in bed and out of it, pushing, testing, toeing the line between teasing and surrender.

Cadi was stubborn. She had kept Gray at a frustrating distance, sleeping in the same bed but always pulling back before things could escalate. But she wasn't unaffected. Not by the way his hands always seemed to find her, how he'd tuck her hair behind her ear just to drag his fingers along the sensitive skin of her neck, or how his voice dipped into that low, husky register when he murmured things just meant for her.

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