Page 16 of Shattering

The tension in the room shifted. Relief spread through Cadi, but even as she exhaled, her gaze flickered between Gray and Regan.

Something had happened. And she intended to find out what.

As soon as Gray stepped away to get coffee, Regan turned to Cadi, her expression dark. "I tried talking to him," she said, voice low but angry. "I tried asking what's wrong with him, why he's been acting like this. And do you know what he did? He got defensive. Snapped at me. Told me to mind my own damn business."

Cadi swallowed, glancing toward where Gray had gone. "Regan, there's something I need to tell you."

Regan frowned. "What?"

Cadi hesitated, then lowered her voice. "I saw him with Vanessa. In the consultant's room. It wasn't just talking. He tucked her hair behind her ear, Regan. He kissed her."

Regan's entire body stiffened. "You're joking."

Cadi shook her head, her throat tightening. "I wish I was."

Regan's eyes flashed with fury. "That absolute bastard. And you're still standing here, waiting for what, exactly? A confession? Cadi, you need to ditch him."

Cadi inhaled sharply. "It's not that simple."

"It is that simple," Regan snapped. "After all you have been through, he's treating you like an afterthought. You saw what you saw. And if he won't even give you a proper explanation—hell, if he won't even act like he cares—you deserve better."

Cadi looked down at her hands, heart hammering, unsure of what to say.

Before she could respond, the nurse came back, and the conversation ended. But Regan's words lingered, heavier than ever.

Chapter 13

Derrik had been stabilized and moved to a cubicle. He looked pale, weak, but still smiling. Eila sat beside him, her hands wringing in her lap, her worry evident in the tight lines around her mouth. She had barely left his side since he had been admitted.

Cadi placed a reassuring hand on her mother's shoulder. "Mam, you can't stay here all night. You need rest."

Eila shook her head. "I can't go home, Cadi. Not with Derrik like this. Rochdale's too far, and I can't be an hour away if something happens."

Before Cadi could offer a solution, Gray spoke up. "You should stay with us. It's a short commute to the hospital, and there's plenty of room."

Eila hesitated, her gaze flicking between them. "Are you sure? I don't want to be in the way."

"You won't be," Gray said firmly. "You are family."

Cadi nodded, though a pang of unease settled in her stomach. Gray had barely spoken to her in days, his distance growing more apparent. Even now, he seemed to avoid looking at her directly.

As the days passed, Gray became more withdrawn. He was practically living at the hospital, working late shifts and leaving early in the morning. The brief moments they shared felt stilted, as though an invisible wall had been erected between them.

Callum had stepped in to help without question. He picked Tomos up from school, brought him to rugby practice, and made sure he was looked after. It was a relief, even though it stung that Gray was too absent to notice.

One evening, after rugby practice, Callum was dropping Tomos off. The boy was bouncing on his heels, still energized from the game, chatting animatedly with Callum as they walked toward the house. There was an ease between them, a familiarity that had grown in Gray's absence.

Gray was just heading out the door for his evening shift when he caught sight of them. His eyes locked onto Callum and Tomos, and something dark flickered in his gaze. He lingered for just a second too long before striding toward his car.

"Da?" Tomos called out cheerfully.

But Gray kept walking, as if he hadn't heard.

Tomos' face fell, confusion flickering across his features. His small hand clenched around the strap of his backpack. "Why is Da mad? What did I do?"

Cadi's chest tightened. "Nothing, sweetheart. You did nothing wrong."

But Tomos' lower lip wobbled, and suddenly, he burst into tears.

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