Page 58 of Shattering

Her breath caught, but he wasn't trying to intimidate her.

He wasn't trying to hold her back.

Instead, he just laid his head in her lap.

Cadi's fingers twitched, unsure of what to do.

Her hands hovered above his dark, damp hair, hesitating—then pulling away.

But Gray didn't move.

He simply curled into her, pressing his forehead against her thighs, and let himself break.

Her skirt was damp with his tears.

His shoulders shook beneath her touch.

"Don't leave me, Cadi," he mumbled into her lap.

She closed her eyes, inhaling sharply.

Then, finally, she slid her fingers into his hair.

Soft as silk, still carrying the faint scent of his shampoo—an oriental, woody fragrance laced with beech, lemon, and mint.

"I am so sorry. "she said ,miserable and confused. "I should have told you .My loyalties have always been with you first. I swear,I did not know anything beyond the fact that you were half brothers. You refused to talk about your past. I didn't even know you were from Derry. And Callum was in so much pain whenever I asked him about what exactly happened. But had I known, I would have told you this years ago. "

The moment her hands moved over his scalp, Gray let out a soft, broken sound, something between a sigh and a moan of relief.

Cadi swallowed hard, unsure of what she was doing, but knowing she couldn't stop. There was so much she needed to tell him. But that will have to wait.

Just for Tonight

After a long moment, she pulled away gently, murmuring, "Come on."

She stood up, guiding him toward the kitchen.

Gray followed, moving like a man half-conscious, his steps unsteady, his face pale.

She pulled out a bowl of chicken and thyme soup from the freezer, heating it on the stove.

Gray slumped into the chair at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the steaming bowl as she placed it in front of him.

Cadi pressed the spoon into his hand.

"Eat it all," she commanded softly.

Gray didn't argue.

He ate in silence, his movements slow, mechanical, but he finished every bite.

When he was done, she led him upstairs.

Gray followed, his body heavy with exhaustion, his mind elsewhere.

When they reached the bathroom, she helped him undress. Then she turned the shower on.

"Go on."

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