Page 60 of Shattering

The softest dove-grey and filled with something raw, something unguarded.

Cadi froze.

His fingertips stilled with the strands of autumn hair tangled between them.

"So beautiful," he whispered, voice low, reverent, as if he wasn't speaking to her—but to a memory, to something he had already lost.

Cadi's heart stumbled.

She caught his wrist gently, but her voice was firm. "No."

Gray sighed and let his hand slip away.

She turned over, glancing at her phone. 6:00 AM.

Too late for their usual routine—turning off the alarm at 6, convincing themselves they had more time, then inevitably scrambling out of bed at 7, cursing as they raced to start the day.

Except, everything was different now.

Cadi swung her legs off the bed, pressing her feet against the cold floor. She needed a moment to think.

She grabbed some clothes and stepped into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her with more force than necessary.

She needed to breathe.

To process.

But mostly, she needed to figure out what the hell she was going to do next.

Because despite everything Gray had done—everything he had put them through—she still loved him.

It wasn't a tap she could turn off.

When she came out, Gray was gone.

She frowned.

Then she heard the faint sound of running water from the common bathroom.

A few minutes later, he emerged—freshly showered, his damp hair curling at the ends, his jaw dark with stubble.

He hesitated, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "Can we talk?"

Her voice was cautious. "Before Tomos wakes up?"

Cadi exhaled. "Okay."

They moved to the kitchen. Gray sat at the oak dining table, fingers knitted together in front of him.

She leaned against the counter, putting distance between them.

"I need to tell ya my side of things," he started, voice low, thick with the weight of his emotions. "I need ya to know what it was like for me these past weeks."

Cadi crossed her arms, waiting.

"Regan came to me," he said, "and she told me somethin' I couldn't ignore. Somethin' I thought was the truth because—" he exhaled hard, shaking his head. "Because Regan loves ya, Cadi. She's always looked up to ya. I thought... how could she lie about somethin' like that?"

Cadi's nails bit into her arms.

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