Page 89 of Break My Fall

She wrapped her hand around his. “Let’s go chat.”

They were ten feet away when Meredith pointed to Cal. “You’re in my seat.”

He stood and waved to the chair with a flourish. “My apologies, ma’am.” Cal went to sit in the chair beside her and then it was Gray’s turn to protest.

“Now you’re in my seat.”

Cal hovered over it, his hands braced on the arms of the chair. “Is it now?”

“Yes. It is.”

Cal stood and moved to his normal seat across the fire.

“What, no apology for me?” Gray scooted his chair closer to Meredith’s so he could continue to hold her hand.

“Nope.” Cal quirked an eyebrow at him but didn’t say more.

Meredith reached out her free hand to Mo. “You can’t refuse to speak to him forever. No one can do that.”

Mo didn’t look at anyone. He stared into the fire and said, “Wanna bet?”

Meredith gasped. “Tell me you’re joking. I left you in a room with her. How did you manage to leave without speaking?”

It took Gray a second to keep up. They weren’t talking about Mo not speaking to him anymore.

“Wasn’t too difficult.” Mo’s tone was calm. The tension in his body screamed frustration.

Meredith leaned toward her brother. “Please tell me you didn’t get up and walk away.”

“I did no such thing.”

Meredith relaxed in her seat.

“But she did.”

So Bronwyn had left without speaking? Gray had no idea what was going on between them, but that seemed harsh.

Meredith dropped her head on the back of the chair. “Seriously?”

“We sat there in awkward silence for a few minutes before she left.”

“You couldn’t have said something? Anything?”

“There’s nothing to say. If she wants to open the lines of communication, that’s up to her. I swore I wouldn’t speak to her againuntil she spoke to me first. Unlike some people,Idon’t break my promises.”

“You did what?” Meredith squeaked a little on the last word.

Meredith and Cal were on the edges of their seats. This must have been new information for all of them.

“You mean Bronwyn knows why you don’t speak to her?” Cal looked at Meredith. “Did you know this?”

“No! What—”

“We aren’t here for that.” Mo cut her off and turned the tables. “We’re here to discuss the fact that you’re sitting here holding hands with a man who made you cry. A lot. For weeks. The same guy who made you so upset you didn’t eat enough, who had you so twisted in knots that it impacted your sleep. I volunteered to kill him. I volunteered to give him computer viruses. I took your refusal of my offers to be yet another indication that you are a better person than I am. I did not think you were protecting him so you could date him.” Mo saiddatelike it was the vilest option available to anyone.

But Gray was hung up on one new piece of information. He brought Meredith’s hand to his lips. “Please tell me you didn’t stop eating.”

“He’s being dramatic. I didn’t want dessert at dinner.”

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