Page 29 of The Seascape Between Us

“No, nothing like that.”

“Any dizziness or problems with balance?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Do you feel nauseous, or have you thrown up since you hit your head?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Probably,” the doctor agreed. “What about any blurred vision, sensitivity to light, or ringing in your ears?”

Shit. I tensed. “I had some ringing in my ears right after, but just for a few seconds, maybe a minute at most.”

“You didn’t tell me that,” Grey said, sounding accusatory.

The doctor went on to explain that I might have a mild concussion and to rest for a few days, and Grey stood close, taking in every word the doctor said. He continued to hoverwhile a nurse stitched my arm, reminding him I should have a tetanus shot.

I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had fussed over me the way Grey had over the last few hours. While I found myself losing patience with him, part of me enjoyed feeling as if someone had my back.

It was an illusion, of course. Greydidn’thave my back, not like I thought he did back when we were first together. Maybe he felt bad for distracting me while I’d been working, or for how tense things had been between us over the last week.

You are the heart of this hotel. I’m just a wallet.

I still wasn’t sure how I felt about what Grey had said, except that he was more than a wallet. It took more than money to achieve the kind of success he had. Admittedly, money helped.

“I should go back to the hotel. There’s always someone around, and I’ll rest easier in my own space.” All true, but I was leaving out the very real fact that the idea of seeing Grey inhisown environment, in the life he’d gone on to build while I’d been at the Seascape, exactly where he’d left me all those years ago made my insides shrivel.

“First, I don’t believe you’llactuallyrest if you’re anywhere near that hotel.” Grey glanced away from the road long enough to shoot me a pointed look. He might not have been entirely wrong. “Besides, even if you could be trusted not to work, the roofers will keep you awake.”

“Portland is too far from the hotel. What if something goes wrong? We would both be more than an hour away.”

I was about to suggest he drop me off at Brody’s. Surely, Jett and he wouldn’t mind if I spent the night on their sofa when Grey said, “I have an idea.”

Having reached The Square, Grey steered up the winding road to the residential area rather than toward the hotel.

“You know you can’t just dump me off on Finn, right?” Finn and Alistair lived on the opposite side of the street and a few houses down from Grey’s father’s home. “I realize he does a lot for you, but surely there are limits.”

“I’m notdumpingyou anywhere.”

Before I could ask him any more questions, he turned into the empty driveway of Oliver Mackenzie’s house. Grey cut the engine, but I didn’t say anything, staring up at the old craftsman-style house with a mix of shock and alarm.

“What are we doinghere?”

“The students moved out a few days ago, and I figured this would be an appropriate compromise. Far enough from the Seascape that you’ll actually rest, but close enough if there’s an emergency.”

“You hate this house,” I said.

“I don’thatethe house. I hated the man wholivedin this house.”

Actually, I was fairly certain Grey didn’t hate his father, and that was a big part of his problem with the man. His father’s rejection wouldn’t have bothered him so much if he truly didn’t care. But wisely, I kept the thought to myself.

Grey opened the car door and got out. I did the same before he could come around to my door to help me out like I was some frail ninety-year-old.

“Are you okay? Did you need me to help you?” Grey asked, from where he stood on the flagstone path that cut across the neatly trimmed lawn and led to the porch steps. Purple and white hydrangeas bloomed across the length of the raised porch.

I nodded and followed Grey to the front door, where he opened a lock box and took out a key. From the porch, I looked down at Oceanwind Square stretching out to the dark blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

“Coming in?”

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