Page 99 of Seeing Grayscale

When he eventually asked me about the job search, I told him what had happened with the hardware store and that I was starting my online classes. There was this bizarre look in his eyes when I told him. Pride mixed with something like fear. But hetold me that was a great idea and that he’d help me get all my identification in order before I applied for a job.

I feel so safe, sowanted.In some ways, I’ve almost forgotten the past four years. Like it was all a bad dream and I just needed to wake up to find warm sheets, bright pretty eyes and strong arms to make all of it disappear.

Last night, he watched me doodle for a while. It’s been a bit since I’ve used anything other than spray paint, so my lines were choppy. That didn’t stop him from praising me, kissing my neck, and asking for one of his own.

God, it felt so good. So fuckingright.

But now we are at Doctor Perry’s. I’m chewing on my thumb in the lobby, waiting to get called back. Hunter, like last time, stayed behind in the car.

My leg feels good, all things considered, and I’m wearing the brace out of habit at this point. I haven’t had to take the pain pills in over a week. There’s only an occasional dull pain if I’ve been standing for too long. But the good doctor did say that the fracture was minor.

I’m not concerned about the leg. I’m scared he’ll ask about everything else: my situation, the assault, my mental state. I don’t want to talk about that. I’m currently working on one of those issues; the rest can allwait.With an unsettled stomach, my breakfast threatens to come up. My knee bounces as a cold sweat starts to form at my hairline.

I pull out my phone, quick to send the text.

I don’t want to be alone for this.

Hunter: I’ll be right there.

Sagging in relief, I focus all my attention on the door—a minute or two passes, and Hunter strides in. The smell of cigarettes quickly invades the small waiting area as he stiffly sits beside me. I don’t know why I thought he’d come in here and hold my hand, but he doesn’t. He won’t even look at me.Instead, he stares off, a haunted look in his eyes. Then he starts scratching.

“What’s wrong?” I whisper, resting my hand on his forearm. He stiffens and scratches his leg.

“Just…some issues at work.” He still hasn’t told me what that phone call was about—the one withAlex, who I still am not confident doesn’t have a raging boner for what’smine.

He’s been texting Alex all fucking weekend.

“Do you want to talk about—”

“No,” he cuts me off. “I’ll handle it. It’s fine.”

“Okay.” I take my hand off him, but he grabs it, slotting our fingers together and resting it in his lap.

And that’s all it takes.

One little act of affection, and I’m put at ease.

Ten minutes later, the doctor is ready for me. We go into the exam room, Doctor Perry greeting Hunter like they’re great friends, and clapping him on the back good-naturedly. I smile crookedly when he says hello to me, too. The exam is pretty straightforward. He tests my range of motion, applies pressure where the break was, and then says he’s going to x-ray it to be sure, but he’s confident I’m healed, impressed even, at how fast it did so.

When Perry leaves the room to get the test ordered, I glance at Hunter, who’s been leaning against the wall, fingers flying over his phone's keyboard. “Alright, what’s up?” I bark.

He whips his head in my direction, guilt riddling his features. With a sigh, he pockets the phone, rakes a hand through his hair, and grimaces. “I have…a big fucking problem.”

“At work?”

He nods fast. “What was supposed to be a simple meeting with a potential investor is proving to be a disaster. This guyknows things, sweetheart. Things he shouldn’t know. And he’s threatening to expose it all if I don’t sell OAT.”

I can feel his stress from across the room. “What kind of things does he know? Who the fuck is this guy?”

Jaw ticking, he shakes his head in disbelief. “He knows about my dad—what he says and does behind closed doors. He knows the same aboutme.I’ve pissed this man off somehow and I don’t know when or how. I have never heard of him before last week.”

“Why does he want your company? It’s like…airplane parts, right?”

“That’s only one part of it. We own private airports and airlines, supply parts, do repairs, and facilitate the transfer of military charters to other bases—” he stops, rubs his eyes, and sags his shoulders. I hate seeing him so defeated, but I don’t know how to help.

I climb off the stupid exam table, walk over, and hug him tight. He folds his body around mine, shaking slightly. “If I don’t figure something out, he’s going to ruin it all, baby,” he breathes against my ear. “I’ll lose it all.”

“You won’t,” I say, even though I can’t promise that. As much as I want all the confines keeping us from moving forward to disappear, I don’t want it to be at the cost of him.

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