Page 128 of Getting Down to Business

Chapter 25

Grayson heard back from his boss first thing Friday morning.

They had room for him at the San Diego office. He thought this news would make him feel better, but it didn’t.

There was no way he would have been able to walk any slower on his way home that evening. He looked up at their building and cursed. He didn’t want to walk in there and see her smiling face of indifference.

He forced himself to go inside, letting his bag slide down his arm to rest by the door.

Alyssa was sitting on the sofa with her legs tucked under her.

“Hey, how was your day? You worked really late.” She stood. “I made chicken stir-fry. You want some?”

“No thanks. I’m going to go take a shower and go to bed.”

“Do you feel okay?”

“No.”

* * * *

Alyssa asked if Grayson needed anything as he rushed to his room, but he didn’t answer.

She’d always been under the impression that when guys had an argument they said what they needed to say, cleared the air, and then made up and went back to being buddies.

Gray wasn’t making up or going back to being buddies. She knew she’d hurt him, but she couldn’t allow herself to love him. Somewhere, out in the world, was a woman who had been hurt because Alyssa had once been blinded by love.

Love meant not seeing what was right in front of you.

As she tried to come up with a plan, his phone rang from his bag by the door. She tried to tune it out, knowing his voice mail would pick up after the fourth ring, but instead it rang again right away.

Then again.

And again.

She looked annoyingly toward the hall, still hearing the water running in the bathroom as the phone started yet again.

“For the love of God!” she huffed, and got up to go answer it. She saw two letters that made her smile. I-Z

“Hey, Izzy. What’s up?” she asked as she knocked a wrinkled piece of paper out of his bag.

“Hi, Alyssa. Where is he?” she asked, sounding angry.

“Um, he’s in the shower. Do you need me to take the phone in?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong?” There was a long silence. She guessed Izabelle was deciding whether to side with Alyssa or her brother.

“Please tell him I’ll call him back later to discuss the email he sent me,” she said.

“Okay. Sure. I’ll let him know.” It was obvious the email exchange had not been good. They said their good-byes and she put his phone back in the pocket of his bag and moved to replace the wrinkled paper, until she noticed a familiar name written at the top.

“Oh, no,” she gasped as she started reading. It was a consent form for visitation with Donnie and it was filled out for Grayson Hollinger. He’d gone to talk to Donnie?

Her hands were shaking so badly that she could barely hold the paper still.

Just as she was finished reading the date of the visit, Gray walked into the living room in a pair shorts, his hair still wet from the shower.