Page 129 of Getting Down to Business

He stared at her with wide eyes.

“No.” He rushed over and took the paper from her, but it was too late.

“Why do you have that?” was her first question.

“It’s not how it looks.”

“Why did you go to see him?”

“I didn’t see him.”

She shook the form at him as proof.

“I went there to speak with him, hoping he could offer some closure. I was desperate to help you heal, but before I went through with it, I realized he wasn’t going to be able to help you.”

“So I’m just some broken toy you’re trying to fix, but the parts are no longer available so just toss me out?” She remembered what his mother had said about the projects he’d taken on in the past.

“No. It’s not like that.”

“What is so wrong with me that you feel I need to be fixed?”

“You…” He obviously thought better of answering that question. Instead he shook his head and let it fall. “I can’t do anything right with us. Is it wrong that I want to help you? Is it wrong that I care about you?”

“I never asked you to care about me.” She tossed the form at his chest and went to her room.

She wasn’t his fixer-upper project.

As she lay there sobbing herself to sleep, she realized the effort he’d made to help her. To go to a prison. As misguided as the idea was, she knew his heart was in the right place. One day, she would thank him. But it wouldn’t be any day in the immediate future.

Somehow she managed to fall asleep, only to be awoken by her phone ringing by her head.

“Yeah?” she asked, not recognizing the number.

“Hey Alyssa, it’s Chanda. Can you come down here? Gray’s blitzed and I’m going to have to put him out. I’d have Doug help, but he has Lucy.” For a moment, Alyssa contemplated letting him stay down there all night, but she couldn’t. He’d gone to Syracuse to try to help her. She could at least make sure he made it home safe.

“Sure. I’ll be right there.”

In the ten minutes it took her to find shoes and get to the bar, Gray had already been put out on the street.

Chanda peeked out with a frown.

“Sorry. I didn’t have a choice. It’s a legal thing. Mac said we had to kick him out. Do you want me to call a cab?”

“No. I’ll take care of it. Thanks for calling me.”

“He’s going through something. He didn’t ever get to the point, but I’m pretty sure it has to do with his feelings for you.”

“I don’t know what to do. I told him this was never going to work.”

“Maybe you’re both trying too hard. It’s a common mistake.”

“Maybe.”

“Let me know if you need any help.” Chanda waved and closed the door.

Liss turned to Gray and sighed.

He was slumped over on the bench. His right pants leg was wet and smelled suspiciously like urine. She wondered briefly if it was from a dog or a human. Then decided urine is never good, no matter the source.