Page 71 of Shadowed With Fear

Grayson

Through the short hall I can hear the water begin to run in my bathroom. I finally feel like I can exhale. Brahm’s truck pulls into my driveway, the sound of the tires crunching rocks catching my attention.

I started making a pot of coffee. God knows we’re gonna be up to our elbows in bullshit after this fiasco.

“Where is she?” He calls from the front door over to me.

I nod my head in the direction of my room, and he nods, dumping her bags on the couch.

I don’t know what to say to him. We haven’t gotten the chance to really speak at all since he made the little comment about telling Dahlia Liz was coming…moments after D did.

We stand a few feet apart, not really speaking, and avoiding eye contact as much as possible. And I hate it. I hate every second where things feel weird between us. It’s happened two times in our entire lives. Once in middle school when he had a crush on the same girl I did, and after Dahlia’s attack last year.

“B, I think we should talk.” My voice is quiet, but at least it remains even.

He stares at me blankly. “Yeah?”

I nod. “I—We— “

“Are fucking? Yeah, I know.”

I blanch. “What?

You and D, right?” He gives me this look like I’m a fucking dumbass. “You’re fucking? I know.”

My mouth opens and closes. I snapped it shut, tilting my head at him. “You knew?”

“Yeah,” he shrugs, nonchalantly. “I read your note on her birthday, and kind of figured that, combined with your little storm out the door at her party was because you liked her. You always had a soft spot for her, so it made sense.

“Then there was the weird tension when Liz was over, and I was asking them about food. That was pretty much a flag waving above your head screaming ‘I’m in love’,” he states lifting two fingers, as if he was checking them off.

“And I’ve been checking in every now and then when I’m gone through the cameras. Just glancing around in case there’s anything you might miss, and I have noticed that you stare through her window…a lot.” He lifts another finger, all three of the middle fingers on his hand stand up, and he locks eyes with me smirking before putting the outer two down and flipping me off.

“That’s for perving on my sister through her bedroom window, ya creeper.”

I laugh, both at his stupidity, but also in relief. “You aren’t gonna like, I don’t know, tie me up in the warehouse or some shit.”

Brahm’s brows furrow. “Why would I do that?”

“Cause I’m fooling around with, D.”

He barks a laugh. “Dude, she’s a grown ass woman. She can fuck whoever she wants. The only person I’m mad at is her for fucking with a guy whose face she’s never seen, or name she doesn’t know. That pisses me off because it’s not safe, especially after what’s already happened to her.”

I nod. “Yeah, I know. It’s kind of frustrated me too. But she said she’s not worried about it because I have helped her. The ‘guy in the mask’ helped her—saved her, so she believes that’s enough to know he wouldn’t hurt her. I mean you know I never would,” I start, and Brahm nods.

“No, I know. I get what you’re saying. The defense is the guy in the mask saved her from predatory men twice, so he’s safe.”

The coffee pot chirps and splutters as the last of the water filters through the grounds.

We’re both quiet as I pour us both a cup. Both with creamer, mine with sugar.

“You’ll have to tell her soon.” Brahm’s eyes bore into me.

“I know. I planned to after we talked. I don’t like telling her half-truths. It hurts,” I mumble chewing on the inside of my lip ring, my knuckles rubbing at my sternum.

The front door opens, and Adam, Henry, and Alex pour in. Adam and Alex are talking quietly to themselves, no surprise there. Those two are practically attached at the hip despite Henry being Alex’s brother. I think Alex and Adam are closer than Alex and Henry ever were.

“Anything?” Henry asks.