Page 116 of When Darkness Calls

Grayson’s house is quick to come into view. It’s strange, but I’ve only been here a handful of times growing up. His dad left before I was born, and his mom was always working. It was just him and his older sister. I had tagged along with mom a few times she had picked Cay or Grays up or dropped them off. But after his mom died when I was little, I was maybe four, and his sister took over the house, I didn’t really come around very much.

The last time I had been here was for his sister’s wake. It’s been close to eight years now, I think.

Thinking about it makes me feel so much sympathy. He lost his whole family before he was eighteen years old, and now what? He has the home he grew up in, and other than him, it’s empty.

“You should get a dog.”

“Huh?” Grayson turns around as he parks in the driveway next to his car.

“A dog. You should get a dog. Or are you a cat person? Either way.” I lift my shoulder.

Grayson rises, stepping back to look down at me.

“Why do I need a dog or cat?” He asks, holding his hand out for me. It’s so fucking warm in my own and I’m shocked. I would have thought after that ride, he’d be an icicle like me.

“I don’t know. Company. They’re good for emotional support. I don’t like the idea of you being lonely.”

He pauses, looking at me quizzically. “Dani, I could never be lonely. I have my family, and we all came running like bats out of hell at the first sign of one of us being in trouble.”

A flutter erupts in my chest.

“Family?” I ask him, hopefully.

“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t we be?”

I look away, my fingers rubbing at the seam of my shirt. “I thought…I wasn’t sure if I was still a part of it. For a little while I honestly thought you might have hated me.”

He chokes. “No! God, no. I thought you hated me for what had happened last year…”

“Grays, I couldn’t hate you for that. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. But when you and Cay were fighting because of it, I thought…I dunno, that I fucked up something? And then you wouldn’t talk to me. It was like you tried everything to not even be in the same room. At least it was like that for months.” My voice cracks, and my fingers pick at a loose thread. A sigh tears from my throat.

“Lately, it seemed like things were back to normal. But it’s been so weird, and confusing, and part of me started to worry that you were just pretending to make things easier with Cay…”

Grayson’s sneakers come into sight. The old, worn rubber kissing the toe of my own. His hand comes up, tilting my chin to look at him.

“Dani, under no circumstances in the entire universe, would I ever hate you.”

I can feel my eyes getting wet, and I blink away the feeling, smiling at him.

“Come on. Why don’t you go take a shower to warm up, and I’ll make something to eat while we wait for everyone, okay? I’m sure Cade’s gonna go all drill sergeant on our asses.” He smirks down at me, the ring on his lip twitching and I giggle.

“Yeah. Twenty bucks says he already has a fucking diagram and schedule set up for watching me?”

Grays snorts despite the change in his eye. “You’re on.” He holds out his hand as we head up the few steps to the porch. I slap my palm in his. “My room’s down the hall past the kitchen. Bathroom’s in there.” He nods through the living room to the hallway near the fridge.

“I hope you keep cash. I’d hate for you to have to go to an ATM tonight!” I call out as I walk through the kitchen. His laugh is all I hear following me.

The warm water streaming through the shower gets some feeling flowing through my limbs. Between the static tingling my fingertips, and the numbness kissing my exposed skin, the water cleanses me of any last remaining bad vibes from yet another run in with weirdo ski mask guy.

The problem?

Cade has my bag, and I completely forgot because the idea of a hot shower was too good to pass up. So, I have no clothes, but I have my backpack so at least I have a tampon.

So, here I am. Standing in the middle of Grayson’s en suite, dripping water all over the floor, very much giving The Ring girl. I take careful steps to the door, pressing my ear against the wood and calling out.

“Grays.” And I wait.

“Grayson!” I call again, but I don’t hear anything on the other side. I cracked the door, glancing around his room, and seeing it’s empty.