Chapter 26
26
Grayson Hawk
I flip through the channels, keeping the volume low on the television, not wanting to wake Skye. My right arm is completely numb and I’ve had to take a piss for more than an hour, yet I remain still.
The sound of bare feet against a tile floor gains my attention as I look up just in time to see Tori slip by. She is quiet as she opens the refrigerator and then closes it.
A few minutes later she joins me in the living room. Grabbing a blanket and tucking it in around her she looks at Skye. Her head laying against my chest, her hand on my chest, fisting my shirt almost like she is afraid I’ll leave.
Tori seems sad and it weighs heavy on me.
“She loves you.” I don’t know if it’s a mistake to say anything but I hate this sadness lingering in the air. I want them both smiling.
“You don’t think I know that,” Tori whispers hoarsely. “Just like I know that she gave up everything to take care of me. She let go of her dreams, and settled so that she could give me the best life possible. Just like for the first year after our parents died I’d watch her stay strong all day, putting up a front so I’d feel secure only to cry herself to sleep at night, every night. I know all these things.”
“Protecting you, and loving you is not her burden.”
“But I feel like one,” she confesses, her eyes filling with tears and she quickly looks away. When was the last time she’d allowed herself to feel without trying to hide it from everyone around her?
These girls, damn they are both burrowing in beneath my skin so deep. They’re making me fall in love so fast it’s making my head spin.
“She’s right about the boy.”
“Of course you would agree.” She huffs.
“Because I know how they think.” I ignore her annoyed look. “Because no more than six weeks ago, I was still living with that same mentality.”
“Believe me.” She fakes a shiver. “I know.” She rolls her eyes and I’m graced with the sassy little shit I’ve come to adore.
“Can you do me a favor and stop reminding her of all my bad choices?” I hug Skye in a little closer when I say these words.
“You mean the brothel you ran next door.”
“Tori,” I say in warning and she smiles.
“Okay, okay.” She holds up her hands in front of her face. “I’ll stop, but you need to remember one thing. My sister is not a toy for you to play with!”
“I know.” I brush my lips over Skye’s forehead, kissing her softly. “Can I share something with you?”
“Sure.”
“She’s got me wrapped around her finger and she doesn’t even know it,” I confess.
“You might not want to admit that at the station in front of all the guys. I’m pretty sure they would all have a hay day at your expense.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” But it may even be worth it.
“Just don’t hurt her,” Tori adds, regaining my complete attention. She is looking at her sister not at me with a lost look in her eyes. “I know I give her a hard time, and I’m a handful, but she’s everything to me. She deserves to be happy, she should come first for a change.”
“I won’t hurt her.” The idea of either of them hurting in any way makes me feel sick to my stomach. I’m still shocked at how quickly they’ve both become a big part of my days.
When I am at work I’m thinking of them. Every situation, every call we get, I can’t help but put myself in the center of it. What would I feel like if this was Skye and Tori, it’s crippling.
It also blows my mind that I feel as close as I do to them.
The guys at the station, they are family. Rose, she is family. And family means everything to me. I generally don’t let people that are outside of that circle get too close.
But these girls, how can anyone not love them from the start.
“I want to meet this Dane kid.”
Her eyes widen in horror. “You are not meeting him.”
“Why, is he an ogre? Like does he got a third eye or a big nose or something?”
“You’re an idiot.” She laughs and the heavy weight pressing on my chest feels lighter. Tori’s smile can light up a room, just like her sister’s can.
“He’s probably got a face full of pimples and braces too huh?”
“Seriously Gray, you’re weird.” I shrug not denying it. But I’d act a fool all afternoon if it meant it would lighten the mood.
“I don’t know about weird,” Skye’s sleep filled voice fills the room as she slowly sits up. Rubbing at her eyes she yawns, looking between Tori and me. “But you are both loud.”
When she attempts to get up I grip her waist and she glances over at me. “Where you going?”
“I have to pee.” She wrinkles her forehead and scrunches up her eyes. “I was trying to be discreet about it, geesh!”
Her tone sounds so much like Tori in that moment.
When I release her and she stands, I check her out. Seeing Tori roll her eyes at me makes me laugh.
“Perv,” she whisper yells and Skye pauses to look between the two of us.
“If you ask me, you’re both weird.” Then she walks past her sister roughing her hair as she passes.
Tori grabs her hand, pulls her close and the two of them share a hug. Tori also whispers something that only the two of them can hear and right then they each take hold of another piece of my heart.
Loyalty and grace, love and devotion, they are both incredible.