Chapter 42 Grayden
FORTY-TWO
Grayden
Something poked my shoulder.
“Grayden? Hey, are you awake yet?”
I opened one eye and saw Ollie peering down at me. He poked me again, this time on my forehead.
“Ow.”
“Oh, good. You’re awake.”
Making a sound halfway between a laugh and a groan, I sat up on the couch. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” I asked.
“Yeah.” He bounced on his toes. “Did you?”
“Until about two minutes ago, yep.”
“My mom’s still sleeping. Her alarm hasn’t gone off yet, but sometimes I get up before her. Then I saw you out here.”
I braced myself for more questions. What was I doing here? Why had I spent the night?
But Ollie seemed to be taking it in stride. “Hey, do you wanna see the chemistry kit Uncle Callum bought me at the museum in Denver?”
“He—heck yeah. That sounds awesome.”
“Were you going to say hell? You can say that around me. It’s okay.”
“Right, I almost forgot how mature you are.”
While Ollie ran to his room, I stopped by the bathroom. Despite the fact that I’d been up late with Piper, and we’d had a difficult conversation, the guy in the mirror wore a happy smile.
I started the coffee in the kitchen. Ollie talked me through the detailed instructions of his science kit, which seemed to be focused on making slimy stuff that would gross out adults.
“Should we make some breakfast for your mom?” I asked.
“Yeah, she would like that. She’s always in a rush in the mornings.”
“What would she like to have?”
He put on a thoughtful face. “Probably chocolate chip pancakes. With chocolate syrup on top.”
“Really? Your mom’s big on chocolate for breakfast?”
“Loves it.”
I felt that huge grin on my face again. “Okay. We’d better get started.”
After finding some pancake mix in the pantry, I had Ollie measure out the milk. “You kept my mom company over the weekend?” he asked as he stirred the batter.
“I did. We had a nice time.” Wow, was that an understatement. It had been the best three days of my entire life. “Sounds like you did too.”
“Yeah.” He tilted his head and peered at me through his dark blond bangs. “Maybe the next time I hang out with Callum, you can come too. Since he’s your brother and all.”
“I would love that.”
By the time Piper wandered out of her bedroom, we had a stack of pancakes ready, and Ollie was setting the table. “What’s all this?” she asked. “Is it my birthday or something?”
“Nope, just Monday.” Ollie smiled at her. “I better get the chocolate syrup!”
I handed Piper her coffee. We sat at the kitchen table to eat, and the quiet beauty of this moment hit me.
Piper’s knee touched mine beneath the table and she smiled behind the rim of her coffee cup. Like she could feel it too.
Ollie shoveled down his breakfast in about five minutes and dashed off to get ready for school. I got up to rinse the dishes, and Piper leaned against the counter beside me.
“Hi,” she whispered. She cast a glance over her shoulder, making sure we were alone, and leaned in for a kiss. It was far more chaste than heated. Full of tender affection.
“I’ll miss you today,” she said.
I stroked her cheek. “I’ll miss you more.”
I thought of Danny Carmichael and the twisted offer he’d made me. Pay me off, and I’ll never see Piper or Ollie again. You can have them.
Piper and Ollie weren’t his to bargain with anyway. But they were priceless.
Danny would always be Ollie’s father, but I hoped I could have a role in Ollie’s life too. If I earned it.
“I’ll see you soon,” I said after another quick kiss. I’d be counting the minutes.
But a few days apart might be a good thing. It would give Piper a little time to consider all I’d said to her this weekend.
“Do you want to come over for dinner tomorrow?” she asked.
My heart did a flip in my chest. The things this woman made me feel. “Absolutely.”
“Where’s your backpack?” Piper called out, grabbing Ollie’s lunch from the counter.
The sound of running feet echoed through the hall. “Am I taking the bus today, Mom?” he called out.
“Doubt it, Ollie-bear. Pickup at the bus stop was five minutes ago. I’m driving. Let’s roll!”
I smiled and picked up Piper’s coat, holding it open for her to slide in. “Anything I can help with?” I asked. “Want me to look for the backpack?”
“Nope, we’re just about set. Come with us. I’ll drop you off at your place after I take Ollie to school.”
“Nah, that’s alright. You’ve got enough on your plate, and I could use a walk.”
“That’s like, eight miles!”
“I’m capable of walking eight miles. Looks like a beautiful day out there. I could use some exercise. I’ve spent way too much of the last few days horizontal.”
Her frown shifted at the edges, almost turning to a smile. “I don’t like the idea of you walking along the road. It’s not safe.”
Ollie still wasn’t here, so I kissed her forehead. I liked when she was protective of me. “I’m not actually going to walk the whole way. I was thinking I’d stop by Callum’s, and he or Zandra can probably give me a ride. I’ll be fine.”
Once Piper and Ollie were both piled in her car, they took off for school. I waved goodbye from the sidewalk.
This morning had been wonderful. I wanted so many more just like this. A million at least. Except, if I was lucky, waking up next to Piper in bed rather than on the couch. Maybe driving Ollie to school myself on my way to my studio.
Could that really be my life?
I whistled, hands in the pockets of my coat, as I started down the sidewalk. A shiny car turned onto the road, heading in my direction at a fast clip. I barely gave it a glance. Enough to notice it was a Lexus.
The next moment, the Lexus veered toward me. Jumped the curb. Shouting and cursing, I leaped out of the way. The car took out a mailbox and slammed into a truck in a neighbor’s driveway.
I landed hard on my side after avoiding the vehicle. For a couple of seconds, I was frozen with shock.
What the fuck?
That was Danny’s car. Had he just tried to kill me?
I shoved to my feet and lurched toward the vehicle. The figure at the driver’s seat was slumped over. Not moving.
I reached the door and tried the handle. It opened. The airbag had deployed. Danny Carmichael lay against the white fabric, barely conscious.
I would’ve assumed the airbag had stunned him. Except for the blood soaking the lower half of his shirt and the driver’s seat.
“Hey!” someone shouted. “Holy shit, my truck! What the hell, man?”
I turned and saw a guy running toward us from the nearest house. The owner of the truck Danny had just t-boned, I assumed. “Call 911!” I shouted. “He’s injured.”
“Is he drunk? He just destroyed my new Silverado!”
“I don’t think the injury is from the accident. Just call for an ambulance! Hurry!”
I yanked off my jacket and held it against Danny’s side, where blood was still pumping from some kind of wound. From the amount, he’d been bleeding for a while. Driving like this. Had he been heading to Piper’s house?
I hated this man for what he’d done to Piper and Ollie. How he’d treated them. But he was still Ollie’s dad. I knew exactly how it felt to lose a parent, and I didn’t want Ollie to go through that.
“Don’t you dare die, you asshole,” I growled. “You’d better fucking hang on.”