Page 98 of Accepting Fate
Grayson pauses to collect himself. He hasn’t let go of my hand the entire time and my heart sinks, hoping this story isn’t about to turn out how I think it’s going to. But the pained expression in his sad eyes tells me it is.
“There had to be about ten police cars,” he goes on. “Plus an ambulance and a firetruck. I thought something had happened to my mom. I almost crashed my bike into a tree, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get to my mom. When I got there I—” He tries to collect himself but can’t.
Brushing my thumb across his face, I do my best to soothe him. “Hey. You don’t have to. It’s okay.”
He leans into my touch. “I know but I need to.”
Grayson removes my hand from his face and puts it on his knee.
“I saw them placing Eliza’s lifeless body in a black bag. I started screaming at the medics but none of them even looked at me. It felt like I was screaming into some sort of void, and someone had put me on mute. Mom ran over to me and tried to pull me away, but I needed to know what happened to her. Dad picked me up and sat me down on the porch, but I kept yelling. Eventually, Mom calmed me down enough and they told me that Eliza had found one of my dad’s guns. She umm…” Grayson looks down and mutters, “Fuck” under his breath.
Seeing my sweet teddy bear so hurt breaks my heart. A tear escapes and I don’t know what to do. I want to comfort him, but I also want to give him the opportunity to tell Eliza’s story because I think it may be the first time he has ever talked about it out loud.
Grayson tries to fight the tears that want to fall, shaking his head and straightening his spine. “Sorry. Eliza killed herself under the willow tree. That was the spot we would always hang out because Eliza said it was peaceful. Mom told us that her parents kicked her out when she was eighteen. So, she had no choice but to live with her boyfriend. He was an abusive piece of shit. But Eliza got sick of it and found Mom through a women’s clinic in Seattle. She brought her to us to keep her safe. It was going okay, but on the day she was supposed to start therapy, Dad was walking out to take her when he heard the shot. She was being threatened by her ex and did the only thing she thought was going to keep him away from her.”
Tears flow freely down my face at the thought of Eliza being so terrified that she would rather die than be found by her ex.
I quickly wipe the tears away, so he doesn’t feel the need to comfort me. But he notices and swipes a tear away with his thumb.
“It’s okay to cry, Angel.”
Chuckling, I wipe the tears away. “I know, but I’m supposed to be comforting you. Not the other way around.”
He lets out a small laugh. “Believe it or not, this is helping. This is the first time I’ve told her story out loud. It fucking hurts just as bad as the day she died, but it kinda feels good at the same time. Only my family knows Eliza’s story and we don’t talk about it. Eliza’s death shouldn’t be the reason she is remembered. She was amazing and full of life, despite the cards she was dealt.”
This man surprises me every day with his words. He just told one of the most heartbreaking stories and somehow finds a way to make it have a happy ending.
“How do you do that?” I ask while climbing into his lap.
“Do what?” he asks, brushing his thumb across my cheek.
“How do you find a way to look at that story in a happy way? That was one of the saddest stories I’ve ever heard and somehow you managed to give it a happy ending even though you hurt like hell.”
A smirk spreads across his face. “Because I choose to remember Eliza happy. I lost her but I know she is no longer living in constant fear. I do the same with the ones like Isabella who survived but will carry the pain and trauma with them for years to come. If I didn’t, I would never get out of bed. It’s fucking hard sometimes but, believe it or not, you have helped. Plus, I sleep better knowing the fuckers that do this to them are getting what they deserved.”
I have so many questions, but he’s already told me so much. I don’t want to push.
I smile at him. “You are a good man, Grayson Hayes. I don’t know how I got so lucky to find you but I’m happy I did,” I say then I kiss him.
Grayson’s hands thread in my hair and deepens the kiss. Soon, the heavy and eye-opening conversation is gone, and now all I want to do is show him how grateful I am that he trusted me enough to tell me Eliza’s story.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Grayson
"Wakeup,Angel,”Isay, crawling between her legs.
Logan is passed out on my bed, only wearing one of my shirts. After telling her about Eliza, we both needed a release, so I fucked her until she passed out from overstimulation. She has only been sleeping for a few hours, but I need her.
I kiss her stomach and she doesn’t stir.
Damn, she really is out.
Moving so that I hover over her, I kiss her and brush her cheek.
Logan’s eyes slowly flutter open, and she smiles when she sees me. "Hello, may I help you?”
I kiss her again, this time with more hunger so she understands what I want. She catches on quickly and rakes her fingers down my back, leaving marks I will enjoy seeing later.