Page 54 of Shattered Mind

“Good choice,” I say around a mouthful. Bella hits a button on the remote, resuming the film and the three of us settle back against the sofa.

I zone out as I think about the last few hours and everything I’ve learned about Grayson. I knew from the moment I met him on the fourth of July that something haunted him. I could see the weight he carried around on his shoulders. The dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. As soon as I saw the date on the headstone at the cemetery it all become clear.

The way he snapped at me on the Ferris wheel. The far away look he had in his eyes the entire night. It was the anniversary of his best friends death and instead of grieving in his own way, he was forced to come to the town fair to help his brother score points with his girlfriend’s best friend – me. No wonder the man can’t stand me.

I judged him by his actions, and the way he spoke to me that night. I spent no more than a few hours with him and just assumed I had him completely figured out. And I’ve done nothing but judge him since.

I took one look at him in the park with a woman and her child and jumped to the conclusion that he was the kind of guy that would keep his family a secret from his fuck buddy. I’m embarrassed and ashamed of the way I’ve treated him.

Sure, he’s been a bit of a head fuck the last few weeks. He’s blown hot and cold more times than I can count. But I’m a big believer of never judging a book by its cover, and that’s exactly what I did when I met Grayson Calloway.

I try to imagine what he was like before Rueben died. A younger, carefree version of him without the grief weighing heavily on his shoulders. I wonder if he was moreoutgoing. More like his brothers. Or if he’s always been this reserved. Its hard to imagine Grayson being loud or boisterous or doing anything to bring attention to himself.

Bella would know. She’s grown up around the Calloway boys her entire life. I guess Daisy has, too. I could just ask Grayson, but there’s a good chance he wouldn’t answer my questions. I could see he was uncomfortable talking about the past tonight, so I make the decision to speak to the girls about it first.

“What was Grayson like before Rueben died?” I ask the question plaguing my mind.

Boths women’s heads snap towards me in surprise and Bella pauses the TV for a second time. “He was different.”

“Different how?”

Bella shrugs. “He was more approachable. Laughed more. He’s a few years older than me so I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with him, but he went out more. Him and Rueben were like two peas in a pod. Where there was one, the other would never be far behind.”

“I had the biggest crush on Rueben as a teenager,” Daisy chimes in and Bella’s eyebrows raise in surprise as she looks at her best friend.

“I didn’t know that,” she says with a slightly offended tone.

Daisy nods with a laugh. “Yep. I got over it, obviously, but I told Killian about it one night when I was drunk, and it drove him crazy. He told Noah, and Noah told Grayson who told Rueben and then the three of them would tease Kill about it anytime they were together.”

“I just can’t imagine Gray being like that,” I say thoughtfully.

“Losing Rueben changed him. It changed us all, but Grayson most of all. His death shook the entire town.” Bella tells me, and I feel my heart break a little more for theyoung man that lost his friend far too soon. For the little girl who lost her father before she ever got the chance to know him. For his parents, who had to do what no parent should ever have to and bury their only child.

I blink away the emotion clouding my vision. “He took me to his grave tonight.”

Two sets of eyes widen at me. “Grayson did?” Bella asks.

“Yeah,” I sigh, “I saw him earlier in the park with Rebecca and Sapphire and I jumped to conclusions. He found me at The Boot and fireman carried me out the door, asked me if he could show me something and took me to his grave. He told me everything.”

Bella lets out a low whistle. “Damn. He hasn’t spoken about that night to anyone.”

My eyebrows shoot up as I look between them, taking in the astonished looks on both their faces. “What?”

Daisy shakes her head as Bella continues, “you can ask anyone, and they’d tell you the same thing. He refused to speak about it. Not to his parents. Not to his brothers. They all tried multiple times, but after what happened last time, they stopped.”

“What happened last time?” I ask, fully invested and slightly stupefied.

“He destroyed Noah’s living room. Put his fist through a wall. Smashed things. Noah said he just lost his shit and they’d never seen him like that before.”

“Wow,” I say as I slump back against the sofa and process everything she’s just told me.

“Yeah. I guess it’s a good sign if he told you about it though.”

“Yeah,” I reply thoughtfully.

I don’t know what made Grayson decide to open up to me, but knowing what I know now I’m glad I was the onehe trusted enough to open up to. I’m unsure whether he would’ve taken that step had I not seen him with Rebecca, but perhaps me acting like a jealous psycho was the kick up the ass he needed to finally let go of some of the pain he keeps bottledup inside of him.

CHAPTER 29

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