Page 73 of Shattered Mind

“You,” my tone is serious as I point a finger at him, getting only a hint of satisfaction out of the way his eyes widen in surprise, “are on my shit list. Sleep with one eye open, Calloway.”

He slumps back in his chair like a boy that’s just been told he’s grounded. “Shit.”

“Shit, indeed, little brother.” Hunter says, his voice full of amusement, and I spin in my chair, giving him a warning look that has his mouth snapping closed.

I stand. “On that note, I’m going to crawl into the nearest hole. Please tell Amelia I said thank you.”

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Grayson says, standing and following me out the room as I do everything in my power to avoid coming face to face with his parents again.

***

I’ve avoided The Calloway Ranch like the plague for the last week.

Grayson has been over at my house on several occasions since the awkward dinner, but there haven’t been anymore sleepovers since that first night.

If I’m honest, it’s probably for the best.

Sharing a bed with him feels too intimate. Too much like a relationship. And as the days go by, I can feel myself becoming more and more attached to him.

It doesn’t help that he has suddenly made it a part of his daily routine to drop by the café during my shift. His frequent visits have certainly given Mrs Stirling and her circle of gossips something to talk about.

I feel eyes on me every time I go into town and it’s starting to grate on my nerves. If I hear one more person whispering about mine and Grayson’s relationship status when my back is turned, I may do something stupid and really give them something to talk about.

I slam the lid on the coffee machine with more force than I intended and grimace as Bella turns and raises a brow at me. “Something wrong?”

“No. Sorry. I’m just stressed,” I say, guilt eating away at me for my childish outburst.

Bella smiles at me softly as she approaches and places a hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you go home? It’s a quiet day today, I can manage the last few hours by myself.”

I open my mouth to insist I’m fine but quickly change my mind. “Are you sure?”

She nods. “Yes. Go home and relax. I’ll bring a bottle of wine home with me, and you can tell me what’s bothering you so much you decided to take it out on my coffee maker.”

My shoulders drop in defeat, and I give her a grateful smile. “Okay. Thank you, Bells.”

“You’re welcome. Now, go,” she says, shooing me towards the storage cupboard where we keep our belongings. Following her orders, I gather my stuff and head out the back door, climbing into my car and making the short drive home.

As I’m climbing the porch steps to the front door, my phone rings in my purse and I pull it out, seeing Carters name displayed across the screen.

My stomach drops as I swipe at the screen to answer the call. “Hello?”

“Hey. I have an update on the house,” he says, wasting no time.

“Okay…” I drag the word out.

“The surveyor has been, and everything is good to go. They’ve taken their pictures. House can go on the market as early as tomorrow. I’ve forwarded you the email of the price they have valued the house at, all I need is your go ahead.”

I take a seat on the porch steps and chew on my lip as I pull the phone away from my ear and place him on loudspeaker. “I’m pulling up my emails right now.”

I tap my foot nervously as the email loads and my jaw drops when I see the estimated amount on the screen. “Jesus,” I breathe.

“Yeah. You’ve been sitting on a whole lot of money, Liv.”

I don’t need the money. It’s not about that for me. It’s about finally putting my grief to rest and letting go of that burden that has been weighing me down for a decade.

“Agree to it.” I say, not wanting to talk about what I have to gain out of this. I just want it done.

“Okay. I’ll tell them to put it on the market first thing tomorrow.”

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