Page 35 of Things I Wish I Said
I’m so lost in his touch, I don’t notice the way Mom’s looking at him, like she’s seen an apparition. It would be comical if it weren’t for the panic and nausea clawing inside my chest and threatening a revolt.
Mom’s stride falters as she steps further into the room, turning her questioning gaze on mine.
Get it together, Ry.
I clear my throat, nodding to the boy beside me. “Uh, hey, Mom. This is Grayson De Leon.”
Grayson rises to his feet and extends his right hand while still keeping a firm grip on mine with his left.
“Nice to meet you Grayson,” Mom says, drawing closer, her gaze darting to our joined hands still resting on my bed, then back again. “Like Michael Trevino but with gray-blue eyes,” she mutters.
“What?” Grayson laughs.
“Nothing.” Mom shakes her head while I watch their exchange with nervous anticipation. If she tells him about the celebrity comparison I made, I might die.
“He plays baseball,” I blurt in my bid to change the subject.
Shit.
I wince as Mom jerks her head toward me, and Grayson chuckles behind his hand.
Asshole.
“Uh, that’s lovely. Ryleigh just got done telling me about you yesterday.”
“Is that so?” He rocks back on his heels, a wide toothy grin spreading his lips.
“Yeah. She said you met at a Community Healing meeting?”
It’s her way of testing him, and I try to shoot him a warning with my stare, but he’s too focused on her to notice.
“That’s right.” Grayson shrugs, playing along, and I have to say, he’s a brilliant actor. “We just hit it off.”
“And you were there at the meetingfor . . .?”
Who knew Mom was such a skeptic?
“A family member,” Grayson’s quick to add.
I watch as she takes in this newfound information, swallows it down, and digests it.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, by the way,” Grayson continues, easing the tension. “Ry’s told me a lot about you.”
“Ry . . .” Her eyes widen. Everyone calls me Ryleigh because I’ve always hated Ry, but for some reason I like it coming from him. This must be some sign to her that we’re serious because she turns to me with a sly smile “He’s cute,” she murmurs. “And he has manners.”
“Uh-huh,” I say with a nod. If this were real, I’d probably be mortified.
“Can I get you anything? Maybe a coffee?” Mom winces, then glances over at me. “Usually, after her chemo, I try not to drink or eat in her room because she gets sick, but I can pop out and grab something.”
“Thank you, ma’am, but I’m good.” Grayson settles back down in the chair, leaving Mom to take the tiny wooden one in the corner. “Ryleigh told me she had her treatment, and last night I was occupied—”
I snort, then cough to cover it up.
“So I thought I’d drop by this morning, maybe keep her company. I hope I’m not stepping on your toes.”
“Oh my gosh, no. I’m sure Ryleigh would love a break from me for a change. After a while she gets tired of my hovering.”
Grayson smiles politely while I stare at him in awe at how well he’s pulling this off; he’s almost like a different person from the bad-boy look-alike on my doorstep the other morning.
