Page 119 of Unspoken Hearts
He exhales again as my arms fold over my chest. “He needs some time to process this.”
“No, what he needs is to apologise to her. Macie is out there crying with a welt on her face!” I shout, before reining in my emotions.
“Just let him figure this out, Reid. Gray just feels betrayed right now. Wouldn’t you if the roles were reversed?”
I remain silent, my blood fuming. My fingers fist as I nod. I let out a growl, hitting a bottle of leather polish off the shelf. It thuds and rolls against the ground. Dad just watches as I lean against the stall door, breathing heavily, fingers curling against the wooden frame.
He is doing this. I’ve seen the way he looks at Laynie, but I don’t know if he’s told Macie yet.
“What?” Dad lets out, clearly confused. I hadn’t realised I was speaking out loud.
Tongue poking the inside of my cheek, I glance sideways at his confused expression. “Grayson likes Laynie.”
I watch his eyebrows rise a fraction. “It doesn’t matter if he does or doesn’t, they haven’t been sneaking around behind Macie’s back like you two have,” he grunts out, making my stomach roil. His gaze lifts to theroof, hands steady on his belt. “How long has this been going on for, Reid?”
I kick the bottom of the stall door, the sound echoing through the barn. “I’ve liked Macie since I met her, but nothing started until she moved here.”
Dragging a dirty hand down his face, Dad grunts out, “All right. Let me handle this. You stay away from Grayson until this is sorted out. I don’t want more black eyes.”
My hand drags through my hair just as my phone starts ringing, cutting through the silence. I pull it out and frown down at the name. “Laynie?”
“Hi, Reid. Sorry to bother you. I tried calling Macie, but she’s not answering her phone.” Her light voice sounds slightly panicked.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “No, I know. Something happened.”
“Yeah, I figured that. I was about to leave for the festival when Grayson showed up at my place.” There's a pause before she asks, “Did something happen between them?”
My cautious eyes flicker to Dad’s, before blinking away again, muttering out, “He found out about Macie and I.”
“Ohh,” she drawls, sounding a little disheartened. “Grayson is going to stay at mine for a bit. I think he needs some time to himself to think about everything. How is Macie, though?”
“Not good. She’s crying… a lot.”
Laynie whimpers. “Could you bring her to the festival? I want to talk with her.”
“Yeah, I will.” I end the call before looking back at Dad’s straight face. “He’s staying at Laynie’s, but she wants Macie to go talk with her.”
“All right. Take her there, and Grayson can cool off. At least we know where he is.”
Rushing past him out in the open air, I find Macie clinging to Holden and Sawyer, while Cole holds Aspen in his arms. Macie must hear me coming, because her tear-stained eyes blink open, finding mine. The mark on her face has gone from red to pink, which is a good sign. She frees herself from Holden’s grip.
Standing shakily, I pull her into my arms, her face falling into my chest. I tuck her under my chin. “It’s going to be fine,” I murmur against her hair, kissing it hard before looking at my brothers. “I’m taking her inside for a bit.”
“We’ll help Dad out with getting the crates ready,” Sawyer says, his forehead pinched with concern.
Nodding, Holden grabs onto my arm, stopping me. “Where is he?”
I take a beat to lower my voice. “He’s at Laynie’s.”
I hear Macie sob again, and I pick her up, legs wrapping tightly around my waist as I carry her away towards the house.
“Why is Aunt Macie sad?” I hear Aspen ask before the door closes, dividing us.
Walking her to the couch, I sit down in the comfy cushions, Macie still around me as I hold her tighter. Her warm tears drop against my neck as I listen to her cry softly, hands clinging to my shirt.
“It’s going to be okay, Mae.”
She shakes her head against me, her heart pounding in her throat, matching my own. The only sound filling the room is her uncontrollable sobbing.
