Page 140 of Unspoken Hearts
My head shakes as I step closer, only for Macie’s hand to wrap around my arm. Grayson’s eyes fall to where she’s holding me, but my gaze doesn’t budge as pressure builds inside of me. “That wasn’t my intention."
“Wasn’t it?” he spits out, jaw tightening. “Because it’s clear that it was a reason.”
I run my tongue across the front of my teeth as I think back to when I spoke to Dad. I guess a fraction of it was to do with Macie and I being together, but it wasn’t the sole reason. “It’s not true.”
My brother scoffs.
Macie inches closer. “Gray, why don’t you just hear him out,” she offers lightly.
He snickers bitterly at her, and I square my shoulders. “I don’t need to. I already know!”
My tolerance snaps like a rubber band pulled to the point of almost breaking. “You have no idea, do you?” My voice is rough and loud like his. “You don’t get it yet how much I have sacrificed for you.”
Cobalt eyes blink at me, and I feel Macie’s stare searing mine, but I don’t move my gaze.
“What have you sacrificed? Because last time I heard, you were getting your own house. You were getting the ranch.”
I huff out a breath, shaking my head. “You know why I need my own place, because you lot are so loud and I’m tired of popping pills every three days so that I don’t vomit from pain.” Macie’s hand grips me tighter, grounding me a little as the thumping starts in my temple. “And the ranch wasofferedto me because I was the oldest, as was Dad when he took over, but I told him I wanted you to help me.” My head shakes again in disbelief. “But you didn’t see everything I did for you when we were kids. I watched you out there every day because you were getting picked on by kids.” Grayson’s eyes widen a little. “I told our parents to let you get your stupid dirt bike even though you were too small and young, and then when you crashed, I blamed it on me so you could keep it.”
His shoulders sink.
Macie releases my arm.
My teeth grind together, because this is only the beginning of everything I’ve been holding back. But I’m done doing that.
“I had to split my presents with you because you would cry. I always put extra lunches in your bag because I knew those kids stole it from you behind the playground in primary school. I had to hear everything they said about you. That you were too small, bossy, and entitled. Who do you think taught them a lesson?” I growl, pointing a finger at him.
We’re all silent for a long beat, and all I can hear is the blood pumping to my brain, and the stinging behind my eye, but I keep going, because this is too important to me.
“You did all that?” Grayson asks, his tone dropping. It doesn’t stop the familiar agony from squeezing my skull, though.
I nod, the strain in my neck starting, but I push it away. “Yeah, because you’re my little brother. Do you really think I would let kids push you around and not do anything? How do you think they got all those black eyes?”
“I didn’t know that was you,” my brother mutters, his gaze dropping to the floor.
“Of course it was me. I’d do it for any of you, but you were the one that struggled to fit in, and I couldn’t bear seeing it,or hearing about it.”
Grayson sniffs.
I glance down at Macie’s wider eyes. “Can you grab me some tablets, please?” I ask quietly.
Nodding, she rushes into the kitchen.
Grayson speaks up. “Why wouldn’t you tell me any of this before?”
“Because you would have told me to stop. That you could do it yourself. Or you would have just tried outdoing me like you always have, and I'm tired of it, Gray,” I admit softly. “I’m tired of whatever this is between us.”
Macie returns, and I down my tablets, needing them to kick in soon. I keep going, ignoring the stabbing pain running through my head.
“I am, too,” Grayson adds, his foot kicking at the floor. “I thought you had left me, though.”
My face rears back a little, only to wince.
“Reid…”
“I’m fine, Macie,” I let out, and her hand is on me again. “What do you mean that I left you?”
Grayson bites his lip. “You were my friend, Reid. My only friend, and then you left for school, and I didn’t have anyone. Sawyer and Holden were babies, so Mum was busy fussing over them, and Dad was always with Grandpa. I had you, and then you left. You made these friends, you started doing things, and I—” He sucks in a breath. “I wanted to be as good as you so you’d be my friend again. So that you wouldn’t see me as this younger kid.”
