Page 27 of The Absence of You
Callie looks between the two men and pulls my hand out of Maxwell’s.
“It’s okay. Dahlia came with me. I’ll drive her home.” Maxwell looks dejected, and I feel a pang of sympathy for him, but I barely know him, and I definitely know better than to accept a lift with someone who’s been drinking.
“Maxwell, thank you for the offer, but I’m going home with Callie.” Maxwell looks between us all.
“Fuck this. It’s not worth this shit.” He marches out of the cabin, his friend James following him.
“Are you coming upstairs?” Charlotte paws at Grayson’s chest. He had been staring after Maxwell, but suddenly seems to notice her standing there. Unclenching his fists, he turns to her.
“No, I’ve got a swim meet in the morning. I already told you that. I’m ordering an Uber.” He stalks to the front door, pulling out his phone as he goes. I go back to the sink and wash my hands before following Callie outside to find her bag which she’d left by the firepit.
“Well, that was eventful. Want to tell me what all that was about?” Callie bumps my shoulder, curiosity etched on her face.
“Honestly, I’m not sure.” I shrug. “Maxwell said he was going inside to get us a drink and next thing he’s got a busted nose, and Grayson is standing there looking like he wants to kill him.” I pause. “Is he always like that? Violent I mean?”
“Grayson? He’s got a reputation of being a moody bastard, and he throws his weight about. His dad’s got a rep for being a prick too, and I guess he’s just got the family image to maintain. I told you he and Asher were bad news. I haven’t seen any trouble between Grayson and Maxwell before tonight though. They’re on the swim team together, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him lose control completely and certainly not with one of his friends.”
Growing up, he hated anyone fighting. He had borne the brunt of his father’s rage on multiple occasions. I remember a conversation we had once. He’d confided in me that his biggest fear was that he’d grow up like his father. He believed his dad’s violent streak was something that you were born with, that he wouldn’t be able to escape it. I’d been so sure he could never turn out like Colin Banks. I’d told him over and over how much faith I had that he would be nothing like him.
But seeing him tonight, his knuckles bruised and his jaw clenched, my heart broke. Not for my selfish sake, but for the boy who so badly wanted something different for himself.
Callie and I walk round to the front of the cabin. Grayson and Asher are sitting on the top step waiting for their Uber. A couple of seconds later, it pulls up. Without even turning around and acknowledging us, Grayson’s voice breaks the silence.
“It makes more sense for Dahlia to share a ride with me, and Callie can drive Asher home. You two live closer to each other. Dahlia and I are neighbours after all.” His gruff voice is commanding and loud, and my stomach pitches. I should be scared of him after seeing that display in the kitchen, but I’m not. Maybe it’s just naivety but something in my gut tells me he’d never hurt me like that.
Callie starts to object, but I turn and give her a quick hug.
“It’s fine, honestly. He’s right. It makes no sense for you to drive me when Grayson and I are going to the same place. Sorry it turned out like this. You were right about it being a bad idea.” I whisper sheepishly.
“It was more entertaining than I’d expected,” she whispers back. “Text me when you get home, so I know you’re back safe.” Asher flings his arm around Callie’s shoulder and she promptly slaps it away. The sound of their bickering fills the air as they walk down the path towards her car.
I follow Grayson to the Uber and climb into the backseat next to him, pulling the door closed as he confirms the address with the driver.
The twenty minute journey is made in silence, and it’s awkward as fuck. Even the driver looks glad to get us out of his car when he eventually drops us at Dee’s gate. We’re about to go our separate ways when Grayson breaks the silence.
“Maxwell is a prick.” I still. “You should stay away from him.” I spin around to face Grayson.
“He was nothing but nice to me this evening,” I counter, shivering.
“He isn’t a nice guy, Dahlia. I mean it. He’s only after one thing.” An image of Charlotte performing Grayson’s favourite sexual position pops into my head, and suddenly I can’t get it out of my mind.
“So what? Maybe I only want something casual, too. Did you think of that?” I bite back at him. I have no intention of sleeping with Maxwell, but the thought of Grayson and Charlotte together is making me feel all sorts of spiteful. Grayson immediately stalks towards me, and I back up until my back is pressed up against the fence and he’s eaten up all the space between us.
“You’ve been here for like five minutes. You’re going to get a reputation for yourself if you jump into bed with every guy who lets you borrow his hoodie.” He sneers, his face just inches from mine, as he snatches hold of the front of Maxwell’s jacket. In all the chaos, I’d forgotten to return it to him. Grayson holds on to it, looking down at it, like he’s disgusted with the hoodie. Or perhaps it’s me he’s disgusted with. But either way, how dare he?
“Fuck you, Grayson. We might have grown up together, but you’re acting like you’re my actual big brother or something,” I hiss. As I say the words, I realise they are likely the truth because nothing else makes sense. He clearly feels he has to step in and protect me, like he’s my family. Something in my gut twists with disappointment. That’s all this is. A twisted sense of responsibility for me.
He looks like he’s going to say something, but he just shakes his head and steps back away from me.
Standing in front of Dee’s house, I’m hit with a wave of nostalgia for our friendship and more than that, nostalgia for what might have been if things have gone differently the last few years. Would I have acted on those fledgling feelings back then if I’d have known it was the last summer we were going to spend together? For a long minute, it’s like I’m fourteen again. Unsure of my own feelings and of his. But then he speaks and it confirms what I feared back then.
“I’m looking out for you. That’s all.”
He didn’t feel the same things that I did. I didn’t need a big brother back then, and I don’t want one now. My anger is overtaken by an overwhelming feeling of sadness, and I blink back my tears before he sees them.
“I don’t need anyone looking out for me. Not anymore. I can take care of myself.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
