Page 57 of Eleanor & Grey
He straightened his shoulders just a bit, reacting to my words.
With a slow turn on the heels of his loafers, he looked my way. When we locked eyes, I took two steps back, a little thrown off. His were still the same gray, but unlike before, his stare was so cold, like ice. Those eyes I’d once adored were filled with a hardness I hadn’t known they could ever hold.
Those beautiful eyes.
The harshness they projected in that moment made me want to retreat from his space as soon as possible, but also, oddly enough, that same stare kind of made me want to hug him and tell him everything would be all right. This new Greyson stood there with a very Eeyore vibe to him. It was almost as if a raincloud was sitting above his head.
He didn’t have the carefree personality I remembered, that was for sure.
But the longer I looked, the more I realized what I was seeing.
It wasn’t coldness from anger. It wasn’t harshness from annoyance.
His stare was sadness.
Sadness didn’t come with words; it ran across a person’s body. It swam in the eyes. It swept across the wrinkles in one’s forehead. It pushed down shoulders and sat uncomfortably at the corners of lips.
No human ever had to speak of their sadness for it to be seen. Others just had to take the time to truly notice someone to see it.
All we truly had to do was slow down and look.
Greyson’s sadness was clear as day, and that was heartbreaking.
He kept staring, saying nothing at all.
I shifted around in place and gave him a tight smile. “Like, Ellie Gable, from high school. We were...”
Friends...
We were friends, Grey.
We were so much more than friends.
How could he not remember? He was the one who’d gotten me through the hardest period of my life.
My words drifted because the harder he stared at me, the more uncomfortable it all became. Did he truly not remember me? Could that even be possible? Was it even the same Greyson I’d known?
Of course it was. Eyes never lie.
“I’m sorry, this is uncomfortable.” I chuckled because that was what I did when I was nervous—I laughed awkwardly. “I just thought...” I paused, giving him an opportunity to dive into the conversation.
Still nothing but silence from him.
Say something, Greyson.
“I just... It’s been years, Grey. You look great! Really nice. I see you grew into your height.”What, Eleanor?What did that even mean? The palms of my hands were a swamp, and I was having a hard time thinking straight. “Claire mentioned you have two daughters, huh? That’s crazy. I mean, it’s not too crazy, seeing how you’re a grown-up and that’s what grown-ups do—they have families. I mean, except for me. Still single as a daisy,” I rambled, holding my ring finger up in the air like a freaking fool.
What did that even mean? Single as a daisy?
Pull yourself together, Ellie.
I cleared my throat. “Funny how life happens, right?”
Still. No. Words.
“Well, I mean, do you want to ask me anything about the nannying position? I know this is probably weird, but I really would love the job—like, really love it. Life has been pretty crazy lately, and I could really use this position. I don’t want to give you my sob story or anything, but—”
“Thank you, that’s all,” he said. His voice was low and deep with a newfound smokiness to it. He definitely wasn’t a boy anymore, that was for sure.
