“No, I’ll live,” Clay said. “I’m sorry about your mom.”
I nodded and watched the pair walk inside.
“What can I help carry?” I asked Winifred, who’d already taken Olivia’s arm.
“Anything Grey can’t.”
The rest of the group trailed after Winifred. It was then that I noticed Bethi’s limp and Luke’s support as well as Isabelle’s swelling eye and Carlos’s bloody arm.
Guiltily, I met Grey’s eyes.
“I should have noticed.”
“It’s hard to see other people’s injuries when you’re hurt, too. Come on, son, I’ll teach you how to be a bellboy.”
He clapped me on the back and led me toward the rear of the SUV. As I picked up the first of several bags, I caught sight of Jim further down the sidewalk. A towering stack of pizza boxes blocked his face from view. If that wasn’t enough to give away his identity, I easily recognized the walk.
Grey followed my gaze and chuckled.
“He’ll eat half those,” he said.
I nodded and picked up another bag.
“I felt the pull for her.”
“I know. We witnessed it, and acknowledge your interest.”
“I don’t want it acknowledged.”
He stopped picking up a bag to look at me.
“Why? It seemed real to me.”
“Because I want Blake’s death more than I want her teeth on my neck. Then, I want to find my dad.”
Grey nodded slowly.
“I understand.”
“So what happens now? With Olivia and me.”
“That’s up to the two of you.”
That meant they wouldn’t try to force anything.
“Good.”
Grey sighed and shook his head.
JIM…
Nothing smelled better than pizza in vast quantities. Well, not true. Any food in vast quantities smelled amazing. My stomach growled again, and I pushed aside the thought of stopping for another slice.
Stop thinking about eating that pizza, and get over here to help me talk some sense into Henry.
I looked around the boxes and saw Grey and Henry still in the parking lot.
Why?I sent back. What’s he doing now?
