Webster mirroring Day’s hard drive came after two days of frustrating dead ends where Day’s stalker was concerned. Whoever he was, he was either incredibly smart or terribly lucky. Either way, if Jackson found him, he was going to tear his arms off and beat him to death with them. He was caught up in a rather vivid fantasy when Webster cleared his throat.
“Uh, Jack.”
“What? Did you find something?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. Does Day have vision problems?”
Jackson frowned. “He wears glasses, but he doesn’t fall down the stairs without them. Why?”
“His computer is wired for software that’s most often used by people who are blind or, at least, legally blind. Voice to text software. Software that close-captions webpages.”
“I—” Jackson cut himself off, running through a series of memories rapid fire. Day staring at the Elite contract for ten minutes. Day telling Chloe he didn’t read so well. Day asking Jackson to order for him at the restaurant. Day’s phone reading his emails to him out loud. Jesus. Was that what Day was trying to hide from him? Was Day losing his vision? He didn’t think that was it.
“Is it pertinent to the case?” Jackson snapped.
Webster’s gaze went wide. “I don’t know. Probably not.”
“Then mind your own business.”
Webster gave him a mock salute and went back to clacking away on his keyboard. Jackson looked up at Day’s closed door before heading up the stairs and knocking gently on it.
“Go away,” Day shouted from the other side.
Jackson pushed the door open to find Day lying across his bed staring up at the ceiling. He kicked the door closed behind him and sat at the head of the bed.
“Guess I should have known better than to expect any privacy. If I can’t have it on my laptop, why would I have it in my room?”
“Dayton,” Jackson said softly.
Dayton’s gaze darted to him, and he rolled up onto his forearm, frowning. “What? Did Webster find something on my computer? Is that person spying on me or something?”
“No, it’s not that. I need to ask you something.”
Day shook his head, hand flailing. “What? Why are you looking at me like you’re about to ask me for one of my kidneys? You’re freaking me out.”
“Webster asked if there was a reason that you have software on your computer that helps the blind better use their computers… Is there?” Jackson asked.
Dayton’s mouth formed a perfect O, and then he flushed from his throat to his hairline, the tips of his ears turning bright pink. He snapped his mouth shut and looked away, rolling off the other side of the bed to pace. “So, what? I’m just lazy. I like to have stuff read to me. It’s not a big deal.”
“Day…”
Day stopped dead in his tracks, his arms crossing protectively in front of his chest as he sneered at Jackson. “What? Stop looking at me like that.”
Jackson frowned. “Like what?”
“Like you feel sorry for me. Like I’m some one-eyed homeless cat Sarah McLachlan wants you to fucking adopt. I’m fine. There’s nothing wrong with me. I pay my bills. I buy my own groceries. I’ve been making my own way in life since I could tie my own shoes. Stop looking at me like I’m defective.”
Tears streaked down Day’s cheeks, but Jackson wasn’t sure Day even noticed. He was too mad. Too humiliated. Jackson had done that. Jackson had made him feel stupid and small and helpless. “I don’t think you’re defective.”
“Oh, well, that’s a relief,” Day choked out around a sob.
“Day, stop. Please,” Jackson tried. “Just tell me what the problem is, and we can try to fix it.”
“I don’t need to be fixed, Jackson!” Day shouted, turning on his heel and going into the bathroom. Jackson heard the lock click, his heart breaking as he heard Day dissolve into tears on the other side of the door.
“I got what I need,” Webster called from downstairs. “I’ll show myself out.”
Jackson didn’t even bother to answer. When he heard the door click behind Webster, he went to the bathroom door and knocked. “Day, please… I didn’t mean you needed to be fixed. You’re perfect. That’s not what I meant at all.”
