He’d just driven out of the gas station, heading for the highway, when there was a soft rustle from the passenger seat. Reece was stirring.
Grayson looked at the truck’s clock, which confirmed what he’d already suspected. He set the phone in the console. “Look who’s waking up.”
Reece made a grunt, then opened his eyes. He turned in Grayson’s direction, a small smile just visible in the streetlights. “Hey, sugar.”
“Being cute isn’t gonna get you out of trouble. You know what you did.”
“Oh, come on, it’s kind of funny,” said Reece. “You’re like a reverse Prince Charming—your kiss puts the princess to sleep.”
“Mykiss? You remember who kissed who, don’t you? You used my lips to knock yourself out and I should’ve left you unbuckled in the back.”
“Way harsh, Evan.” Reece’s tone was warm, and his eyes were still softer than usual. “So we’re not going to make it awkward?”
“That would require me to be capable of feeling awkward. So no. Doesn’t mean I’m not gonna chew you out for pulling yet another stunt like this.”
Reece only smiled softly. “Worth it.”
“Empaths,” Grayson muttered.
“I’m not fucking kidding. Hours of unconsciousness is a tiny price to pay for a kiss.” Reece glanced at the truck clock and blinked.
Grayson looked back out the front windshield. He didn’t need to spell it out. Reece was coming to the same realization.
“Except I wasn’t unconscious for hours,” Reece said slowly, sitting up and bringing the seat with him. “It hasn’t been much more than an hour, has it? Just like the time I was out yesterday afternoon was shorter than that first night.”
Grayson nodded once, and turned the wipers on to brush the snow away.
“Your touch isn’t knocking me out for as long,” Reece said. “I’m getting used to it, like I got used to your voice.”
“You were right, back in Seattle.”You’re right so much more than you give yourself credit for, Grayson didn’t add. “I refused to put an empath through the testing. I didn’t know if it was possible for me to ever touch an empath without knocking them out.”
“But it seems like it might be.”
Grayson glanced at him, then back at the windshield. “Seems like it.”
The truck was silent for a moment, a silence that turned weighty and sad.
“Well, fuck,” Reece finally said, his voice thick. “I’m too close to corruption and it’s not fair to millions of people if I take away one of your weapons against me. I can’t ever touch you again.”
Grayson turned on his wipers to flick away the snowflakes as they landed. He would’ve liked to haul Reece right into his lap, or take him away somewhere where they could lock themselves in until they could touch. But it was never going to be an option for them.
Reece rubbed a hand over his face. “You already figured this out, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.” Grayson shifted, feeling the pressure of the seat against the cut on his shoulder blade that Reece had so carefully treated. “But for what it’s worth, you sure can kiss.”
A bittersweet smile played on Reece’s lips. “Back at you.”
They were quiet for another long moment, in the dark cab of the truck as the snowflakes still fell all around them. Even the road they were on seemed empty, only the occasional engine of another car braving the weather.
Reece finally let out a long sigh. “Where are we?”
“A little bit north of the Horseshoe Bay ferry.” Grayson picked up his phone. “Also, I got some other news. Alex is alive.”
Reece stared at him.
Grayson probably could have broken that more gently.
“Your brother is alive?”
