“Empaths don’t get to know the limits of what the Dead Man can do. Especially the ones who keep trying to guess national secrets.” Grayson leaned back against the counter behind him. “And you know those big eyes are never gonna work on me.”
Reece leaned forward, putting his chin in his hand again. He studied Grayson for a moment, considering. “Oh, of course,” he said, in sudden realization. “It’s so obvious now that I think about it.”
Grayson raised an eyebrow. “You think you figured out when you’d get knocked out?”
“No,” said Reece. “It’s just obvious that you don’t actually know the exact limits of your ability.”
Grayson stilled. “How do you figure?”
“Because finding out would have required you to conduct tests on an empath. Knock them out again and again,” said Reece. “And you would never agree to put one of us through that.”
The kitchen was silent for a moment.
“You are so much more intuitive than anyone gives you credit for,” Grayson finally said.
Reece waved it off. “Not at all. I’m not smart like Jamey. She got all the brains in the family. And the looks.”
“Nice try, deflecting like that,” Grayson said, raising his glass for another sip. “But not only does no one give you credit, you know full well everyone is underestimating you. And you let them.”
It was Reece’s turn to still. After a moment, he scoffed. “I don’t know what you—”
“Drive like an empath?” Grayson said pointedly, meeting Reece’s eyes over the glass.
“It doesn’t matter how people interpret that,” Reece said, dodging his gaze. “All that matters is they drive safer.”
“But you know they think it meansdrive like a cute little pacifist carefully following all the rules. Notdrive like a professional joyriding my truck like he stole it—because he did.”
Reece huffed. “Are you ever going to stop being mad about that?”
“I don’t get mad,” said Grayson. “I’m just not gonna forget. Just like I’m not gonna forget that the first day we met, you looked me right in the eyes and lied and I fell for it. You think a lot of folks can pull that off?”
Reece tried not to squirm as his conscience prickled. “You know mostfolksthink I’m an annoying useless basket case?”
“They couldn’t be more wrong,” Grayson said. “Empaths might be sweethearts but y’all are also masters of human nature. You’re circus ringleaders where the rest of us are monkeys, and you always secretly think you run the show.”
“How could I run any shows?” Reece protested. “I’m barely functional. I’ve never been able to do the things other empaths do, like therapy. I get so anxious and upset people are hurt that I’m useless—”
“No,” said Grayson. “You get overwhelmed by your own empathy because it’s more powerful than what other empaths are wrangling. Maybe you haven’t figured out yet how to fully control it, but that’s not because you’re weak. It’s because you got a Doberman where other empaths have a Chihuahua. And because that empathy’s strong, I suspect you already know this about yourself, but you just let people see the anxiety and think what they want.”
Reece pursed his lips.
“That’s right. I’m onto you now.” Grayson set his glass down. “Because I promised you that there’s nothing you can do that I can’t stop, and I’d be pretty bad at that if I hadn’t learned my lesson about underestimating you.”
They were quiet again for a moment. “I’m not sure whether I’ve been complimented or called out,” Reece finally said.
Grayson shrugged. “A little of column A, little of column B,” he said, which made Reece snort. “Not like you’re obligated to correct anyone. If they can’t see past their own biases about you, that’s on them.” Then he added, “And that’s not the first time I’ve heard you call yourself annoying. When are you gonna learn that I don’t ever think that about you?”
Reece’s lips reluctantly quirked up.
A couple of minutes later, Grayson was stretching out on the couch. Reece made one last effort to get through those manners. “You sure you don’t want to switch?” he said, pointing at the bed. “This was Liam’s; the mattress is all fancy and squashy. And you can’t even lie flat without hitting the arm.”
“How can you be so smart and intuitive and yet not realize I need to be the one between you and the door?” Grayson pulled the comforter over him. “Oh, that’s right: because when it comes to danger, your common sense pulls a vanishing act.”
Reece blinked. “Did you really just call me smart?”
“And once again, when I’m talking about your safety, I might as well be talking to a rock.”
“You did call me smart.” Reece paused for a moment, still standing, lingering by the end of the couch. Screw it; they were friends—frenemies—complicated—but the point was this was all platonic and he could tease Grayson.Platonically.“And somewhere back around your circus analogy, I think you said I was cute.”
