“Gray…” I say with a panicked voice.
“Please trust me,” he says softly.
“Okay,” I whisper.
Most of the room has emptied, but I notice that Adrian, Brentley, Raul, Derek, and Alania are still here and watching us. Grayson kisses me once more before turning me to stand at his side. Greg and Mom stop in front of us, and I can tell Mom wants to hug me.
“The last thing I want to do is to start an unnecessary war over Milly,” Grayson says calmly. “I understand you did not want her as a part of the programs that The Dove Institute offers, but I assure you that I have no bad intentions when it comes to her.”
“She is unstable and…”
“She is not unstable, Greg,” Grayson says. “You agreed to let her see me because you knew I would not sugarcoat anything, right?”
“Yes,” Greg growls, glaring at me.
“Then understand that Milly is not unstable. She is perfectly capable of functioning independently. She is highly traumatized, but has come a long way,” Grayson says.
“She’s fucking crazy, Grayson. Don’t sit there and tell me that making up an entire person is normal,” Greg snaps.
“It is when your father raped you at ten, gets you pregnant, and shoots you to cover it up,” Grayson says, his tone dropping. “Let’s not forget witnessing her father blow his brains out three feet away from her… She has been through a lot, but she is coping well. She knows Molly is not real. She knows that Molly is a product of complex PTSD. She has to rewire fourteen years of memories to figure out what is real and what isn’t, and that takes a while sometimes. I am the perfect person she should be with to go through this journey.”
“Are you going to allow her to see us?” Mom asks.
“She is not a prisoner, Charlotte,” Grayson says. “I will say, though, because of her triggers, I will not be allowing her to be alone with anyone other than me.”
“Why?” Greg snaps. “I thought you said she was functioning?”
“Functioning doesn’t mean without triggers, Greg,” Grayson says with an annoyed sigh. “Either way, that is my rule for everyone. If you wish to see her, fine, but she will not be with anyone alone.”
“Maybe you two could come for dinner soon?” Mom suggests.
“Let me look at my schedule, and we can nail down a time,” Grayson says. “We will be coming by tomorrow to get her belongings, though, so maybe lunch?”
“That works,” Greg grunts. “Come on, Charlotte.”
Mom hurries to hug me, and I let her wrap her arms around me. “I am so happy for you, baby girl,” Mom whispers in my ear. “I love you so much.”
“Love you too, Mom,” I say when she pulls away. Greg steps up to me to hug me. Grayson doesn’t move, but lets him hug me.
“Open your mouth and I’ll fucking kill you,” Greg whispers in my ear as he hugs me. When he pulls away, I back away until Grayson grabs my waist.
“Well, it’s been a long day,” Grayson says. “We will be by around noon.”
“Mhmm,” Greg says, glaring at me still. “Be good, Milly.”
I nod and drop my head, not wanting to look at him. Grayson pulls me away and leads me off stage. Adam shows up with my bags, and everything is a blur as we get outside. I am on the verge of a spiral, and I think Grayson can sense it. He puts me in his SUV and says goodbye to Adam before driving us away. He doesn’t say anything, but he offers me his hand. I take it and squeeze, desperately trying to ground myself.
After a few minutes, Grayson speaks up. “What did he say to you?” he asks.
“He said if I open my mouth, he’d kill me,” I say quietly.
“I won’t let him hurt you,” Grayson says softly. “I don’t care what I have to do…”
“And if he does?” I ask.
“I’ll fucking kill him,” Grayson says with venom in his tone.
I lay my head back and count in my head, keeping myself calm. Grayson continues to hold my hand until we stop, but then comes around and pulls me out. I mindlessly walk behind him as he takes me inside his home. Our home? It is a beautiful two-story home. It’s got a cozy feel about it that makes me happy.
