A gust of air leaves me. “Just wish you were here. I wish you would tell me what to do. I can’t lose Miranda. I think I’ll go insane if she leaves me. You’d like her. She’s prickly and a little mean, but she adores Ethan. And she kind of likes me even though she huffs and puffs when I suggest that.”
The thought makes me laugh, and then the laughter fades as sadness settles into my bones. “If the world was a little fair, it would have been you and me and Derek and our mates. Sunday dinners, hockey games, barbeques, children. The future we dreamed of.” I take a deep pull from the bottle, my eyes burning and my voice thick as I whisper hollowly, “But now it’s just me. And I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do, Gabriel.”
I stay like that till the bottle is finished and I’m just staring at nothing, weariness sinking down to my bone. I can’t move. I probably won’t. Maybe I’ll just sleep here.
Soft footfalls have me stirring, and I lift my head to see familiar legs walking toward me. Miranda is wearing shorts and a tank top as she approaches, a flashlight in her hands. I squint when the light hits me in the eyes.
“Now how did I know I’d find you here?” She sighs, grabbing my arm and pulling. “Come on, mopey. Time to go to bed.”
I let her pull me. “Why’re you mean to me? Can’t you see I’m sad?”
She glances at me. “I don’t know about sad, but you’re drunk off your ass. You have a child, Grayson. You can’t afford to drink like this. What if Ethan came looking for you?”
She puts my arm around her neck trying to support me, and I give her a lazy smile, finding the idea of her trying to help me walk cute. “He’s got you.”
“He needs you.” Her voice is stern, but it softens. “What’s wrong? Why did that man’s visit upset you so much?”
We’re walking together to the house, and I find myself leaning on her as I sniff her hair. “He was a reminder to me of how the people I care about keep abandoning me.”
Miranda’s hold on me tightens. “Who abandoned you?”
“My brother. Then Derek. And now you will once this contract engagement is over. I bet you can’t wait to get away from me.” I smile at her even as my heart pulsates painfully.
She meets my gaze, and her lips press together. “That’s not true, Grayson.”
I scoff. “I know you want to. You didn’t even take anything from me because you can’t bear to be linked to me in any way.”
We’re at the door now, and Miranda glares up at me. “That’s not true. Don’t just assume shit.” She pushes open the door and shoves me inside. I stumble forward, the alcohol affecting mybalance. Grabbing the edge of the island counter, I turn around to face her as she closes the door.
“Really? Then you tell me why. Because I gave you a fucking good deal. Anybody would kill to be set up like that for life. You’d never have had to work a day in your life.”
Her jaw works, and she takes a step toward me. “Because I don’t want money between us. You and I are already at far ends of the social spectrum. You’re basically a celebrity, and I’m homeless, broke, and unemployed. You start giving me money or whatever else and I can never—It just makes it that much harder to—”
She looks away, unable to speak.
“What?” I ask quietly, watching her.
She shakes her head. “Nothing. I don’t want your money, Grayson. I’ve told you that so many times.”
I reach out and grab her by the waist, pulling her toward me. Her face flushes, and she tries to yank free, but all her struggles are in vain. “Tell me, Miranda. Because money is all I have. I’ve got nothing else to keep you by my side.”
She goes still, and when she looks up at me, her eyes are flashing. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? What do you mean you’ve got nothing else?”
If I was a little less drunk, I would watch my words, but tonight, everything hurts. My wolf and I want to tie this woman to us, make sure she doesn’t abandon us like everybody else.
I look down at her. “What do you want? Just tell me. I’ll give it to you. But in exchange you can’t leave me.”
Her brows furrow. “Grayson.”
“Just tell me what it is you want,” I insist. “I’ll find a way to give it to you. You want your job? I’ll buy shares in that hospital and get you your job back. I’ll build you a brand new hospital, and you can be in charge. I can—”
She covers my mouth with her hands, distress all over her face. Why does it feel like there are tears in her eyes? “I don’t need you to give me all that.”
“Then what?” I burst out desperately, pushing her hand away. “There must be something you want. Whatever it—”
“You’re enough,” she says fiercely. “You are enough. You and Ethan. Why don’t you understand that? I don’t need anything else.”
As soon as the words leave her mouth, her eyes widen as if she’s just realized what she said. She immediately renews her struggles to get away from me, but my arms band around her even tighter.
