My hands tremble as I read through the information Nemesis members found on Peter Simmons.
He found a job. He applied for over fifty, but in the end, he got a job at a small convenience store not too far from my old house. In the months that weâve been tracking him, he hasnât committed a single crime. Based on his phone records, all he seems to be doing is trying to contact his daughter, who wonât speak to him.
I bite down on my lip and send out a request for his financial records dating back the last twenty years. Iâve spent so many years being angry that Iâve never wondered . Iâve only ever been concerned with making him pay for what he did.
His rationale wonât matter. Nothing will ever make his crimes forgivable. But now that the anger has turned into a dull pain, Iâm wondering why. Why did he rob us? Why did he kill my parents?
I click the window away before the memories have a chance to claw at me. I donât want to let the anger consume me all over again. I canât.
I close my laptop and push it further down my bed. I grab my phone instead, hesitating for only half a second before deciding to text Ash.
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I didnât expect him to reply immediately, but he does, and he sees straight through me.
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I laugh and shake my head, my mood lifted. He always does this to me. Every single time Iâm down, he cheers me up, and he does it with ease.
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The sound of knocking on my bedroom door startles me, and I nearly drop my phone. I walk up to the door and open it, finding Gray standing in front of me. Heâs wearing a T-shirt that does nothing to hide his muscles, and I love seeing him like this, so undone.
âHey,â he says. âI canât sleep. Do you want to hang out? I donât know, we could watch a movie or something?â
I smile and nod at him, trying my hardest not to ogle him. Those gray sweatpants have me licking my lips. âI couldnât sleep either,â I murmur, slipping out of my bedroom, my phone in hand. Gray grins at me and wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me along to the living room.
He pulls me on the sofa with him and hooks his arm around me, my head on his chest. I should probably pull away, but I donât want to. Being in Grayâs arms like this⦠itâs exactly what I need tonight.
He turns the TV on and pulls me closer as he changes the channel, putting on some late-night news show.
I pull my legs up on the sofa and turn, so Iâm closer to him. He looks at me and smiles, his eyes dropping to my phone. I didnât even realize I was clutching it so tightly. A tinge of guilt has me unable to meet his eyes. Just a few minutes ago I was texting Ash and enjoying every second of it, but now that Iâm sitting here with Gray I realize thereâs nowhere Iâd rather be. Ash and I have been getting closer and closer, but then thereâs Gray. Lately things between us have been different⦠I canât quite put my finger on it, but there are little touches that didnât use to be there, and sometimes he looks at me as though he knows what Iâm thinking, as though he can see straight through me.
Grayson frowns and leans in, taking my phone from me. âNone of that,â he murmurs. âWhen youâre sitting here with me, I want your attention.â
My eyes widen, and Grayson smirks. He leans in and brushes my hair out of my face, his gaze lingering. His eyes drop to my lips, and my heart starts to race.
âWhy couldnât you sleep?â he asks.
I drag my eyes away and shake my head. âItâs nothing⦠I was just thinking of my parents, thatâs all.â
He nods and opens his arms wide. âCome on,â he says. âThereâs nothing a hug wonât make better.â
I blush and lean in, wrapping my arms around his neck. Grayson tightens his grip on me and shifts on the sofa, lying down and pulling me along, so I end up on top of him. He places one hand on my lower back while the other finds its way into my hair.
My heart starts to race, and I bury my face in his neck. This is just a hug to him, but to me⦠itâs so much more. The way his body feels against mine, big and hard against my soft curves. Gray has no idea how stupidly handsome he is, how he affects me.
âAri, youâve grown into a woman theyâd be so proud of. Youâre beautiful, clever and kind. Youâre everything they could want you to be.â
I nod, my eyes falling closed as Gray plays with my hair. He smells so good, and being in his arms is a strange experience⦠itâs got me feeling excited and peaceful all at once.
âYouâd have loved my Mom,â I tell him, my voice soft. Gray tenses underneath me, and I smile as I tell him all about her. The way she used to walk me to the playground no matter when I wanted to go, the stories sheâd make up for me before bed, the way sheâd pretend to have random illnesses so Noah could diagnose and cure her. I lie in Grayâs arms as I tell him all about Mom, the memories making me smile instead of cry for the first time in years.