__________
"Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close forever and ever?"
__________
Jess's P.O.V
It was another hour before we heard from Grayson again. I didn't want to admit to myself that I hadn't been able to think of anything other than Grayson after he had hung up. When the phone finally rang I practically jumped to go and answer it.
"Hello?" I said into the phone. I put the call onto speaker phone as Avery and Jameson crowded in beside me.
"Did you find him?" Jameson said to his brother. "Jackson Currie?"
"He has a very colorful vocabulary," Grayson responded. "And the land near his shack is booby-trapped."
"Father and his investigator ran into similar issues," Zara said, coming up behind us. I hadn't realized she had entered the room. "They never got a word out of the man. Grayson, you should come home. This is a fool's errand. There are other leads that we could follow."
"Can you get close enough to put me on the phone with him?" Avery asked.
"Assuming no one tries to restrain me..." Grayson glanced behind him and what I could assume were many bodyguards watching his every move. "I can try."
...
We waited as Grayson knocked on the run down shack that Jackson Currie lived in. We were all waiting anxiously for Grayson to get a response from the old man but one never came, even after Grayson knocked for the second time. When Grayson went in for a third knock Avery made him pause.
"See if he'll talk to me," Avery told Grayson. "Tell him..." Her voice trembled as she continued. "Tell him that Hannah's daughter is on the phone. Hannah Rooney."
The screen turned blurry. Grayson must have lowered his phone. Then there was muffled yelling, I couldn't make out any of the words. We waited another minute before Grayson pulled the phone up again, his face a portrait of disappointment and maybe a little frustration.
"I told him. No reply. I think we—" Grayson's voice was cut off by what sounded like dead bolts being thrown open. A moment later another voice came from the phone.
"Where is she?" Jackson Currie grunted.
"Here," Avery said, her voice rising. "I'm here. I'm Hannah's daughter."
"No." Jackson spat. "Don't trust phones." A moment later I could hear his door slam shut.
"What does he mean, he doesn't trust phones?" Jameson said, frustration in his voice. "What's not to trust?"
"We'll call you back," Avery told Grayson, and picked up her phone, handing mine back to me. "I'm allowed to spend three nights per month away from Hawthorne House. So far, I've only spent one."
...
"Fine." Oren said, giving Avery a look. "I will arrange security for you." His eyes narrowed. "And only you."
Xander and I both jumped up at the same time but he talked first. "I object!"
"Overruled." Oren said, no room for discussion. "We will be flying into a high-threat situation. I want at least an eight-person security team on the ground. We can't afford a single distraction. Avery is the package—the only package—or I will duct-tape all four of you to chairs and call it a day."
I immediately spoke up. "No." Oren turned his gaze to me, raising his eyebrows. "I'm going with her whether you like it or not. She's my sister and Grayson..." I realized I didn't actually know what Grayson was to me anymore. "Please just let me come, I don't want to see either of them get hurt." Oren shook his head.
"No, that is the final answer." He says strictly. I didn't nod.
"Please Oren, I promise you I won't be any trouble. let me come." Oren looked like he was about to shake his head again but I wouldn't let him take his eyes off me.
"Fine." I didn't let myself smile as I realized I had won. No sure how, my argument hadn't been very convincing but maybe Oren just hadn't wanted to deal with my protesting.
...
Within four hours Avery and I were standing next to Grayson outside of Jackson's house. Grayson had looked a little surprised when I had walked out of the plane.
I hadn't known what to do so I had just walked over to him, not a word leaving my mouth and gave him a very awkward hug. When we pulled away I gave him a weird smile and turned my focus back to Avery.
"Are you ready?" Grayson asked Avery, to which she nodded.
"Your men will have to stay back," Grayson told Oren. "They can set up a perimeter, but I'd bet a very large amount of money that Currie will not open the door if Avery shows up with her own army."
I tried to ignore the look Grayson gave Avery as she walked towards the broken down shack. It wasn't the fact that his expression had held quite a bit of worry for her, I was worried for her to, it was the fact that he looked at her like he would do anything for her.
He would do anything for her. He had came here today for her, to help her. He cared for her, I knew it, no matter how much I tried to deny it I knew he would always care for her.
"I'm here!" Avery yelled at the shack, pulling me out of my thoughts. "For real this time. My name's Avery. I'm Hannah's daughter.Toby wrote my mother postcards." Jackson had still not opened the door but Avery kept yelling anyway. "He said that if she ever needed anything, she should come here. I know you saved Toby's life after the fire. I know my mom helped you. I know that they were in love. I don't know if her family found out, or what happened exactly—"
"That family always finds out." Was the only thing I heard Jackson say to Avery before the two of them went farther into the house. Grayson and Oren tried to follow but we're kicked out by the massive fisherman.
Once Grayson had realized that Avery was never going to get answers with him trying to get inside the shack he came and stood next to me. I didn't look over at him as he spoke.
"Are we going to continue ignoring each other or are we going to try and talk." Grayson said, his voice low.
"Not much to say." I respond. Grayson still didn't turn to look at me. "And I gave you a hug, I don't think that's considered ignoring you." Grayson shrugged.
"It was a pretty awkward hug." He states. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"What did you expect? You kissed Avery, never apologized, then expect me to continue on as if it never happened." I spit out. Grayson finally turned to face me.
"You never gave me a chance to apologize." He says, his voice filled with pain. I didn't look away as we continued to argue.
"A lot was going on in the moment." I say quietly. Grayson finally looked away, finding an invisible speck on his grey suit jacket.
"Did you really mean what you said?" He asked, voice quiet, vulnerable.
I didn't have an answer to his question. I knew what he was talking about, what I had said about Emily and him. It certainly hadn't been one of my proudest moments, my thoughts clouded with betrayal and anger. When I never answered, Grayson only nodded.
"Okay, I think I have my answer." Was all he said, his gaze never meeting mine. He began to walk away, I grabbed his wrist.
"Grayson, wait." I say. He stopped and slightly turned to me. "I can't forgive you, not yet. I need time to think but please don't wait for me, don't expect something from me you know you're not going to get." I paused, my voice catching. "You deserve to be loved, and currently I'm not able to give you that. Please move on, don't wait for me." Grayson brought his gaze up to mine.
"You know I'd wait for you forever." His words were a whisper. I walked closer to him, grabbing his hand.
"I see the way you look at Avery. Let yourself give her a chance, please." I whispered, my hand making it's way to his cheek. "Let me go." A tear slipped down my face.
Grayson shook his head. "Jess," I shook my head In return.
"I didn't mean what I said." I said, my voice still very quiet. Before I could say anything else Grayson leaned down and kissed me, as soft and gentle as he had the very first time. Though the first time it had felt like a hint of what the future could be like, this kiss felt like a goodbye.
I was the first to pull away, and as I did I had to try my best not to cry. Just as I backed away Avery came out of the shack, postcards in her hands and tears staining her face.
Jackson walked out with her and when his gaze landed on mine I could have sworn his face turned softer. I remembered that my mom had probably been friends with him to and gave him a small smile before he headed back into his shack.
...
An hour later we were ready to return to Hawthorne House. I had barely spoken a word to either Grayson or Avery. I heard Oren mumble some orders to who, I didn't know. Avery had three people to escort her into the plane as we walked down the airstrip.
Jameson had called and was now talking with Grayson. Avery had gotten a small metal disk in the stack of postcards, something from Toby to her Mother. Avery didn't know what it was or what it did, only that it had been the last thing Toby had given her Mother. When Avery had shown it to Jameson he had been just as confused as to what it was as she.
It was dark now and the night breeze was getting progressively colder. I stood a little behind Avery, Grayson a few feet behind me. As Avery got closer to the jet I noticed a strong wind then utter stillness. It was to sudden, unnatural. Just then there was a single, high pitched beep, then the world erupted into flame.
...
I fell straight on my back, the wind being knocked out of me. I couldn't hear anything, a ringing filling the silence. My vision was blurred from the smoke and sudden explosion. Everything hurt as I moved into a sitting position. I looked around, what had happened? I was confused and slightly disoriented.
Just then I saw a dark figure laying on the ground, another silhouette standing only a hundred feet away from the other figure. As my senses returned I realized who was lying on the ashy ground.
Avery.
I moved as quickly as I could to her. My knees buckling and ash blurring my vision. When I reached her limp body I didn't know what to do, it was only after I yelled for help did the figure standing behind me come forward.
I stared at Grayson for a moment, the tears streaming down my face, and questioned why he hadn't run over here sooner. Soon other people started to rush in, doctors and emergency workers. I didn't want to let my sister go as they lifted her into a stretcher then into the ambulance.
I was covered in bruises and cuts and probably had a concussion but what I couldn't wrap my mind around was my Grayson hadn't run to Avery. The two of us sat on the hard ground, flames burning around us and tears continuing to poor down my face. We only stared at each other.
After many to long moments emergency workers came and hauled me off the ground. Grayson only stared at me as they led me away. A moment later someone came and escorted him off the demolished runway.
As I sat in the ambulance, doctors examining me, I didn't know what to feel. So instead of trying to feel anything I only let myself feel nothing. And as I was hauled into the hospital then into an uncomfortable bed with a deflated pillow I let myself try and sleep off the pain.
...
Chapter 14 is done! We are getting really close to the end of this book, I will probably only be posting two more chapters, one with be the epilogue but it will be longer than the last one.
As always thanks for reading and have a great day!