Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Carl wound an arm around Grayson, and Grayson dropped his head on his shoulder for a few struggling breaths. “She asked for help, and I wasn’t there.”
Carl whispered, “A tragic accident.”
“She’d still be alive if I’d come.”
Carl’s throat hurt, and he shook his head even though Grayson couldn’t see it. “It’s not your fault.”
Was this why Grayson took up every odd job asked of him by the community? As penance for not helping his mum? Hoping his help might save others in future, like he’d saved Carl that night at the cliff?
Was this why Grayson worked most hours of the day? To keep himself busy so he wouldn’t feel so guilty?
“You are not to blame.”
A gulp. “Sam tried to comfort me after it happened, but I didn’t feel I deserved that love. I made the decision to break up and move back here, and my heart hasn’t functioned properly since. People keep offering theirs to me, and I’m not immune to the rush of that attention, but I’m allergic to accepting it. So I go on and break their hearts with silly smiles or jokes or tease them for becoming my groupie.”
This poor man. How long could he keep torturing himself like this? Carl’s hand moved of its own accord and tapped Grayson’s chest, over his fractured heart. “Wouldn’t your mum be sad seeing you like this?”
Grayson shifted and sat upright. “Wouldn’t she be happy seeing me help those who need it? Being there for her friends in the community?”
“If I were a parent, watching my child from above, I’d weep.”
“Why?”
“The best thing in life is to love and be loved. And as a parent, I’d want the best for my kids. So if she saw that you couldn’t love or be loved . . . wouldn’t that make her the most devastated?”
Grayson tipped his head back against the tree trunk and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “You think I’ve been dealing with this wrong?”
“Who am I to say? I ran away from home.” Carl stood up, dusted himself. “Moving on from heartbreak . . . it’s a journey.” He gazed at Grayson’s upturned profile and offered him a hand. “We’re on the same road. How about we walk it together for a while?”
Grayson eyed Carl’s hand for a few hesitant seconds before he gripped it and let himself be pulled to his feet. Hands locked together, he looked dubiously into Carl’s eyes. “What exactly does that involve?”
Carl tugged Grayson close. “Scared I’ll kiss you?”
“Yes.”
That spurred a gentle snicker from Carl. “If I ever—God forbid—become besotted, you go right ahead and slap me out of it.”
“I break hearts, not faces.”
“All right, all right. I’ll slap myself silly. Come along, we’ve something important to do.”
“What’s that?”
“Colouring our toes.”
“You people with hearts have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful.”
L. Frank Baum
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Chapter Nine
Carl pulled Grayson along the walkway into the city, where he inquired after pedicures at a salon. If they could come back in a couple of hours, there’d be slots free, and Carl snapped up the offer. “In the meantime, we can browse some shops, get something to eat.”
They meandered their way quietly down a busy footpath and then Grayson ducked into a bustling bookstore. Not Carl’s first choice, but anything if it picked up Grayson’s spirits. While Grayson checked out novels of integrity, Carl ended up at a wall of magazines. Instinctively, he reached for one and froze as a sudden violent shudder ran through him. Explains it all. The memory of Green Gruff’s words felt like a snigger in his ear.
Carl dropped his hand and shuffled backwards, banging into Grayson, who steadied him at the hips and glanced from Carl to the magazine. “Grab it if you want.”
A sigh tried forcing its way out but Carl gulped it down. He pointed towards the exit and the street beyond. “I’m gonna check if there’s space for us at that café over the road. Take your time.”
Carl found a two-seater table at the window and stared glumly outside.
Then the sun came suddenly out from behind bubbly white clouds, beaming brightly on the street, casting it yellow. Through the bustle of pedestrians, Grayson’s figure cut a clean path towards him. Though still in his sad grey, his tall frame, dark hair, and darker eyes made him difficult to ignore. He opened the door with a fresh rush of air, and a striking jolt jostled Carl. Like seeing someone he knew after a day with no customers at the store. A promise of interaction, and it crackled.
Carl waved him over, and Grayson seated himself, their knees knocking in the small space. He pulled a magazine from under his arm, and Carl recognised it as the one he’d refrained from checking out in the bookstore.