All's Fair in Love and Las Vegas

Chapter Sixty-Two

        "PICK UP!" I screamed, not caring who heard me. I was standing in the gardens just outside the ballroom, desperately holding my phone to my ear. Why wasn't Kylie answering? She always answers.

        Frustrated to the point of tears, I was forced to leave her a voicemail. "Kylie, listen. You and Clay need to be careful. Laura is planning on...I don't know, kidnapping your fake baby. Something. Maybe even kidnapping you guys. Stay away from her, and anyone Clay would recognize as her henchmen. Call me when you get this."

        Hanging up, I wiped away my tears and took some deep breaths. Behind me, I heard a door slam. I turned to see Grayson walking through the snow, his hands in his pockets and his jaw clenched. 

         "Jackie, we're leaving," he said sharply.

        "But—"

        "I said, we're leaving!" he snapped. "Get in the car."

        I faltered, following him up the path. I'd never seen him so angry. Never heard that edge in his tone. Swallowing, I hustled to keep up with his long, brisk strides as he went through the door that led to the garage. I was surprised when he got into the backseat of our car, taking my hand to pull me in. 

        "The airport," he said. Oh, there was a driver. He's not insanely talking to empty air. 

        For a while, I stayed quiet, too scared to speak. Then finally I whispered, "Where are we going?"

        "Toronto," he said, his voice still cold.

        "Why aren't you driving?" 

        His gaze softened. "I don't exactly trust myself to drive right now."

        My eyes widened, but his phone rang before I could ask any other questions. Grayson didn't even say hello, which I found extremely out of character. So I eavesdropped, getting more worried by the second.

        "Yes. Good. Keep them at arm's length at all times–especially her. I don't know. Thank you," he said, pausing to listen. I noticed that whoever was on the other end didn't say much. Maybe because they were scared too.

        "Who was it?" I dared to ask.

        "Security," he said crisply. "I've informed Clay that I've given him a small crew, about five men or so, for his and Kylie's protection."

        "Oh," I said timidly. This was serious. So serious that my best friend now had a team of personal ninjas. Not the fun kind of ninjas, either.

        The car ride to the airport was dead silent. Grayson sat on the complete other side of the backseat, chewing his lower lip. I sat on my side, trying not to flinch at the cold feeling of leather against my bare back.

        At the airport, we made our way across the ramp to Grayson's private plane. As soon as the pilot shut the door behind us, Grayson turned to me, clearly much calmer.

        "Jackie, I promise I'm not mad at you. I know it may look it; I'm acting...unstable. But I promise, I'm not angry with you. You've done nothing wrong. I just need a little time to cool off," he said softly.

        I exhaled slowly, letting the tension drain from my shoulders. "Okay," I whispered.

        He gave me a tiny, sad smile, saying, "I know you're probably angry too. So if you need to talk to me, you can. Just..."

        "It's okay. You can spend some time alone," I assured him, taking a seat. "Or you can come to me. Whatever you need, I'm here for it."

        He reached over and squeezed my hand gratefully. Then he closed his eyes, his head tilted back. I watched as the crease between his eyebrows faded, slowly melting and leaving the familiar face I saw every night before falling asleep.

        "Grayson," I whispered several hours later.

        "Yes?" he asked, opening his eyes. I thought he'd been asleep; apparently not.

        "We're about to land," I said, watching as Toronto came into view out the window.

        "Right," he sighed. The crease had returned.

        We exited the plane and drove to the penthouse. It surprised me, for some reason, that everything looked the same. Everything was where we'd left it. Our clothes were still in the closets, our dishes in the cupboards. It had been left untouched.

        In my own room, I showered and changed into pajamas, unsure of just how much space Grayson wanted. But when I knocked on his bedroom door, he told me to come in.

        I did–or rather, my head came in. He smiled a little when I peeked in.

        "Want me to sleep in my room tonight?" I whispered.

        He shook his head. "No, no, you can sleep in here."

        Nodding, I padded over to my usual side of the bed, my slippered feet quiet on the plush carpet. Grayson turned out his lamp before lying down, facing the wall. "Night, Jackie."

        "Night," I said, nervously staying on my side. I still couldn't tell what kind of mood he was in. Was he angry, even if not directly at me? Did he still want space, more space than the half a foot between us? Normally he was so easy to read, someone I could almost tell exactly what they were feeling. But now it was if he had turned to stone, shutting off any connections with the world.

        Maybe...maybe he just needed some comfort.

        I rolled over, careful to stay beneath the warm blankets, and wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him tightly as I buried my nose in the back of his t-shirt. For a second, there was nothing. Still just a stone wall. But then I felt his body shift, his entire frame relaxing in one long sigh.

        "It's okay," I murmured, lightly kissing in between his shoulder blades. "I'm here, Grayson."

        Under the blankets, he found my hand, clutching it close to his chest. I felt the warmth in his touch, the gentle way he clung to me even as I held him.

        "You have no idea how much that means to me, Jacks," he whispered into the darkness.

        I nestled in deeper, still hugging him tight. "Go to sleep," I said softly. "I'll be here when you wake up."

        His breath hitched. "Promise?"

        "Promise." 

        The next morning, sunlight broke through the curtains, shining into my eyes. As promised, I still held Grayson, not daring to let go of him for even a minute. At least he was asleep, and it appeared that he wasn't having any bad dreams. Before waking him up, I just held on a second longer, resting my forehead against his back.

        "You'll be okay," I said under my breath. "I won't let her break you."

        And with that, the day began.