Safe Hands

41. A feeling

The clanking of spoons against plates filled the dining area with a lively, almost chaotic energy. Raymond was midway through narrating one of his wild escapades, describing how he almost ran over an old lady while speeding. His recounting had an air of dark comedy, reminiscent of a villain's monologue in a movie.

"It was stupid, to be honest," Raymond concluded, raising his eyebrows and eliciting a giggle from Julian.

Alex shook his head in mild disbelief, marveling at how Raymond always managed to find himself in such absurd situations.

Grayson soon walked in, grabbing a plate. His presence was immediately felt, as the room's atmosphere shifted dramatically. Russell stared at his plate, Julian shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and even Raymond watched him with a hint of concern. Alex couldn't ignore the change in mood.

Grayson attempted to leave with his plate when Alex cleared his throat to stop him. "Eating upstairs again today?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and concern.

Grayson shrugged one shoulder. "Yeah."

"And why is that?" Alex pressed.

Grayson shook his head lightly. "I just got a lot of schoolwork to turn in. I've been procrastinating, and the time is due. You don't want me to have bad grades, do you?"

Alex sighed. "No."

Grayson took that as permission, grabbed his plate, and left.

After dinner, Alex made it a priority to get to the bottom of the strange behavior. He approached Julian's room, the door slightly ajar. With a gentle push, he got a clear view of Julian lying on his bed, scrolling through texts on his laptop.

"Hi, buddy," Alex began, startling Julian.

Julian looked up and sighed. "You scared me," he muttered.

Alex crossed the room in two strides, sitting on the bed beside Julian. "Sorry. I'm just worried about Grayson," he added, causing Julian to tense up, his eyes widening.

"W-what about Grayson? He's been good, not causing trouble," Julian blurted out.

Alex's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why are you nervous?"

"I'm n-not nervous," Julian grinned tightly.

Alex leaned closer, and Julian blinked multiple times, trying to add more charm to his grin.

"Why are you blinking so fast?"

Julian looked away, his eyes darting around the room, avoiding Alex's gaze. "Because you scared me earlier."

Alex placed a soft hand on Julian's cold palms. "Listen, Julian, I'm very concerned about Grayson. If there's something I should know, please tell me. It's important that I help him, and you can help by telling me."

Julian could only nod, now calmer but guilt-filled. "He's just being himself, secretive," he added.

Alex sighed. "There's more to it. I know his body language. It gets bad when he stops talking and lies to me. I understand he's very insecure, but I can't help if I don't know what's going on."

Julian nodded slightly, trying to hide the guilt on his face. Alex gave him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder before leaving, closing the door behind him as he headed for Grayson's room. He paused in front of the door to take a deep breath.

Don't lose it. Patience is key, he muttered to himself as he twisted the knob and walked in. The room was empty, Grayson's laptop screen glowing with activity. His headphones lay on the bed, and his clothes were scattered across the room.