Grace

Six

It took a moment for the statement to process, but once it did, she couldn't help the snarl that found its way onto her face.

"Well, whatever you're here for, it will have to wait until Toby's back because I'm busy."

She was about to shut the door when his hand caught it. He sighed, the fingers of his other hand sliding over his eyes as he rubbed the upper bridge of his nose. Her frown deepened.

"I have strict orders from Toby to not let you leave unless you're coming with me."

"What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere with you. Besides, I have plans."

"I know. I'm your transportation."

"You sure as hell are not."

He had wedged himself in the doorway by this time, leaning against the frame while he held the door itself firmly in his grip. He chose not to respond to what Grace had just said, simply watching her with an exhausted look on his face, like if she let it all out of her system, she'd be too tired afterward to fight it.

Her coffee was finished, and a sound that sounded very similar to a growl escaped Grace's throat as she narrowed her eyes at him before turning on her heel and stalking into the kitchen. She fixed the lid on the mug and snatched her phone from the counter, dialling Toby's number. Of course he didn't answer, but she was desperate to give him a piece of her mind. She was about to leave a voicemail when she noticed that Harry was now standing in the doorway to the kitchen, so she hung up to let him have it instead.

"I don't need your help. I've got it covered."

"Yeah? How are you getting to Camden?"

"I'll take a bus," She snapped, attempting to brush past him. He didn't budge and she groaned, throwing her head back.

"You're not walking around Camden alone. It's not safe. And I'm definitely not letting you take public transportation. Please don't make this difficult."

"I'm not the one who made this difficult."

He frowned at her comment, but she couldn't be bothered to care. She was too busy typing a furious text to Toby. When she finished, he was still watching her with those sad eyes.

"Please just let me go," She sighed, trying out a new tactic. Maybe if she looked pathetic enough, he'd cave. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect and Grace found herself glaring as a smile formed on his lips.

She reached forward in yet another attempt to try to get out of the kitchen, hands pressed flat against his chest as she surged forward. He barely budged, his strength more than she expected as he wrapped his slender fingers around her wrists. She gritted her teeth as he held her there.

"Grace, please don't do this. Not when you won't let me talk to you."

"What's there to talk about?" She spat, tugging her arms free of his grip. Wordlessly, she threw her crossbody over her shoulder and made a break for the door.

It was no good. He was on her heels.

She could hear him behind her as she bolted down the steps, toward the gate. When she fumbled with the latch, he reached forward and lifted it effortlessly, which only fuelled her anger. And when she saw his Range Rover pulled up against the curb, all she wanted to do was take a Louisville slugger to it. Instead, she stormed up to the passenger side door, knowing that if she tried for the bus stop, he wouldn't have a problem with sliding his arms around her waist and forcing her into the car.

It was physical contact she wasn't about to let happen.

He seemed surprised that Grace went without a fight, but opened the door for her nonetheless. She reached up for the handle and pulled herself in, crossing her arms tightly over her chest the moment she was sat in the car. He made no comment as he slid into the driver's side and started the engine.

The silence was deafening, but she welcomed it over anything he thought he had to say to her as she kept her eyes trained on the passing houses and apartment complexes. She cursed herself for not starting here first, but she was desperate to get out of her parents house.

"I know you're not ready to talk about it, especially not to me, but I am. So when you are ready, you can come to me and we'll figure it out."

"There's nothing to figure out."

She wasn't looking at him, but she knew his grip had probably tightened on the wheel, the skin moving taut over his jawline. That vein in his temple bulging.

"You believe what you want to believe," he told her, voice low.

She was done with the conversation, so she reached forward for the radio. When a familiar song started, she couldn't help the snort that escaped.

"The Airborne Toxic Event? Really?"

He shrugged, keeping his eyes trained on the road. It was his turn not to make a response, and in a way, she was thankful. He was already treading on thin ice.

Or non-existent ice, for that matter.

But as one of Grace's favorite songs filled the space around them, she couldn't help but remember the amount of playful arguments they'd had over this band. Her nails dug into the skin of her biceps as she leaned her head on the tinted window beside her, recalling the time when he told her he never understood why she listened to the band when she was so anti-rock on almost everything else. She had argued it was the depth of the lyrics that hooked her, but they both knew she was growing soft for his taste in music.

"I once knew every note and every line. It was a long night, when I carried you and you carried me for a time."

She had always liked this song, but in the moment, she wanted to do nothing more than turn it off. It was too painful, but still better than listening to him try to smooth things over between them while it still felt irreparable. So she endured it until they hit the exit for Camden.