Grey reached for her but she stepped away. He flinched at her withdrawal, but she couldn’t let herself care.
“More like he knew you’d come to your senses and run the other way,” Scott muttered.
“Shut up!” she and Grey said at the same time.
Avery blew out a frustrated breath. More than her overbearing brothers, Grey needed to understand that while she might have an anxiety disorder, she was fully capable of handling any news that came her way. She might not like it, and he might not appreciate how she chose to deal with things, but it was her choice to make.
“I need to make sure your landlord puts a security system on the front door to the building,” Tyler said.
Avery knew that was his way of diffusing the tense situation. “Fine.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that you can’t stay here now,” her brother went on. “Even with security, anyone can walk in right behind someone with a key card. It’s not a fail-safe.”
“A public breakup would be a good fail-safe,” Scott muttered.
Grey stepped forward, and Avery braced a hand on his chest, stopping him from going after her brother.
“Go home,” she said over her shoulder to her siblings. “Grey and I need to talk.”
“But—”
“I have Rick sitting in his car,” she reminded them. “He was with me when I saw the door, so I was never in any danger. And the police were already here, a report’s been filed, and they dusted for prints. There’s nothing more you two can do.”
It took more arguing and longer than she would have liked, but she finally herded her brothers out the door, locking up behind them.
She pulled on her reserve strength and turned to Grey. Concern flashed in his green eyes, and though she couldn’t read his mind, she knew for sure he was guilt-ridden that she was a virtual prisoner thanks to his life, confused at why she’d bailed on him this morning, and worried about what this new turn of events meant to them.
She wished she had answers for him, but she was just as confused, just as uncertain.
“Come here.” He held out his arms.
Unable to resist, she stepped forward and walked straight into his embrace, burying her face in his soft tee shirt and inhaling his familiar scent. He wrapped his arms around her tight and held on. She wished it were just the two of them, that the outside world and all her worries would disappear. But that wasn’t reality. It never had been. In her life, the outside world always intruded; something new always popped up to ruin the status quo in which she’d found a safe haven.
When she finally pulled free, he led her to the couch, and they sat down. He faced her, holding her hands in his. “Your brother is right about one thing. I’m the one who brought all this shit to your door. I can leave and make it all go away.”
“No!” She’d come home needing time to think. She hadn’t counted on the turmoil that had waited for her here, and she hadn’t yet had a moment to put her thoughts together, but she knew one thing. Panic struck her at the thought of losing him before she was ready.
His shoulders dropped in relief. “Good. I’d do anything to keep you safe, and I’d go if you asked me to … but that’s the last thing I want.”
“I don’t want that either,” she whispered.
“Then why did you leave without waking me?” His roughened fingers stroked her skin.
She’d hoped for more time before having to answer this question. “Last night was intense,” she admitted. “I’m feeling things that I can’t afford to let myself feel for you.”
He nodded, and she knew he understood without her having to explain more.
“Your brothers are right. You shouldn’t be alone here,” he said, changing the subject. “I understand if you want to stay with them.”
“Oh hell no,” she said, shuddering at the thought. “They’d drive me mad. It would be like being in a cage. Their eyes would be on me constantly. And since I don’t know what kind of threat this really is, I don’t want to move in with my mom or sisters and bring trouble their way.”
He squeezed her hands tighter. “Move in with me then.”
“What?” she asked, shock racing through her.
“Move in with me.” He met her gaze, his expression as serious as she’d ever seen it. “I’m not going to say something stupid like you can stay in the guest room, because we both know that’s not happening. But if you really want your space, you can stay in the apartment across the hall. Though let me go on record as saying that’s not my first choice.”
She blinked, trying to take in all the information he was giving her. “You own that apartment too?”