“You did a good job on him.”
“So you know.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“What do you want? I’m not sorry. Is that what you want? Brian put Geezer in the hospital.”
“Is it helping?” Grayley asked, quietly.
“Is what helping?” I didn’t want to play mind games with him. He always thought he knew me better than I knew myself. “Stop it, Grayley.”
“Is it helping you? Remembering all the shit-poor stuff he does so that you can get over him?”
“What?” I choked out in disbelief. I couldn’t believe he was playing this card. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, Taryn, I’m not. If you want to hate Brian, you can hate him. Just don’t use Geezer as your excuse, because he doesn’t deserve to be used like that. And if you think he doesn’t know what you’re doing, you’re pretty dumb.”
I wanted to scream. Grayley was fucking right (somewhat), but…fuck him. I wasn’t going to admit it.
“I’m not using Geezer as an excuse. Trust me. I’m hating Brian all on my own. And what I did to him…that was all me. Yeah—Geezer was a reason, but he wasn’t the only reason. And I’m not using him.” I repeated.
“Whatever you keep telling yourself,” he said smoothly.
“Why are you on my ass about this?” I asked, irritated.
“Because Geezer’s now blaming himself for the entire break-up between you and Brian. And it’s not right. He thinks it’s all his fault.”
“Geezer went to Brian about his dad.”
“And who sent him there? You. Through Jace.”
“Grayley—what are you on? Are you pissed that you weren’t the one to take Brian down? I don’t get you.”
“No. I’m pissed because you didn’t think about what you were doing. You’re not the one who’s going to pay. We are. We always are. The fight’s got nothing to do with you, you need to stay out of it. The fight’s between us and Brian. We have to deal with it.”
“Is that why Trent was there today? You and he are going to take Brian down?”
“Somewhat. Trent’s there because he wants to be there. He likes Geezer. Look,” I could hear how tired he was, “just stay away from Brian from now on, okay? Let us handle him.”
“Fine,” I muttered, glowering to an empty room.
“Taryn.”
“I said fine.”
“Yeah and you said that before, but look what you just did.”
“I was pissed and he was there. I couldn’t pass it up.”
“You tasered him, in an elevator,” Grayley pointed out wryly.
I grinned, a chuckle escaping my lips. “Oh. You should’ve seen him.”
“I did,” he remarked. “He was taken to the E.R.”
“Oh.” I blinked, I didn’t think I’d done that much damage. “Why?”
“Because you beat the shit out of him,” Grayley said, exasperated.