Bare Skin (Skin Deep 5)

I looked down at Dani’s face, and knew that I didn’t have to tell her. She’d heard.

I didn’t know exactly what it meant, but when she crumpled to the floor at my feet with her head in her hands, a sob tearing free, I knew it hurt. Badly.

I dropped to the floor beside her and hauled her into my lap, rocking her as she cried against me. With my free hand, I dialed T.J.’s number on her phone.

When he answered, I simply said, “She needs you.”

I heard, “On my way,” before I hung up, and then I waited.

It was less than ten minutes after the call ended when T.J. flung the front door open and barreled through, coming directly to where I was still cradling Dani on the floor.

He dropped down beside us, his hand barely connecting with her shoulder before she threw herself at him, wailing, “He’s dead! God, Taylor, he’s fucking dead…”

T.J.’s head jerked to me, panic in his eyes.

“Grayson.” It was all I could say, because I didn’t know anything beyond the name.

His eyes drifted shut, but not before I saw the raw pain blazing in them. He murmured to Dani, rocking her and patting her back. I shifted, knowing she had to be uncomfortable with her body twisted like that, her arms around T.J.’s neck, leaning into him, with her bottom half still in my lap.

She made a sound of protest, one hand coming back to grip my thigh, keeping me in place, so I sat there, not moving.

She finally sat back fully into my lap, dropping her arms from her brother. I held her close and managed to get to my feet, moving to the couch so we’d be more comfortable, but still keeping her in my lap as I sat back down. T.J. moved with us, though he sat on the armchair to the right of the couch, hands clasped, head hanging down.

His voice was tired when he spoke. “Do you know any details? How’d you find out?”

Dani let out a harsh sigh. “Fucking Alex. He called, being an asshole, but…I mean, I didn’t even really give him time to talk, to tell me otherwise. I hung up on him.”

I hugged her tighter. “Dani, he was being a prick to begin with. He could have handled that differently, could have told you without insulting you first. That’s on him.”

She nodded against my chest, but I could tell she still felt guilty.

“You don’t owe him a damn thing, Dani,” T.J. said, firmly. “He hasn’t changed, and you know it. But I do think we should probably call LeeLee.”

She nodded again, sitting up and reaching to grab her phone off the coffee table where she’d tossed it, but T.J. stopped her.

“I’ll do it.”

She melted back into me as T.J. pulled his phone out and dialed.

We waited in silence until he started speaking, his voice soft.

“LeeLee? It’s Taylor…I know, love. I’m so sorry…yes, Dani knows. Alex was a dick and didn’t break it gently, but…”

There was a long pause as he listened, nodding his head in response to whatever was being said.

While he was talking, I turned to Dani, asking gently, “Baby? You okay?”

She nodded quickly, but her eyes were still welling up with tears. “He was part of the band. Like a brother to me, sweetest guy you’d ever meet. He got into some trouble with drugs, part of that whole story that wasn’t mine to tell, but…God. Poor LeeLee.”

My confusion must have shown.

“LeeLee is…was…his girlfriend.”

Our attention turned back to T.J. as he hung up the phone, blowing out a breath. “Car accident, Dani. Not…he wasn’t…” his words choked off, and Dani let out a sob of relief.

“He was still clean?” she asked, a tremulous smile gracing her lips.

T.J. nodded, giving her a small, sad smile in return.

She jumped off my lap and went to him, hugging him again before she came back and sat beside me, rather than on my lap, but she still snuggled into my side.

She and T.J. talked for a little longer before he took his leave, promising that he’d call her tomorrow.

And then we were alone.

Dani sighed beside me, lacing her fingers with mine. “I’m sorry that things got so…emotional. I know we were heading in a totally different direction.” She gave a short, rueful laugh.

I brought her hand to my lips, kissing it gently. “You don’t ever have to apologize, baby. We have plenty of time for that.”

“We do, do we?” she asked, raising her eyebrows at me.

I nodded and then tugged her close, enfolding her into my arms. “Yep. All the time in the world, since I’m never letting you go.”

She tipped her head back and studied me. “You don’t ever have to worry about that. Because I’m not letting you go.”

I felt my chest swell with emotion. “Good.”

“I love you, Calland. I do. Don’t ever doubt that, okay?”

“I love you, too, Dani. Always.”

She leaned in and brushed her mouth over mine in a sweet kiss. “Let’s go to bed so you can hold me.”

Nothing ever sounded better.

***