“I need to do this for myself. So I know that I can do all the things you’ve been teaching me. That when we’re together, it’s because I want you there. Not because I’m in denial about being scared and feel like I need you to function.”
“So strong,” Cort murmured, taking Grey’s mouth in a gentle kiss that had Grey rethinking how badly he actually needed those pills. Maybe if they just stretched out in bed and explored each other, his headache would go away on its own.
“You’re rethinking it, aren’t you?”
Grey captured Cort’s bottom lip and gave it a tug before releasing it again. “I thought you were making a very good counteroffer that I should seriously consider. It felt like a more holistic approach than putting chemicals into my body.”
Cort pulled out of Grey’s hands, his laughter filling the room. “Nope. You’ve got me convinced. With most clients, I would have had you out in public more, practicing, but your life is too crazy for that. This errand to the pharmacy is perfect. Plus, I downloaded one of your books, and I want to start reading it while you’re gone.”
A frown wiped away Grey’s smile, and his headache throbbed. Writing. He missed writing. Luckily, his life had been too busy in the past week for him to give it much thought. He needed to play with that dictation software so he could at least try to learn how to use it. There was no way in hell he was going to let his blindness stop him from writing. Fear, on the other hand, might do the trick. He’d never attempted to dictate a book, and he wasn’t sure if he could ever be comfortable with it.
“You could always read while I’m here,” Grey suggested.
“No way. You’d be able to sense that I’m reading one of your books, and I don’t want you hovering, worried about whether I like it.” The sofa shifted and the floor softly creaked as Cort moved across the room. “I’m getting the paper script out of the medical folder in the bedroom. Do you need anything else?”
“Wallet and keys off my dresser,” Grey called after him. He reached down and felt near the end of the couch until he located his sneakers. He’d slipped them off after they returned to the apartment following a brief and mostly silent breakfast at the main house. Wiley and Calder had tried to lighten the mood, but their attempts fizzled out before Grey could finish his cup of coffee.
When Cort returned to the living room, his footsteps were a little heavier, indicating that he’d slipped on his shoes as well. There was a faint metallic jingle accompanying him.
“I don’t know why you need your keys. You’re not driving,” Cort said.
Grey held out his hand and smiled when Cort pressed the leather wallet into his palm. “You sure? You’re a really good teacher. I think I’m ready.” He shifted to his left and shoved the wallet into his right back pocket. He held out his hand again. “I’ve always left the house with my wallet, keys, and phone. If I leave the keys behind, I feel like I’m forgetting something.”
The keys were dropped into his open hand and Grey placed them in his front left pocket before he grabbed his phone off the small table on his left where it had been plugged into the charger. With shoes on and everything settled on his person, Grey stood and accepted the paper script from Cort to shove into the right front pocket of his jeans. Much of his life was still the same, but with Cort, he learned to act with purpose. Everything had a place and so long as he remembered that, he would always be able to find what he needed.
Together, they walked to the main house, where they found Dane and Calder sitting on the back patio. Of course, Dane immediately offered to take Grey into town, but he chose Calder. Dane would be too eager to help Grey with everything, while he was hoping that Calder might give Grey a little more room to at least try on his own. This trip would also give Grey a chance to talk a little more with the newest Weaver. When Lucien had arrived, Grey had largely had the man’s entire life story within a few minutes of meeting him. Not because he was trying to invade the man’s privacy, but after the attack when he’d gone to fetch Lucien, he’d wanted to be sure it was safe to bring him to their home.
At Dane’s insistence, they took his SUV and were on the road within a few minutes. Grey could only hope that Cort would spend some time with Dane, reassuring him yet again that Grey was okay and making progress even if he still couldn’t see.