SUCCUMBING SALVATORE

friends

~chapter thirty seven~

They came rushing out of the warehouse and the lady I remember called Mary has rushed over to my side.

"Are you okay sweetie, what happened?" She asks me and I nod feeling a bit apprehensive and shaken up as I wipe my eyes.

"I'm... I'm fine, Grayson are you okay?" I ask him and he is no longer wearing sunglasses as his eye seems to have recuperated a bit.

"Yeah... Fucking fine" he spits standing up and Mary shakes her head, "no Grayson, don't be so rude to the poor girl, help her up" she winks at me

"Mary..." he warns and she smiles at him and pouts hier finger in his face, "I won't give you free beer if you don't apologise" she chides

"Fine, fine!" He throws his hands up in exasperation and holds out his hand for me and I take it, he pulls me up with a stoic expression.

"Thanks, I should probably go, I've caused enough trouble" I say smoothing my skirt down and Mary shakes her head

"No sweetie you nearly got hurt, come in to the warehouse and clean your knee and have a drink- Grayson will keep you company" she smiles warmly.

"Oh I don't want to bother Grayson"

I say and she waves her hand shaking her head, winking at Grayson and something tells me he has told Mary about liking me.

"Nonsense sweetheart! Come in!" She smiles and I look at Grayson who is clenching and unclenching his fists

"Oh ok then" I smile back and she holds me with her hand around my waist and Grayson follows us inside

She helps me to a table near the pool table and she goes over to the bar whispering something to Grayson and he nods.

He comes back to me with a first aid kit and a glass of water and a bottle of beer, which I'm presuming is for him.

"Give me your knee" he orders and I roll my eyes and hold my knee up as he gets out an antiseptic wipe and start to rub at it to remove the grit and blood.

"Gray I'm fine, just let me" I say touching the wipe and he looks up at me not saying a word and continues to clean my wound.

"Grayson you didn't have to" I say looking down at him and he places a plaster on my knee which makes me wince a bit.

"Thanks" I say and I stand up but he lightly pushes me back down and grabs my glass of water, "drink" he rasps

I take a sip of the ice cold water and find it refreshing so I drink a bit more and I watch him clean my fists.

"Your bruise under your eye looks better" I whisper and he looks at me with an emotionless face and throws the wipe down.

"Okay look sorry for speaking, thanks for the first aid" I say say standing up for the second time but this time he pushes me down and grips my wrist

"Sit woman!" He says closing his eyes in anger and then he lets go of me and touches my cheek and I smile at him.

He moves away and takes a sip of his beer and looks down, hanging his head in silence, and the last time I can here with him things were a lot different.

Grayson is one of my guy best friends and despite him liking me, nothing has really ever affected our relationship and stupid feuds like this upset me.

"Grayson I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for leading you on, using you for sex, saying that I liked you and then ending things so dismissively"

It felt nice to get that off my chest