chapter 21

"You have a question." My boss speaks up, I look up at him like a deer caught in headlights.

For a few minutes we just looked at the ocean in silence then he called for someone to bring blankets and cushions and a speaker up here, then we just ate in silence but my mind has been running around like crazy.

"It's probably inappropriate." I brush it off taking some more fried chicken and rice into my mouth.

"You can ask me anything, and I'll be the judge of it." He states, taking a sip of his water.

I take in a deep breath, "Why do you hate your father?" I ask upfront, he visibly tenses.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked, "You don't have to answer the question." I add nervously but deep down I really want to know.

"You know I was eighteen when I took over the business, it wasn't supposed to be my duty but rather my older brother." He starts off.

Jason Grey.

I've only ever seen one picture of him and that was when it was said he was to take over until there was no mention of him ever again.

"Stupid reason for me to despise him but I still remember the day my brother came home, packed up every last belonging of his and ran away.

I was the only one home that day, my father came in looking for a fight. He was fuming, I was only fifteen then. When he realized that Jason was gone, he pointed his eyes at me and told me that I'd be taking over.

To the world I took over Grey Enterprises when I was eighteen, but I did so when I was fifteen. He took me out of school that same day, and took me to work with him everyday, he taught me everything there was to know in under six months.

I couldn't go out with my friends, I had no freedom to do whatever I wanted. It was business 24/7. I wanted to run away like Jason did, but I couldn't do that to my sister's and my mother.

He told me if I took over he wouldn't force it on thirteen year old Olive, that he'd stop everything. And I believed him, but every hour I spent at the office, he caused more damage than when I was at home.

First everything I made went to him but I made a second account where everything went to me, I thought I'd do well enough, become stronger than him and manage to get him out of our lives. But everything only got worse.

To this day, I still try to get him out of our lives but he lingers like a bee to pollen." His eye aren't focused on me, he's zoned out.

I honestly didn't understand a word he said, to me everything was in code.

What damage did his father cause? How did everything become worse?

I want to ask those questions, but I feel like he's disclosed as much as he could, or wanted to.

"Twenty questions?" I ask to get him to forget about everything, he nods taking a box of noodles in his hands and eating.

Mr Grey, sitting cross-legged on a blanket, his jacket off, and shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows eating Chinese from the box. A sight I'd pay to see again.

"Worst first date." I state, he chokes on his noodles making me laugh.

"Pass." He states, I lean forward grinning.

"Now I really want to know." I laugh, his ears are tinted a light pink making him look so cute I could squeal.

"I was twelve, there was this girl Suzie Baxter..." I remember the girl he's speaking of, we were in the same class from middle school to highschool, she was known to be a bully.

Mostly because they bullied her because of her red hair, freckles, braces and glasses. She decided to turn it around and be the bully, Lord knows that girk caused havoc.

"My best friend, Salie, was being bullied by her. She told me she'd stop once I went out with her, just one date. Five p.m I was at her house, I took every last coin of mine to take her out to Wendy's.

Her room was downstairs, so when she came out I saw a glimpse of it. To this day I still think I saw pictures of me on the wall, hearts over my head, lipstick kisses." I almost want to laugh at the hodribly hidden fear in his eyes.

He even stopped eating, like he lost his appetite completely.

"Her mom gave me a hug and called me her son in law, her father glared at me and showed me a few of his hunting photographs. I thought that would be enough to keep me traumatized.

When we got there, the girl ordered half of the menu, leaving me to eat just a cheese burger and a frosty. Trust me I like a woman with an appetite, but...

She finished everything before me, she was rude to the waitress. I didn't know how such a small person could consume so much like a blood thirsty wolf.

Even with me breaking my piggy bank, the money was not enough to pay for how much she ordered. I had to walk her home and go back to Wendy's and wash the dishes to pay off the rest of the order." He finishes, my hand is over my mouth trying to cover up my laughter.

He looks at me, narrowing his eyes just the slightest. I burst out into laughter making him stare at me for the next few minutes.

I wipe away my tears, and focus on keeping my breath regulated. Instead of frowning like I expected him to be, he instead has a look in his eyes and a small contented smile on his face.

We continue the game until we're both stuffed, "One of your best memories." He asks.

I looks t him for a second, then frown. I spend the next few seconds racking through my brain for any memory I have.

But I remember nothing, "I'm not sure, ask something else." I say still frowning to myself, I see him frown too before he covers it up.

"Tell me about your father." He says instead, I want to frown but thinking about how great of a dad he is, I can't.

"He's always been my best friend, he and my mom got married when they were twenty five.

He's always been there for me, when there was a thunderstorm, he'd build a pillow fort for me and stay with me until I fell asleep.

Even when the rest of my siblings came, he still found time for me, alone. Whether going out for ice cream at midnight, or letting me pass my curfew just be a few hours.

I've never seen him mad at me unless I forgot to take my pills. Speaking of which, please excuse me." I mutter digging through my purse for my pills.

I never took them today and I know if I didn't, I'd hear from him, even if I don't tell him he still finds a way to know.

I take two of them and swallow them down with the water, Mr Grey watches my every move with such intensity that I almost feel unconfortable.

"But when he caught cancer, I think it affected me the most. I remember I thought I would lose him, like I lost my mom. He tried to reassure me that he'd be fine but four years and he's still getting worse." I hadn't noticed that now Mr Grey was by my side, his hand over my shoulder allowing me to lay my head on his chest.

I hiccup lowly, the familiar burning sensation in my throat getting worse and the tears pricking at my eyes making me feeling worse.

"I-I tried to act like everything was normal, but when it came to the point where I started noticing the changes in his form, his energy, I felt like I was losing another part of myself. I stopped visiting, but he was never mad at me for it.

He understood my reasons, throughout this he still manages to keep a smile on his face and remind every one of us that he loves us. If it weren't for him, I don't think that any of us would still be together."

I don't know why but everytime I speak about my father, his situation just keeps coming to my head making me emotional and I can't stop it.

Hot tears are streaming down my face like a river, I bite down hard on my lip to keep a son from escaping.

I feel two fingers below my chin, and my face is gently lifted to look at him. He stares intently at my eyes, a deep frown etched on his face.

He takes his thumb and wipes away the tears but the keep coming back, I try to look away but he keeps my face still.

Leaning down he kisses me just below my eyes, that somehow stops my completely.

His thumb goes over my cheek gently, he leaves a kiss on my forehead, over my eyes, my nose, the corners of my lips.

My heart is beating rapidly inside my chest, how did this escalate so quickly?

I have to admit it, I want him to kiss me but the last time he did, he was moody the next day.

In retrospect, you did run away.

I did, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the feel of his hands on my body and the warmth of his lips against mine

His eyes filter to my lips, I bite my lip nervously making his eyes stay glued to them.

"Rosaleigh." He growls lowly.