Until You (Off-Limits)

I stare into Grayson’s office, watching him work himself to the bone. He doesn’t rest, nor does he sleep these days. He’s losing weight, and there are permanent dark circles underneath his eyes. I’m worried. Thanks to him working on our software personally, we’re due to finish ahead of schedule, but at what cost?

I tear my gaze away when I notice Elliot approaching me from my peripheral vision. He looks crestfallen, and I look down at my hands.

“The blurring was well done, but I recognized him nonetheless. I don’t think anyone else will, though. But wow… I never would have thought… and for him to do that, get a confession like that, that was insane. It all makes a bit more sense now, the way he’s been acting lately.”

I nod and wrap my arms around myself, as though that’ll keep me from falling apart. I look up at Elliot and decide to follow Grayson’s wishes. Ida doesn’t remotely deserve our help, not after what she’s made Grayson believe, but if this is what he wants, if this is what he needs, then I’ll be here to support him.

Besides, getting that video destroyed him. I’m not sure he’ll ever be the same again. He was distant after speaking to Ida, but that was nothing compared to what he’s like now. All he does is work. He barely even eats or sleeps, and it’s been days since we last had anything that even remotely resembled a conversation.

“He asked the social media team to circulate the footage, but it still hasn’t been picked up by the mainstream media. Can you get it into the inboxes of whoever can either make the video go viral, or whoever can get it onto the news?”

Elliot purses his lips and nods. “I can, but that might not be enough.”

I nod, grimacing. “We need the video to pick up enough media attention, and we need to make sure the arraignment judge sees it, so the case is pushed through to a trial. Once it is, I need you to find out who the jury consists of. We’ll have to work together to make sure each of them sees the video, whether that be on social media, a media panel by the bus stop, or through an ad on their phone. I don’t care how, but before the trial, I need every member of the jury to have seen the video.”

Elliot’s eyes twinkle, and I can tell he’s enjoying the challenge. If anyone can make this happen, it’s him. He’s a much better hacker than I am.

“Do this for me, and I’ll owe you a favor to be called in whenever you need, provided it doesn’t go against my morals.”

His eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

I nod, my gaze turning back to Grayson. “I need this case resolved in as little time as possible.”

Gray won’t be able to leave this behind until the case is over. He’s set on fighting for justice for Ida, and he won’t rest until he’s got it. The longer it takes, the more of himself he’ll destroy.

“You and Grayson…”

I turn back to Elliot and smile. “We’re dating. We have been for months now, and he’s it for me. I’m not sitting back and watching him lose his spirit. I’ll be damned if I let him do this to himself.”

Elliot smiles. “I get it. I feel the same way about my boyfriend. There was once someone that almost broke Lucian’s spirit, and at the time, it was Grayson that I turned to for help. Working here was never a true repayment of the favor I asked for — it was yet another favor he granted me. But this… this might help even the scales. Anything you need, Aria, I’ve got you.”

I nod and stare after Elliot as he walks back to his desk. Grayson has no idea how many lives he’s touched, how many people admire and appreciate him.

Elliot is about to break half a dozen laws for him, and he’ll do it with a smile on his face. That’s how much of an impact Gray has had. So many of us are willing to go further than he’d ever imagine, if he asks us to.

I rise from my seat and walk toward his office. It hurts that he doesn’t even notice me anymore. He’s so caught up in his work, using it to distract him from everything that’s going on. He doesn’t even realize how much he’s pushing me away, how much he’s hurting me.

“Grayson.”

He looks up and smiles tightly. When was the last time I saw him smile at me? Truly. Not one of these fake forced smiles. When is the last time he looked at me with that twinkle in his eye that I’ve come to love?

I walk toward his desk and lean against the edge, my legs brushing against his chair. Usually he’d have rolled his chair closer, so I’d be stuck between his legs. He’d steal a kiss and try to convince me to have an office quickie, and I’d be all too eager to agree.

Today, he doesn’t so much as touch me. He hasn’t touched me in days now, or has it been weeks? It’s been so long I can’t remember.

“I asked Elliot to help with the case. He recognized you in the video, but he assures me no one else will.”

He leans back in his seat, looking conflicted. “I figured we’d need his help… I just didn’t know how to ask.”

I nod. “You don’t need to, Gray. We’re all here for you.”

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I need him locked up, Aria. It won’t change the past… but maybe it’ll change Ida’s future. Maybe it’ll quieten the words I keep hearing him say in my mind.”

I want to reach out for him and sit down in his lap so I can throw my arms around him. I want to hug him tightly, and promise him I’ll do everything in my power to make things better.

But I don’t. I stay where I am, my eyes on his. If it’s distance he needs right now, then I’ll respect that. I won’t put my needs above his.

“I feel like I’m suffocating in the darkness he spewed,” Gray murmurs, looking away. “I’m trying to trudge through, but I can’t get ahead. I can’t get past this. I keep thinking about the conversation I had with him, and I struggle to hold back the violence I feel. Violence, Aria. I wanted to hurt him, and I almost did. If not for the confession we needed, I’d have hurt him beyond repair. And that’s the problem. The evilness he portrayed, it doesn’t just surround me, it’s within me.”

I inhale shakily, wishing there was a way to tell him that isn’t true. “We’ll put him behind bars, Grayson. You will. You’ll do that, instead of physically hurting him, because it’s the right thing to do.”

He nods, but I’m not sure if he’s really hearing me.