Seven

As she ran towards where she heard the sound from, she realized that it was an alley. She didn't really like any thing to do with alleys because they were mostly bad, but she was curious to know what had happened.

"Where do you think you're going to?" Grayson's thick voice made her stop in her tracks, and she turned around to face him.

"Didn't you hear that sound? Someone might be hurt?" Lena said with raised brows.

"So?" He asked, his both hands tucked into his pants pocket.

"If someone is hurt, we need to help them." Lena stated.

"We?" He asked with a raised brow.

She stared at him, he didn't even look faced by all that was happening. 

"What if someone was seriously hurt?" She asked herself.

"If we go there and it happens to be a crime scene, don't you know that we'll be involved? Do you already want to bring me down?" He asked.

"No, I didn't mean it that way." Lena quickly said, waving her hands to prove her point.

Grayson scoffed. "I don't care how you meant it. You came here to take you car. Do that and leave." He stated coldly.

"But.." Lena tried to speak, but he cut her off.

"Now!" He ordered lowly.

"Fine." Lena scoffed and rolled her eyes as she made her way back towards where her car was parked. Without giving him another glance, she got in and drove out of the parking lot.

***

Lena held the steering wheel tight. She took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. Her heart still pounded.

Grayson was being impossible.

Why was he like this? So cold. So distant. Like nothing could touch him. Like nothing mattered.

She looked in the mirror as she drove out of the parking lot. The alley was still there, dark and quiet. The streetlights flickered, making the shadows move in the corners of the alley.

A strange feeling filled her chest.

Maybe she should have pushed harder. Maybe she should not have let him stop her.

What if someone was really hurt?

She slowed down at the red light, tapping her fingers on the wheel. The city was quiet tonight. The sound she had heard earlier, was it a cry? A crash? Or had she imagined it?

Grayson hadn’t looked worried at all. In fact, he had looked… calm. Too calm.

That thought sent a shiver through her.

What if he knew what had happened? She thought to herself.

The light turned green, but she didn’t move.

Her fingers curled around the wheel as her mind raced.

Grayson had always been a mystery. Even when they were together, she had never known everything about him. He kept things locked inside, away from her. And now? Now, he looked like a man who had secrets.

Big ones at that.

Before she could stop herself, she turned the car around.

She wasn’t leaving. Not yet.

Her heart hammered as she drove back toward the building. She parked a little farther this time, just in case Grayson was still standing outside. She didn’t want him to see her.

She got out of the car and walked toward the alley. Each step felt heavier, her chest tight with nerves.

The closer she got, the quieter it felt.

No voices. No movement.

Just stillness.

She swallowed hard. Maybe this was a bad idea.

Then she saw it.

A shadow moved at the end of the alley.

She froze, her breath catching in her throat.

The figure was tall, broad-shouldered. He wore dark clothes, blending into the night.

Her heart jumped. Was it Grayson?

No. It didn’t look like him.

The man turned slightly, and for a split second, she saw his face under the streetlight.

A scar ran down his cheek.

Lena took a step back.

The man’s eyes met hers.

Cold. Sharp. Dangerous.

Her stomach dropped.

She wasn’t supposed to be here.

Before she could react, a voice came from behind her.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Lena jumped, spinning around.

Grayson.

His face was hard, his jaw clenched.

“I...I came back,” she said, her voice shaking. “I had a feeling...”

“I told you to leave,” he snapped, stepping closer.

Lena glanced over her shoulder. The man was gone. Just like that.

Like he had never been there.

Her hands curled into fists.

“I heard something, Grayson. Someone might be hurt.”

He let out a low, sharp laugh. “You think you can help? You don’t belong here, Ms Lena.”

His words stung.

“Maybe I don’t,” she shot back, lifting her chin. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll ignore it.”

Grayson ran a hand through his hair, looking like he was losing patience. “This isn’t your fight.”

Lena frowned. “Fight? What fight?”

His lips pressed into a thin line. “Forget it.”

“No.” She shook her head. “You’re hiding something.”

Grayson stepped even closer. Too close.

His scent wrapped around her, clean, enticing, familiar.

For a second, she almost forgot to breathe.

Then his voice dropped to a low, quiet warning.

“Stay out of this, Lena.”

Her stomach twisted.

He wasn’t just being distant. He was protecting something.

Or perhaps someone.

She looked up at him, her chest rising and falling fast. “I don’t trust you.”

Grayson’s jaw ticked, his eyes darkening. “Good.”

Then, without another word, he walked past her, disappearing into the shadows.

Lena stood frozen, her heart racing.

The night felt colder now. More dangerous.

She had come back looking for answers.

But now?

She had even more questions.

And worst of all, she had a feeling she wasn’t going to like the truth.

Not one bit.

As she walked out of the alley towards where she parked her car. She had one thought in her mind... Grayson had changed so much, in such a short period of time.

She couldn't help but wonder how he could shift between a loving husband and a cold man in such a  short time.

"It's you, Lena. You made him that." Her subconscious sang out to her and she sighed sadly.