“This is the other one,” said Grayson, dropping into a chair.
“What? Really and truly? Where did you find it?”
Grayson was opening his mouth to answer, but I quickly interrupted him. “Mia, could you make Grayson and Henry some hot chocolate?”
“Sure. I’d like some more myself. How about you, Lottie?”
“No, thanks,” said Lottie, turning to us. “But would you switch the oven on, Mia dear? Three hundred and seventy-five degrees.”
I waited until Lottie and Mia were busy again, and the coffee machine was hissing and bubbling loud enough. Then I leaned forward and asked quickly, “Have you been with Arthur, Grayson?”
Grayson nodded. “I’d had about enough of it, understand? I’d really had enough of it.”
“You got the glove away from him!” For the first time that night, I saw Henry smile. “Grayson, you’re amazing!” He held his hand out, palm facing Grayson, and they did a high five.
“But how did you do it?” I asked breathlessly. “What happened?”
Grayson leaned back. “Well, I went there and I punched him on the nose. End of the show.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
I began to laugh, and after all those tears, it felt peculiar, almost a little painful. And very likely hysterical, because I couldn’t stop.
It was such … such a stroke of genius! While Henry and I were fighting off stupid energy fields in the dream world, Grayson had done the only right thing. Punching Arthur might not work in a dream, but in reality it was totally different.
“I was just so angry.” Grayson’s eyebrows came grimly together. Like Henry, he looked really disheveled and frozen at the same time. The milk-foaming device was still hissing loudly enough for us to go on talking undisturbed. “When I came out of the dream because that bastard had turned me into an ice sculpture, for God’s sake, I simply had to do something. So I got on my bike, rode off to Arthur’s place, and climbed the wall. I took the key to the back door out of its hiding place in the swimming pool building, and I—well, I didn’t mind if I was caught. I’d just have said I was drunk. Arthur was lying in bed asleep. The bastard!” Grayson picked the glove up from the table and shook it. “He was wearing this. And he was smiling in his sleep—I swear he was. I’ve never been angrier in my life.”
I could understand that. I could understand it very well indeed.
“And then?” asked Henry expectantly.
“Then?” Grayson repeated. “Like I said, then I grabbed hold of him and gave him a punch on the nose.” He rubbed the palm of his left hand over the knuckles on his right hand. “Well, to be honest, not just one. Could be that I broke it for him.” He grinned. “After that I picked up the glove and went back the same way I’d come.” Here he glanced expectantly at the door. “So don’t be surprised if the police turn up to arrest me for breaking and entering. And grievous bodily harm,” he added.
Henry looked as if he could kiss Grayson, but I did it for him. I stood up, put my arms around Grayson and dropped a kiss on his hair as he sat on the bench. And then another, and another. “Guess what—you’re my hero.”
“Mine too,” Henry told him.
I let go of Grayson, who was looking slightly embarrassed, and sat down again. “But what does that mean?”
“It means that Arthur will leave Mia in peace for the time being.” Henry linked his hands behind his head. “He doesn’t have any personal possession of hers now. Which isn’t to say he won’t find ways and means of getting another one.”
“Or something belonging to someone else,” said Grayson. “But I think we’re in the clear for the moment. Although we’ll have to keep a very close eye on Arthur. And on all our own belongings.” He looked up and glanced at the stove. Lottie had just put the first baking sheet into the oven. “Oh God, that smells marvelous. What is it?”
“Lottie’s all-the-year-round comfort vanilla crescents.” Mia put the steaming cups of chocolate on the table. “And let me make one thing clear, she’s baking them for me, and Liv can have a couple as well because she was so worried about me that she burst into tears. I walked in my sleep again, you see, and I almost jumped out of the window. I only woke because Liv threw some smelly valerian tea in my face.” She sat down and grinned cheerfully at the company. “So if you can’t top that, I’m afraid you’ll just have to watch while we eat the vanilla crescents.”
Henry was grinning as well. “Oh, no, we can’t top that,” he said. “Can we, Grayson?”
Grayson shook his head. He was looking very satisfied. “No, no one could top that story. But if I don’t get a vanilla crescent, I’m afraid I’ll burst into tears too.”
“There’s plenty for everyone,” said Lottie, putting another sheet in the oven.
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