Graham had no idea what to say to that, but his mouth didn’t seem to have that problem.“I’d stay for you.”
Emory blinked, and Graham wondered if he’d try to stop him if he attempted to jump out the window.He was tempted to rush that way just to check.
“Why?”Emory asked.“Because what Carlyle did to you was horrible.It was different from what he did to me, but that doesn’t make it any less awful, and I think I remind you of him.”
“You don’t,” Graham quickly said.“I like you.It would’ve been easy for you to hate me after what happened, but you don’t.”
“That’s good,” Emory said with a smile.“But you shouldn’t stay for me.You should stay for yourself, because it’s the best thing you can do.But I don’t want you to leave.”
“I don’t understand why not.”
“Do you have to?”
Graham considered that.He supposed he didn’t.He wasn’t sure why he liked Emory so much, but he didn’t think that thewhymattered.It was just how he felt, and apparently, Emory wanted him to stay and didn’t have a reason for that—or maybe he didn’t want Graham to know that reason.
But he gave Graham hope.If Emory of all people didn’t hate him, there was a chance that he could find his place in life.He didn’t know if it would be with the mages and Emory, but maybe he didn’t have to find out right now.Maybe he could give himself more time and actually try this time.
Maybe he didn’t have to be alone, after all.
Chapter Seven
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GRAHAM HAD NO IDEAwhat was happening between him and Emory.Hell, he had no ideaifanything was happening between them.Maybe he was seeing things.Maybe he was delusional.
But something between them had changed.There was no denying that.He hadn’t expected Emory to visit him in his bedroom, or to bring him food.Emory hadn’t exactly been avoiding him before, but he also hadn’t looked for him.He hadn’t sat next to him during meals on purpose.
He hadn’t asked him not to leave.
Emory had done all those things now, and Graham had been thinking about it since the day of the storm.He’d also been keeping an eye on Emory since then, just in case, and he could see that the dragon was still sore.Emory would never admit it because if he did, he’d have to admit the truth to the mages, and they’d fuss over him—when they weren’t scolding him for being an idiot.
Graham suspected that Emory had had enough of that with him.He knew he was hovering.He’d done the same right after the fight with Carlyle.He wanted to reassure himself that everything would be all right.He’d almost lost Emory, and while he wasn’t sure he had the right to feel the way he did when it came to that, he couldn’t help it.He wanted Emory to be okay.
That was why when he noticed Emory sitting on a bench in the courtyard, he went downstairs.No one else would’ve managed to drag him out of his bedroom, but Emory did.
When he heard Graham coming toward him, he looked up and smiled, and it felt like the sun was coming out.Graham couldn’t remember the last time anyone had been happy to see him.It had been a while.
“You’re out of your bedroom,” Emory said, patting the bench where he was sitting in a clear sign that he wanted Graham to sit with him.
Graham did so, leaving enough space between them that another person could sit there if they wanted.He doubted anyone would join them, though.As welcoming as the mages and their dragons had been, he knew they were wary of him.He didn’t blame them.He’d be wary of himself, too, if he was in their place.It was enough for him that they hadn’t kicked him out and that they didn’t seem to be planning to.
“You not resting,” he said once he was settled.
“Why should I be resting?”
“I can see you’re still sore.”
Emory blinked.“How?No one’s even asked me if I was okay.I think I’m doing a pretty good job of hiding it.”
“You are.I don’t think anyone else has noticed, but don’t think I don’t know that you haven’t asked one of the mages to heal you.Any one of them would do so happily, even if it’s not their specialty.”
“I don’t need them wasting their magic on me.”
“I don’t think they would see it as wasting their magic.They like you.”
Graham could feel Emory watching him.He wanted to ask what he was seeing, but he was afraid.“They like you, too,” Emory eventually said.
Graham snorted softly.“I’m sure some of them do.They don’t know me, though.”And it was partially Graham’s fault.He just wasn’t sure how to correct that.No matter how many times they told him he was welcome to stay with them for as long as he wanted, it still wouldn’t feel right.It didn’t feel like he should be there.