MISSING TIME.

LETTING GO

CHAPTER FIVE: LETTING GO.

Grayson waited till they were alone again, he smiled at Val and pointed at the meal.

"Digg in, the taste is spectacular," Grayson said as he popped a fry into his mouth.

Val threw a dirty look at Grayson and refused to touch her burger.

Grayson sighed and pulled her burger and fries toward his intention to devour everything.

"You're paying," he said to Val as he took a bite out of his burger and then slurped his milkshake.

Val watched him dig in for a while before knocking on the table,

"Could you star please," she said, through gritted teeth.

"Sure," Grayson said as he wiped his hands on a napkin.

"Well you must have heard that I got framed by Miguel, I never got into the details with him, at least the ones that matter.

That night Amy's parents and siblings were meant to be out of town for whatever reason but her second brother came back early.

You see he was pushing." Grayson started as he leaned back.

"Really? What?" Val asked.

"Dunno could be coke, anything but I know he was pushing he had his stash in the house and needed it quickly.

I heard this from the guy who normally sourced it for him.

Anyway, my statement was edited, when I said I was hit in

the back. I was given a drink that knocked me out." Grayson paused as he chewed on his fries.

"It might seem confusing but I'm getting there, Amy was a victim. All she had to do was tell the truth but then the question would be where she got the drugs from.

She couldn't say that she went through her brother's things and showed it it her close friends who tested it in her."

"So she went along with the cover-up, let me see if I've got this straight.

The plan was for Tony to drug Amy and have her way with her, then pin it on you quickly and simply, Gina was in on it.

But things got out of control when her brother stepped in so without the deed being done they made you take the blame for it and Amy went along with it because it was her brother's drug." Val said quickly, she had summed up the incident nicely.

Grayson looked at her in admiration then continued, after taking another bite of his burger.

"The case was pretty much open and close to those involved, my dad slapped me and told me he never wanted to see me again.

I was dead to him. My mother never visited me through my trial, all I got was a court-appointed attorney who was not going to waste his time on scum like me.

So before I could say Bob was my uncle I was in juvie.

Five years but got Three years probation. Lucky me huh." Grayson continued his story with a nonchalant expression while devouring the food on the table.

"I met with the guy who I talked about in juvie and found out why Amy went along with the cover-up, I was angry as hell and wanted justice. But what could I do behind bars so I waited. When I was released I came back thinking I could explain myself, but first I went to town on your brother then I walked home." Grayson slurped on his milkshake and then looked at Val who's eyes hadn't left his face one bit.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat it's delicious." Grayson offered but all he got from Cal was a shake of her head in refusal. So Grayson continued.

"I went back home, hoping I could explain my case to my dad. That he would understand.

That he would stand up for me. But all I got was a bottle to the head.

The first time my father saw me over two years he reached for a bottle and smashed it on my head.

I thought I was in the wrong house but he called for my younger brother and elder brother to come down.

They held me down and beat me half to death. What I had done affected them, my father lost his job.

You know his boss was a good friend of Amy's father.

Well, my brothers lost a few friends who didn't want to hang out with the brother of a r****t. So when I came home they took out all the accumulated anger in me.

I had to fight my way out. Hailed a cab and went to find my mother I knew she was disappointed in me but I held to the hope that she would help me.

Help my father see the truth.

As the cab made a stop at a traffic light next west of the hospital I looked around and what I saw shocked me.

There my mother was kissing Amy's father in his car. For u moment I thought I saw wrong but when I arrived at the hospital I saw her getting out of the car and then turning around to kiss him.

I confronted her, told her I was framed asked her why but all I got was a slap to the face and a request never to show my face in front of her again.

That's when hit me harder than ever, the realization that I was alone.

When I woke up on your father's couch I left a thank you note and walked away.

I had suicidal thoughts but was too much of a coward to act on it. I drifted around till I found myself huddling on the road in Winter.

That's when I met them an older couple who were coming back from a trip.

They were kind to pick me up and let me sit with them for a while, then I finally opened up to them.

They had a midsized farm and hired me as a stable hand.

From there I got on my feet and tried to make something of myself.

A friend of mine from juvie needed help with a place to crash I offered and he gave me a whole bunch of Bitcoin.

I kept them when the whole thing started blowing up I sold them all, he still calls me today especially when drunk to tell me that he is filled with regrets.

Anyway, I started an architectural firm with him hired a bunch of architects and everything had someone run it while I got my degree in architecture and business management." Grayson finished with a smile as he could now concentrate on his meal.

Val reached out her hand and squeezed Grayson's,

"You talked like it was not your story but I could still feel the pain when you want to seek justice call me. I'm here, and you if you just want to talk. I've always been a good listener."

Val couldn't imagine what Grayson must have gone through but seeing him smile warmly and joke around as if he was okay made her feel like crying, because she knew that he was not okay, he just got better at hiding it even from himself.

Grayson smiled In appreciation at Val as he returned the squeeze.

"I just might take you up on that offer," Grayson said as the door of the diner opened.

And a woman walked in drawing whistles from the customers.

Grayson and Val turned to look and recognized her immediately, it was Amy Grayson's childhood crush.