Kiss Me if You Can Novel - Chapter 64

Why?

That was the first thought that came to mind. Why was Grayson here? Why? How?

As if answering the silent question, Grayson spoke.

“I was lucky enough to run into Mark. If he hadn’t opened the door, I would have been waiting for you out here indefinitely. Lucky, aren’t we?”

“Grayson.”

Chase barely managed to repeat his name. Grayson tilted his head as if to say, ‘Hmm?’

“Why are you here? Suddenly. What for?”

Chase trembled uncontrollably and stammered, hating himself to the point of madness. But whenever he faced Grayson, he couldn’t help but react the same way.

A man he hated so much, yet feared so deeply; truly loathed, yet could never defy.

Grayson was such a presence to Chase. Even though he was alone now, Chase often felt as if a leash was wrapped around his hand by Grayson. And, without fail, the dog was always at his feet.

Ha.

His breath hitched, and he felt dizzy. Chase quickly closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands. Watching Chase, Grayson spoke with his usual relaxed demeanor.

“They said you had an accident, but you look surprisingly fine?”

Chase glared at him through his fingers.

“So, are you perhaps disappointed?”

“Of course not. You never understand my true feelings.”

Grayson sighed dramatically as if performing a play, shaking his head. He even put a hand to his chest and exclaimed, “Ohh!” like Hamlet. Of course, it was all enough to make Chase shudder. Chase slowly lowered his hands and faced him.

Seeing Chase’s heavily distorted face, Grayson spoke with his usual relaxed demeanor.

“I came to see if you were filming well, and it seems you’re doing better than I thought.”

“Ha.”

Chase let out a short snort. Grayson, unfazed, scanned him once, then broke into a full smile.

“I never thought you’d play Doctor Flame.”

“Why?”

At the stinging question, Grayson burst into laughter. Chase’s face hardened at the absurdly cheerful sound. Looking at his expression, Grayson answered clearly.

“You’re Chase Miller, not Doctor Flame.”

He seemed to think that was the answer enough. Chase was momentarily speechless, dumbfounded. He wondered if Grayson had come all this way just to spout such nonsense, but Grayson was exactly the kind of person who would. Disgusted, he gritted his teeth.

“…Get out.”

Barely holding back the suffocating frustration, Chase stood up. He picked up the jeans Josh had been wearing earlier and pulled them over his bare body, then walked past Grayson and out of the bedroom. But if Grayson were to give up so easily, he wouldn’t have come all this way in the first place. Without hesitation, he followed Chase.

“Don’t follow me, just get lost.”

“It’s been a while, don’t be like that, come here and kiss me, little brother.”

“You psycho, go die. This situation must be hilarious to you, isn’t it?”

At the curses spat out through gritted teeth, Grayson’s eyes widened exaggeratedly.

“How can you say such things! You know how much I adore you. Well, you’ve always misunderstood me like that.”

“It’s not a misunderstanding, it’s the truth. If you loved me, you couldn’t have done that to me.”

At Chase’s protest, Grayson still looked unconvinced.

“I’m trying to help you because I love you.”

Chase let out a short, sharp sigh, then snarled.

“Help me? By making me have sex with a dog when I’m in rut?”

Grayson asked, genuinely puzzled.

“What’s wrong with doing it with a dog?”

Chase stopped walking, speechless. His dazed mind slowly began to heat up.

“Then what about you, are you happy just screwing anyone?”

When he turned around and spoke sarcastically, Grayson simply looked down at him. A strange silence fell. Just as Chase felt a pang of tension, Grayson suddenly moved. In one long stride, Grayson was right in front of him and lowered his head. Staring intently into Chase’s eyes, he spoke. So gently, as if revealing a carefully hidden truth.

“Chase, all holes are the same.”

“…Ha.”

A hollow sigh escaped him. Chase looked at Grayson listlessly. No words would get through to him; had anyone ever truly understood him in the first place? Chase realized that fact once again.

He had no more words, no more will. Chase felt as if simply standing there drained all his energy. To the silent Chase, Grayson continued.

“I told you several times that if you don’t like it, you can just extract your pheromones beforehand, didn’t I?”

“I…”

Chase, who was about to speak, paused. Steward’s words suddenly came to mind.

“He must have had no choice but to protect his beloved youngest son.”

Chase bit his lip and asked.

“Would you, if something like that happened, rape Bliss? …If, there was no one else and you went into rut.”

Grayson answered readily. Without any hesitation.

“If the cycles align, there’s nothing to be done. It’s better than doing it with a dog, isn’t it?”

Instantly, the color drained from Chase’s face.

“She’s my sister…”

But Grayson showed no particular emotion.

“Helping each other is a good thing, what’s wrong with that?”

Watching Chase, who seemed utterly lost, Grayson casually inhaled and exhaled cigarette smoke. A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Or, do you want to do it with a dog again?”

Chase sharply drew a breath. Grayson watched him with narrowed eyes. His trembling lips parted, then closed, then opened again. It took several more attempts before a voice finally emerged.

“I didn’t do it.”

His wildly trembling voice was filled with fear. Grayson let out a short laugh.

“How do you know? You don’t remember anything.”

That was true. Grayson mercilessly dug into the deepest fear hidden within Chase. Slowly tilting his head, Grayson looked into Chase’s face and smiled.

“If not a dog, did you do it with a cat?”

Chase’s vision blurred. Nausea rose. The memory of that day suddenly seemed to resurface before his eyes. The swaying curtains, the rough breathing, the faint scent of a dog in heat.

Haa, haa.

Seeing Chase’s breathing grow ragged, Grayson gave a bitter smile.

“Chase, I really don’t understand you. What exactly is the problem? Nathaniel and I, we’re all trying to help you so much.”

“…Ugh.”

Chase took a deep breath, exhaled, then spoke in a choked voice.

“Just leave me alone.”

“Chase.”

Grayson reached out a hand. Chase violently slapped it away.

“Get out, I told you not to touch me! I should have killed you then, I should have shot you instead of Alex!”

“Chase.”

“What are you doing?”

At the sudden voice, Grayson turned his head, and Chase’s eyes widened in surprise. The moment he recognized the face of the man standing a few steps away, Chase’s face hardened, and a choked sigh escaped him.

Ha.

Just as he managed to exhale a trembling breath, Josh strode forward with large steps, blocking the space between them. Grayson seemed a little surprised by the direct glare, but it soon turned into an amused expression.

A chilling silence hung between them. It was Josh who spoke first.

“It’s problematic for you to enter without permission. Even if you’re family, you should have gotten permission beforehand.”

“I got permission from Mark.”

He said with a smirk.

“Mark opened the door for me.”

“That can’t be. I just met Mark, and he didn’t mention anything like that, and even if he did, there’s no way he wouldn’t have reported it to Mr. Miller. The fact that Mr. Miller knows nothing means you entered here without permission.”