not funny.” Yes, now he was just being contrary to be difficult. He couldn’t stop himself. It was almost a matter of pride.
Cort’s voice jumped a little higher in pitch when he continued. “Oh, I wasn’t trying to be funny. I’m a funny guy. When I’m trying to be funny, you’ll be laughing. You won’t be able to stop yourself.”
There was no stopping it now. His damn lips quirked into a half smile. There was a playful silliness to Cort that reminded him of Baer and Wiley when they bickered.
“See. I gotcha,” Cort purred, sounding so freaking smug.
“Yeah, yeah. You’re a funny guy.”
Cort nudged Grey’s shoulder lightly. “If I can make you smile, I bet I can help you learn to get around too.”
“Keep me from walking into trees?”
A low hum vibrated up Cort’s throat for a second, as if he were giving it some thought. “For the most part. If you piss me off, I might let your face find one or two.”
“Har. Har.”
Grey might have been faking his laugh, but there was no denying that five minutes in Cort’s presence had left him feeling lighter. Being around the man was so different from being with his friends. They hovered. He could hear the worry in their voices. But with Cort, everything felt normal. Cort wasn’t trying to coddle him. He didn’t sound particularly worried. He was just this slightly goofy guy who was determined to make Grey laugh.
“You know, I’m even better at my job than I am at making stubborn guys laugh.”
A bark of laughter jumped from Grey’s throat. “God, I hope so!”
“And yet I’ve gotten you to smile and laugh against your will. Imagine what I can do with the rest of your life.” Cort paused again, and his voice dipped low, becoming soft in its sincerity. “Grey, I really care about what I do, and I’d like to help.”
Grey’s scowl returned. “I really don’t need your help.”
“Then why did you agree to me coming out?”
Grey sighed, shoving one hand through his hair in a restless motion. “A moment of weakness.”
Cort’s chuckle was low and pleasant, a warm sound that made the hair on Grey’s arms rise. “Well, I’m here now and just so you know, you won’t be the first difficult client I’ve had. Though you are quite a bit younger than most of the ones I have right now.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“Certainly gives you an advantage over a lot of people. You’re physically fit, and your mind is sharp. You’re just missing a little training. Let me show you how to gain control of your life again.”
The last thing sounded really nice. Hell, he hadn’t truly felt in control of his life since he’d met Clay, Baer, and the goddesses. But if Cort could give him back just a little of the control he’d had before he’d lost his sight, he’d appreciate it.
With a heavy sigh that was more show than fact, Grey nodded. “Where do we start?”
“Okay then, what about the kitchen? Have you used it since this happened?”
“Don’t need to. I eat at the main house with the others.” That wasn’t really true. They’d been bringing his food to him over the past week, but Cort didn’t need to know that.
“Don’t blame you. It’s a nice house. I met a couple of people when I first arrived. Are they family?”
Grey gave a small nod. “Friends, but close ones, so more or less.”
“Have they been supportive?”
He straightened a little where he sat, his defenses automatically snapping into place. “They’ve all been great.” Grey hesitated and Cort remained quiet. The silence stretched until Grey found himself admitting, “But I hate that they feel bad for me.”
“They can’t help that. Tell me, have you really been going over there for your meals? Because Dane took some dirty dishes with him when he left. I’m not trying to make you feel bad, just trying to understand what you’ve been doing.”
That reminded Grey—he felt rotten about that. He could have tried to at least wash the dishes. None of his friends should have to clean up after him.
“No,” Cort continued. “I get the feeling you’ve been holed up in this apartment since it happened. There’s a closed-in smell to the place. Could use an airing out. Mind if I open some windows? It’s warm out. There’s a wonderful fall scent on the breeze today. Nice. The fresh air will be good for you.”
“Suit yourself,” Grey said with another frown. He hadn’t realized it