17
CONOR
WAIT - M83
"What are you doing?"
As Cameron fussed on his chest, I peered at Shay.
I didn’t mind that babies cried.
That came as a shock to me too.
I didn’tlikethat they cried—I wasn’t a fucking monster. But I’d grown used to Cameron’s fussing. I could even work through it. Of course, I’d mastered the fine art of working through noise because my brothers made more chaos by heading to the can than Cameron did by demanding to be fed.
"I’m about to start a DDoS attack."
His eyes bugged. "Isn’t that illegal?"
My lips twitched. "You going to call the cops?"
"No." Brow furrowed, he stared at my computer. "Why are you doing that?"
"Because I want to."
"Helpful." He huffed but relinquished control of Cameron to Declan who offered to take the kid to Aela to be nursed. With the kid gone, he peered at my computer. "Go on then."
"I don’t like an audience."
Shay chuckled. "I’m not an audience."
I cast him a look. "You don’t approve, so why would you want to watch?"
"Be more interesting than talking to anyone else tonight."
"Surprised you came. Victoria stayed home."
"Didn’t feel like being alone."
His admission had me switching gears. "You doing okay, Shay?"
His jaw worked. "I should be okay."
The inference being that he wasn’t.
"What’s wrong?"
"Don’t you miss him?" he whispered, almost as if he were admitting to a crime.
"Of course. You’re allowed to miss Da," I pointed out when he fell silent.
"Mom hates him. Dad doesn't like to talk about him, and I get it—Grandda wasn’t exactly nice to him. I can’t imagine being called names just because I like art and going to the ballet. He was a bigot and mean and he had zero taste, but…"
"He was your grandfather." I said it flatly, my tone judgment-free. "You don’t have to like someone to love them. You don’t have to like someone for them to make an impression on you.
"To be frank, Shay, you were the only one he ever tried to impress. They say shit changes for a man when he becomes a grandfather. I saw more changes in my da with you around than I did in all the years of my life."
"Do you think they made him a better person?"