LOVER//Grayson Hawthorne [2]

Chapter 3 - The Archer (Edited)

________________________________

"I've been the archer, I've been the prey. Screaming, who could ever leave me, darling? But who could stay? Cause they see right through me, they see right through me, they see right through me. Can you see right through me?"
- Taylor Swift
_______________________________

Jess's P.O.V

After we had found the drugs we had found a cipher disk and a poem. A Poison Tree by William Blake.

I sent a text to Grayson and told him to meet me down by the pool. Xander began putting back everything we had messed up but before he could finish someone walked in.

I felt a hand clasp around my shoulder and I quickly turned around to see Mr. Laughlin standing behind me with a grim expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, we were-" I tried to mutter out but Mr. Laughlin stopped me.

"I don't care for your reasons, just get out." I nodded and walked past him. I didn't look back to see if Avery was following, scared that if I had I would be met with those eerie eyes staring back at me.

...

On my way down to the pool to meet Grayson I received a text from Libby, telling me to watch a video. The recording turned out to be an interview with my dad.

I watched the entire thing, he mainly talked about how he just wanted to see Avery and that he truly did care for her.

I almost wanted his words to be true.

Near the end of the interview the reporter asked about Libby and me. Ricky didn't have much to say about either of us, a clear indication that he was only in it for the money.
I continued to play the video till I got to a part where the reporter changed the subject.

"Now Ricky how do you feel about your daughter, Jessica, dating one of the Hawthornes?" Ricky nodded his head like he always did when he was thinking. At least he had clued in that me and Grayson were together.

"I am happy for my daughter. She had never been very into the idea of a relationship, always keeping to herself. She Barely had any friends and if I'm being honest I wasn't sure she would ever date, let alone the grandson of a billionaire!" Ricky gave a fake laugh. "I am truly happy for her though, I'm sure he's very nice and I'm glad she can finally move on with her life." The reporter asked what Ricky meant by that to which he responded with:

"Well Jess has gone through some pretty hard times, I mean after her mother left she went through multiple different foster families and I was always working and didn't have the time nor money to take her in and that might be one of my biggest regrets in life." I didn't believe for a second Ricky ever thought about taking me in after my mother left and the only reason he wants me now is for the money. The reporter gave him a sorry look before he could continue.

"Jess, honey if you're watching I want you to know that I am proud of you and am trying really hard to make things better, so if you have it in your heart to forgive me, let me have one more chance." That was a bunch of crap.

I closed the tab and continued on to the pool. I would never give him a second chance. Being a father only required one chance, not 2 or 3.

As I made my way down the stairs and hallways my rage increased. By the time I had made my way down to the pool I had a deadly expression on my face. Grayson was swimming, his arms moving in quick strokes. I went over to the edge of the pool and Grayson looked up at me. He smiled but it soon turned into a frown.

"What's wrong?" He pulled himself up out of the pool and sat on the ledge. He patted the spot beside him for me to sit.

"Ricky did a interview." Grayson didn't meet my eyes, only grabbed my hands. "He told the world about my mom." My voice was filled with anger.

"He told everyone about how she left me!" My voice was raising, a fear tears running down my face. "He told them and lied about it too. He left out the part where he didn't bother even coming to get me off the streets, he left out the part where I went to 5 foster homes in a month because no one wanted a troubled little girl who's mom left her!"

Grayson wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing my face to his shoulder. I didn't care that his arms were soaking or that I had only really come down here to tell him about Toby. I shouldn't have even cared about what Ricky had said.

But I did.

And every time he told me he would be better, I really wanted to believe him, I really, really wanted to believe him.

I really wanted to believe he loved me.

"Why can't he just love me?" I looked up at Grayson through teary eyes. Grayson gave me a soft smile and wiped the tears from my face.

"A man like Ricky Grambs doesn't want to love unless somethings in it for him." Grayson's words were no more than a whisper. "And that my darling, is why he doesn't deserve your love. Men like that live a life filled with loneliness and the despair of never being content." I dug my face into his shoulder again.

"What would I do without you?" I said quietly. Grayson smiled.

"I'm not sure, but I do hope I never have to know." I looked down at our connected hands.

"As do I."

...

I ended up telling Grayson about Toby that night. He didn't seem overly surprised about what we found but he still didn't seem to want to get involved. He said he would help me find my mom, but I had a feeling Toby would lead to Thalia.

As I lay next to him I felt worried about how this would end. Last time things turned out okay, we all seemed to stay unharmed but the more you dig into the past the more people get hurt. I slowly left the bed, getting up to grab the note.

Find Thalia Rose Collins.

No matter how many times I read it nothing ever changed. Nothing ever stood out to me. There had to be a clue, I knew there was one. There had to be.

Grabbing the note I brought it over to the bathroom and shut the door. I went over the possible ways Tobias Hawthorne could have hidden a message.

Black light.

That's what I needed. Hawthorne's loved secret messages and if the message isn't an anagram then something that needs a certain light to see it will be close enough.

Leaving the bathroom I quietly walked out of the room. I was about halfway down the hall when Grayson came out of our room.

Sleep still hung over him, his normally perfect blonde hair now going many different directions. He looked at me confused before heading towards me.

"It there a reason your creeping around?" He asked, sleep slurring his words. I turned to meet his gaze.

"I need a black light." I said. Grayson raised his eyebrows, the sleep leaving him.

"I know just where to find one." He said. I smiled and he grabbed my hand and led me back into the room.

He led me over to the dresser and grabbed a handle, pulling the door open to reveal two black lights. I picked one up and ran into the bathroom, Grayson following close behind.

I turned the light on and faced it at the note. More words were added to the existing message.

To find Thalia Rose Collins you must first start at Colin's way.

...

This is definitely one of the chapters like, I feel like it has a good mix of everything!

Thanks for reading!