tricks of time ― grayson hawthorne [the inheritance games]

005. INTERVIEWS

"Watch your posture." I looked at the direction from where the voice came from. Grayson. I corrected, and Grayson gave the slightest of nods.

I entered the studio, feeling slightly frazzled by all the people outside.

"Oh, um, wow, you're here early!" A woman who looked just as frazzled as I was said. "Take a seat, please, Ms. Bridges will be ready soon."

I nodded sweetly, but Grayson tsked and walked over. The lady looked like she was going to burst into tears, and I'm sure she did, because she ran off without talking.

"God, why do you have to be so mean to everyone?" I said.

"Maybe you should learn to not be as sweet-as-sugar as you always are."

"Don't tell me what to do."

It was an awkward situation, me and him, cramped together, not saying a word to each other. Eventually, I broke the silence.

"I'm sorry about all of this," I said.

"You should be sorry. You're getting sloppy again. Already. I told you to stop being so kind to everyone, and to stop apologizing so damn much. It's not going to get you anywhere, for the record."

"I'm sorry about the interview," I specified with a roll of my eyes.

Grayson slowly brought his hand to his jaw, rubbing it. "It doesn't signify," he assured me. "I'm a Hawthorne. As a general rule, we're press-ready by our seventh birthdays." I almost laughed.

"I'm still sorry that you got dragged into this interview."

Grayson began cuffing his sleeves. "You're sorrier about an interview than you were when I was disinherited."

"That's not true. I was sorry— you and your family were just too busy being assholes to notice."

I felt his eyes darken. I could see him breathing, hear it, feel it.

Before I could say anything else, a lady with red hair and a white tight dress shook my hand with a gleaming smile.

"Pleasure to meet you both, Leah and Grayson," she said. "I'm Kenny Bridges, I'll be your interviewer tonight. I smiled warmly and Grayson smiled the same old smirk he always put on.

I found myself, to my sheer annoyance, wrapped up in Grayson again.

"Let's begin, shall we?"

I sat down in a plush chair, and Grayson took a seat next to me. In my ear, he murmured something. "Keep in mind, Leah. Lies, lies, and more lies." With his breath on my neck, I felt myself shudder.

Grayson Hawthorne and I were sitting next to each other, under a flood of lights, with Kenny Bridges smiling into the camera. I sat up straighter, remembering what Grayson had told me as the reporter got the cameras rolling.

"Leah, let's start with you. Walk us through what happened the day Tobias Hawthorne's will was read."

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, so much so I was sure Grayson could hear it too.

Gratitude. Awe. Reliability.

It was an easy question to answer, and I did. Grayson answered a few easy questions swiftly, even locking eyes with me a few times.

Kenny moved on to trickier territory. "Leah, let's talk about your mother."

Keep it short. I could hear Alisa warning me. And sincere.

"She was wonderful," I said, a fire burning in my stomach. "I would give anything for her to be here now."

That was brief and heartfelt, but I knew it opened me up to a follow-up question.