tricks of time ― grayson hawthorne [the inheritance games]

026. SOLO NIGHT SWIMS

𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚎, 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝙳𝙾𝙴𝚂 𝙽𝙾𝚃 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕. 𝚃𝚘 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝, 𝚌𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚊 𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚃𝚒𝚔𝚃𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚜.

I roll my eyes. Why can't people mind their own business sometimes? I do understand I'm a big deal around the world right now- but the will reading happened 4 months ago. Shouldn't it have died down by now?

The sun has already set and it's pitch black outside, even though it's only 6 pm. And I realize I want to go back to the Observatory.

It's been drawing me there and I get the feeling that it is pleading with me to go back up there.  But I haven't been able to work up the guts to since that evening. If I go up there, I'm worried I'll be overcome with guilt and regret. I worry that seeing the scene will wash back thoughts I don't want.

I decide to go.

I continue along the path Grayson had taken the other night. When I finally get to the wooden ladder, I hunch my neck to count the steps. I start climbing the stairs, refusing to look below me, worried I'll be thrown off because of how high up I am.

I trip when I'm near the latch. I look down, confused, and realize it was a trick step. The step was a hologram. I look around— ah yes, there's the projector. I see it has Xander's name written on it. I laugh and shake my head.

When I reach the latch, I try to open it, but I can't. It seems to be jammed— or locked. I push it open. Nothing.

But I'm desperate now to get back to the Observatory. I use all my might and I eventually hear a click and I grin. I push the latch open slightly only to hear a rustle.

Someone's here.

I can't see who, because clearly the lights haven't been fixed from the other night.

I make sure not to make a sound. I'm still peeking through a few inches of the latch, careful not to fall off the ladder.

There are two people.

The boy isn't wearing a shirt. The moon's glow shines on his eyes and the curvature of his shoulders.

I almost fall of the ladder.

Grayson is here.

And so is Celeste.

Now, I decide to be risky. I open the latch several inches so that it's almost half a foot open. Through what I can see, Celeste has pushed Grayson against the wall. Even though she's almost a foot shorter than him— probably near my height, she looks too comfortable.

The moon's shine grows brighter and brighter— almost as if it wants me to see every moment of this. I myself don't know if I want to see this or not. But I keep watching.