FEARLESS \\ Grayson Hawthorne [1]

Chapter 2 - Today Was a Fairy Tale

...

Standing inside the house felt even more extraordinary then looking at it from the outside. I was gaping at the architecture , it was a work of art in itself.

"You've arrived" I turned around to the massive stair case where Grayson was standing. He was looking down at the three of us, his gaze directly at my sister. He walked down to the level me and my sisters were standing at, then reached out his hand.

"Can I take your coat?" I took my shabby, plaid jacket off and handed it to him. Just based on my coat I looked like I didn't belong here. But if this went as planned we'd stay here tonight then be off the next day. Grayson walked to Avery, who rejected his offer to take her coat, then to Libby who gave her coat to him. He walked over to the wall, then pushed a panel. There was a pop, then a door opened. We all looked at him In confusion.

"Coat closet." Was the answer he gave us, which wasn't much to go off of. Our coat closet back home was nothing more then a few hangers, not sure it could even be classified as a closet.

Grayson put the coats in the monster of a coat closet, then went to shut it. Before he could there was a creak then bam. Out came a tall boy who didn't look much older then me, if he was even older then me. He had dark curly hair and soft brown eyes.

"Am I late?" He asked Grayson, as if he hadn't just came out of a coat closet.

"One might suggest that you direct that query toward you watch." Grayson responded, pointing to the watch on the boy's wrist.

"Is Jameson here?" Jameson. Another Hawthorne brother I remembered. He was in my grade, though I never spoke to him much and was under the impression that he didn't like me much. Though, I always tried to distance myself from him. He was always hanging around with the boys and girls who made my life living hell.

"No." Grayson said, not in a particularly happy tone. The other boy however smiled.

"Great! Then I'm not late!" He looked over to us as if he hadn't realized we had been standing there. He gave all three of us the biggest smile. "And these must be our guests! How rude of Grayson not to introduce us."

Grayson gave the boy a glance, then pointed his eyes back to us. "Avery Grambs, and her sisters Jessica and Libby. Ladies this is my brother, Alexander." Grayson paused for a moment, before raising a brow and giving his brother an amused look. "He's the baby of the family."

Xander smiled at his brother. "I'm the handsome one." He said, making Grayson roll his eyes. "I know what your thinking. This serious bugger beside me can really fill out and Armani suit. But, I ask you, can he jolt the universe on and up to ten with his smile, like a young Mary Tyler Moore incarnate in the body of a multiracial James Dean?" Xander paused for a moment, before looking at me, then continuing on. "No. No, he cannot."

"It's nice to meet you." Libby said to Xander, putting her hand out for him to shake. Xander shook her hand with enthusiasm.

"You spend a lot of time in coat closets?" Avery asked. Before Xander responded he dusted off his coat jacket and pants.

"Secret passage." He said as if that was normal. "This place is full of them."

...

I had half and hour before the Will was about to be read and even though I wasn't named in the will, I was still nervous. Nothing about this situation made sense, but hopefully in 30 minutes it all would. I was standing in a hallway I had wandered to, making sure to remember the way back to the foyer.

There were pictures lining every wall, and they were all amazing. I found a painting of an old man, reading the plague under it I found out that It was none other then Tobias Hawthorne himself. I marvelled at the portrait a moment longer before moving on to a different photo.

I looked through every photo before I found one that I found more interesting then the rest. It was a picture of a cliff, overlooking a grey ocean. The photo had very little colour, but even so it was beautiful, the lack of colour maybe made it even more. There wasn't a plague underneath so I wasn't able to pin point exactly where the photo was taken.

"That was taken in Florida." I heard a voice come from behind me. I twirled around to see Grayson Hawthorne coming towards me. It was as if he had read my thoughts.

"It's beautiful." I said. He nodded. "I didn't realize that Florida could ever be that dark."

"It was a particularly gloomy day, though beautiful none the less." I nodded at him before bringing my eyes back to the photo. I paused a moment before realizing what he had said.

"You took this photo." I whispered, turning around to see Grayson no longer staring at the photo, but me.

"I took a trip around the world." I stared at him in amazement. "I took at least one photo at every place I visited." The world was a pretty big thing to photograph and yet he'd done it.

"I remember you saying something about travelling the world when you finished high school." I said, staring at the photos lining the walls.

"And I remember you saying that it was a stupid idea and that I should just focus on university." He responded with. I bit my lip. That did sound like something I would have said when I was fifteen.

"Did I? I'm afraid I can't recall that moment." I said with a shrug. Grayson's lips almost quirked into a smile.

"I see your just as forgetful as you were when you were fifteen." He said. I gave a slight laugh.

"And I see your just as arrogant and obnoxious as you were when you were sixteen." I said. He raised his eyebrows.

"Just as mean as I remember." He said, his lips almost a smile. I looked away from the photographs on the wall and turned my gaze to his grey eyes.

We stood there in silence for what felt like forever, but could only have been a few moments. The way he was staring at me was almost like he had two years ago, like I was someone who meant something to him. I knew I wasn't anymore and I never would be again, but either way it felt good to have him stare at me like that again. Grayson looked down at his watch, then back up at me.

"It's time." Was all he said before starting to walk back. I followed him in anticipation. This was it, our questions would be answered we'd go back to Connecticut hopefully a little richer, and we'd continue our lives with this memory at the back of our minds.

I'd remember the night I spent at Hawthorne house for the rest of my life. And I would never, ever forget the way those silver eyes looked at me, like I wasn't just some girl from his past.

...

I love this new plot line I added!

There's so many things I can do with this and I can't wait to tell you guys all about Grayson and Jess's history!