Paparazzi//Grayson Hawthorne

Chapter Thirty-Three

Grayson guids me to the kitchen.I don't feel drunk, or even tipsy anymore, I guess the scare really just sobbered me up.

When we reach the kitchen he grabs two bottles of water from the fridge, closing the door quickly after.

"What would you like to eat?" Grayson asks, now moving toward the cupboards as he places the bottles down.

"Oh, no I'm not hungry, I ate earlier" I quickly say as the door opens from behind us.

"Gray, Ash, everything okay in here?" Nash asks from behind us.

I see Libby standing behind him.I nod quickly.

"Everything is okay, just grabbing some things for Ash" Gray quickly says, not turning to face his older brother.

"Now, you've only eaten with them earlier and you haven't liked going to dinner the past few days so you need to have something" Gray says as he faces toward me.

I walk closer toward Grayson, avoiding eye contact with anyone in the room.

"I'll just have something random, I'm not hungry Gray" I sigh as I look inside the cupboard he has open.

I grimace at the food.

"Actually, Gray, can I have a second" Nash speaks from behind us, beaconing for Grayson to go out into the hall with him.

The brothers quickly leave for the hall, leaving Libby and I alone.

Libby walks closer toward me, slowly, she looks as though she is heistanting.

"Ashlyn" She starts, I close my eyes, not turning to face her.

I do not want to deal with any of this.

I don't want to be called that name.

"Please, do not call me that" My voice is quiet, it's the first time I have said it to Libby, I've never told her or Avery to not call me that but I did, and now, I feel like puking.

"You don't like being called Ashlyn?" Libby asks, slowly walking closer.

I shake my head no, not wanting to cry but still feeling the tears at the edge of my eyes.

She reaches out, slowly and gently touching my shoulder.

I feel myself flinch at first before I lean into it slightly, turning to face her.

"Are you okay with me calling you Ash? Or would you like me to call you something else?" She asks, her voice as soft as her touch.

I feel myself stare at her, my eyes wide. I didn't expect that.

"Ash is okay" I let out, not wanting to talk much, just incase I cry.

"Ash, can you tell me how long Drake was doing what he did for? Why didn't you tell me?" Libby asks, her voice still soft.

I swallow, keeping as much control over my breathing as I can.

"I- I don't know, a few months? Maybe a year." I shurg slightly, wanting to try make it sound a bit less serious than it actually is.

"And I didn't tell you because I knew if I did he might do something to you and Avery, and I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen, I already failed both you and myself because of this past week" I let out, I had said it before, sure, but I had never said it to Libby, I never spoke to Libby about it.

"Ash" it's the only thing she says, just the one word but her voice is soft, it's hesitant.

"Ash you didn't have to do that, if- if I had known I would have ended things with him instantly, and I'm your guardian, I'm here to help you and protect you, it's not the otherway around" She sends me a small smile as she says that.