M4M Grayson Hawthorne x Reader The Inheritance Games

-- Chapter 27 --

Date posted: 2-4-23

You looked around the library, full of books. How were you three supposed to be able to find ONE book with the wrong cover. There must've been thousands of books. How does a person even read all of these in a lifetime, let alone afford it all?

"Avery. It would take forever to find the right book." You sighed, your eyes already exhausted at looking at the multiple books, on the multiple shelves, in multiple rows. "and this place is huge."

"We have to do this y/n." Avery's tone determined. "Even if this takes hours."

"Don't be ridiculous, Heiress." Jameson smiled. "It could take days."

"Real encouraging, Jameson." You headed towards the stairs. "I'll be up here searching."

You then shot Avery a look of "You two better not do anything." Avery rolled her eyes.

"Nothing's going to happen, Y/n." Avery said while Jameson was just a little confused about you two's non-verbal language.

"Better not." You stepped on the staircase backwards, eyeing them, but Jameson the most.

You had finally turned your back when you reached the top of the stairs. Now to find a spot to start looking for the incorrect/ correct book. You wandered around for a bit, waiting for you to have a feeling of where that book could be. Your senses never failed you, at least you think so.

You had finally found a book shelf and reached for some random book.

You took out the book, taking off the cover then putting it back on. But when you were about to put it back, you saw a face in the spot where the book once was. "Grayson." You muttered.

"Mr. L/n." He replied before you put the book back, right in his face.

"Well, that was quite rude." Grayson commented on the other side of the bookshelf.

"Listen, Gray."

"It's Grayson." He corrected you like every other time before that.

"I don't have time for you right now. I'm busy." You continued like he was trying to get your attention even though it was just a coincidence that you two were in the same area.

"Why? You're just looking through books. I'm sure I can be of assistance." He didn't even know why he was proposing his help to you.

"No thanks, I can perfectly do it on my own." You replied, remembering when he could you "capable" in a salty way.

"Of course you can." He began walking to the other side of the bookshelf. "but there's something you're hiding from me." Grayson said now you could actually see him.

"Look, I got nothing to hide." You shrugged.

Grayson sighed at your stubbornness. "You're lying."

"Well, I guess there was this girl, Thea." You looked at the books, trying to remember her face. But you're able to remember anyone who made a wrong impression.

"What'd she say to you?" Grayson seemed to already know that Thea was bad news. Probably because her mom was his aunt. Weren't cousins usually really close though?

You didn't have a reason to tell him anything. "Nothing exactly."

"I know she told you information about us." He crossed his arms. "Whatever she told you. It's not true."

You thought about it for a second. Sure, people lie a lot to scare people or for whatever reason they had, but lying about a someone dying there wasn't normal. All those girls at the table looked equally as shaken by the fact there was a death at the Hawthrone house.

"She said that a girl died here." You said, waiting for some sort of reaction.

Grayson's breath hitched. Most emotion you've seen on him since you first met him.

"So it's true, huh?" You trailed on, seeing it was a sensitive subject for him. You may have made fun of him at times, but you weren't a monster. "Sorry, I..." You were not used to this comforting thing.

You hand reached into your pocket, remembering the partially wilted flower you found earlier.

"Uhm, take it." You handed him the flower, making sure you didn't make eye contact. It may have been a little flattened, but it still held that same beauty from earlier.

Grayson blinked. "A red carnation?" He looked at the flower in his hand. The confusion had taken over the brief moment of remembering.

"Of course a dumbass would know the name of a flower, nerd." You said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Were you trying to call him dumb or smart?

"Thanks." Grayson said after a second of looking at the red flower.

You saw Grayson's eyes go from piercing to soft. "Whatever dude." You put your hands in your pockets. "See you later."

You walked away to the stairs, disappointed you weren't even able to look through two books. But at least you made Grayson not sad? You hoped you did. But why were you?

"Avery, Jameson, we should call it a night." You said, not fully down the stairs yet.

You finally reach the last step, looking up to see Jameson too close to Avery, whispering into Avery's ear.

"Hey heyyy, hey. Nuh uh." You quickly stood in between Jameson and Avery.

"Y/n, stop." Avery just pinched the bridge of her nose.

You hushed Avery by telling her to shush. "I'm watching you Jameson."

Avery grabbed the collar of your shirt, pulling you back. "We'll meet up again tomorrow." She told Jameson as she started dragging you away from him.

"I'll see you Heiress." He smiled and did a small salute before he exited by the door behind him.

"I can walk by myself, you know." You said as Avery finally stopped dragging you around.

"Y/n, you'll chase after him." Avery let go of you. "Remember Sabrina?" She said talking about back in Connecticut.

"She threw your backpack in a pond, she deserved the same fate as that backpack." You shrugged, getting up from the floor.

"Okay maybe, but Jameson wasn't doing anything."

"Sure, just makes sure you stay about 3 feet-no- 6 feet away from him." You held up 6 fingers for emphasis.

"You're being dramatic again, Y/n."

"Hm, you're right. 5 feet is more humane. It's not like he's a disease, unless..."

"Y/n? Don't. Stop. "

"Alright fine." You surrendered.

"Anyways, do you want to look around this place before heading to bed?" Avery opened the door and left the library first.

"Only a person like you would actually plan your sleep." You laughed as you closed the door behind you.

"Says the one who's knocked out cold when he sleeps."

"I so don't." You snickered, roaming the hall. "So, where do you wanna go?" You looked at the many different way this could go.

"How about..." Avery trailed on. "That one." She pointed to a door at the end of the hallway.

"Race you there?" You asked, smirking as you got ready to run.

"No, y/n." She already knew she'd out run your anyways.

You stood up straight. "Ah, you're no fun."

Anyways, I need a different outcome. Yk, imma just not do one. Cuz no one reads these, lol.