Riches |The inheritance games|

Chapter 80

This isn't helping by The National and Phoebe Bridgers

I cannot believe what you get away with, you find beauty in anything.

"Gray?" I speak softly, wiping away the two tears on my own cheeks. What Grayson feels right now is more important than my own sadness. 

I turn around and see Grayson Davenport Hawthorne looking pale. His eyes don't even glance at me, all he can focus on is Emily. 

I step forward and he steps back. His eyes squeeze shut. "Paris, you should.." Grayson forces himself to breathe. He forces the air in and out of his lungs, squaring his shoulders. 

"I'm not safe to be around right now, P." His voice comes out as a quiet whisper of shakiness. 

It now becomes clear to me that he thinks he's hallucinating. I close the space between us and place a hand on his shoulder. Whenever things feel like they aren't real he taught me to feel his heartbeat to know things were still real, by placing a hand on his shoulder I'm telling him he's here. He's real. I'm real.

"Hey." I speak gently, like I'm talking to a child. "Hey, look at me Gray." I nod calmly. 

His pained eyes open and meet mine, I can see the tears he is fighting lined on his waterline. He looks into my eyes desperately, like I'm the only thing that he can trust right now.

"That is not Emily. And you are not hallucinating." I confirm. His eyes flick behind me to Eve.

"I see-" he trembles. I place a hand on his cheek and turn his gaze back to me. "I know. I know Baby." I speak sadly as a tear threatens to slip out his silver eye. Grayson doesn't like to feel weak, he doesn't like showing any weaknesses. 

"It's Eve. Remember? My sister. Toby's other daughter." I remind him. 

"She looks like-" His eyes scan my face desperately for answers. 

"I know. But she isn't. It's just a family resemblance, same reason why I look like them as well. It's not her." I insure him. 

His eyes blink quickly until they rid of the glassy cover threatening to spill over. His face returns to his usual composed one. 

"Look, I don't know what this is. But it's been a really long week. I'm filthy, I'm scared." Eve interrupts us. 

I tilt my head at the strangers arrogance, the nerve she had to interrupt my Grayson when he was so clearly vulnerable. 

"So are we going to stand here and cry some more or let your security guards figure out how the hell they're gonna get Toby back." Eve turns to Avery.

I open my mouth to fire something back about how insensitive she was being but Grayson interrupts me. "You're hurt." He comments, looking at her sadly. 

"I'm pissed." She replies.

"Come on. You can use my shower." Avery gives in with a sigh.

Avery led us all up to her en suite, likely so she could keep an eye on Eve. 

Eve enters the bathroom. My eyes land on the shirtless Jameson laying in Avery's bed. 

Jameson looks fine, like his dead ex girlfriend didn't just walk passed him. But I know him, and I know that's just a cover. Beneath his poker face I know it's hitting him just as much as Grayson, who is staring daggers at the bathroom door.

Grayson's eyes don't dare leave the door, he's in a haze. 

"Tell me everything, Heiress." Jameson says, immediately swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing the second the door shuts.