𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 || 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

Nine

❥ 𝐈 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐗 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐄, completely dumbfounded.

"What's in the box?" Oren said.

"I—" I gulped. "It's a note." Picking the note up, I traced the words on the paper aimlessly.

Go to Hawthorne Island.

Oren walked up to me and grabbed the letter from my hand, studying it thoroughly. He looked up at one of his guards and signaled a hand. "We need to set a perimeter."

"What does the note say?" Graysons interest had peaked.

"Grant Ruth is playing with fire," Oren handed the note to Grayson who took it without flinching. "He's challenging Evelyn to go to Hawthorne island—"

"Absolutely not," Grayson didn't have to think about it. "Hawthorne Island is dangerous."

"What's the party in here for?" Jameson and Avery walked in the room together. His facade fell down as soon as he saw the look on my face. "Okay, so i'm guessing—"

"I need to go to Hawthorne Island." Grayson messed with his suit. I whipped my head toward him. What was he thinking?

"No," silence. "Grayson, this is not happening."

"You don't get to make that decision." He countered.

"Considering this is about me, I think I have a say." Grayson Hawthorne liked to take care of things— a problem. He did it quick and efficiently without getting emotionally involved. I was getting sick of it.

"How about," Jameson cut in, "I go down, since i'm the most probable to get the job done." Avery's eyes widened as she looked up at Jameson in horror. "Heiress, I know what to do."

Grayson sighed. "Jamie, this is—"

"I have a location," Oren walked over to us. "So decide who the hells going now, because I don't think Grant Ruth is going to wait."
—
❥

Jameson was going to Hawthorne Island, after an hour worth of fighting and a Hawthorne-like decision maker. And yes, there was some blood involved.

Libby and Avery were lying on my bed while I shuffled through some notes I had taken on this whole Grant Ruth thing.

"I think you should talk to Grayson," Avery said. "This is getting extremely awkward for everybody." She was right, and after Grant Ruth, Grayson was the single thing I could think about.

One kiss.

Do you know, how long i've looked for you?

Game on.

"I know, but there's more important things to focus on." I shoved some of the papers back into my drawer and turned to face Avery and Libby who looked less than pleased with me. "What?"

Avery patted the spot on the bed next to her and I sat down. "I just think you should be happy. Grayson makes you happy, right?"

Did he?

"All I want is to say yes, but if he's not over Emily—"

"Sis," Libby sat up on the bed. "If I can get over my Alisa-Nash worries, you can get over this. It's just echoes."

Literally. She's dead.

"I think I give better advice." Avery stated.

"Hey! That's—"

"Guys, please." I said.

Avery sighed. "Okay, listen, when this is all over," she waved her hands in the hair. "you need to tell him how you feel. Even if it's nothing at all, he deserves that."

Deep down, Avery was right about this. Again. She and Jameson were this close to being happy together and Nash and Libby were already if not almost there as well. It was so easy to watch everybody else be happy, but when it came to me it was fucking scary.

And if I open my heart to Grayson, what if he breaks it? What if I never recover from it?
—
❥

So now i'm talking to Grayson.

I knocked on his door, fully prepared for him to either answer or shoo me away. The door creaked open and I was met with Grayson wearing nothing but gray sweatpants.

"Evelyn." Grayson nodded at me.

"Can we talk?" I looked past him and into his room. "If you're not busy?"

Grayson looked like he was contemplating until he opened the door wider, signaling for me to come in. I walked in and took a seat on his bed.

I hadn't been in his room before. Only saw glimpses of it from the outside. It was clean, not one piece of clothing out of line.

Grayson closed the door, and I knew I should've started talking but it was hard to concentrate with that six pack and—

"What did you wanna talk about?" Grayson sat on the bed beside me.

Get it together.

"Um— us?"

His jaw stiffened. "Oh."

"I know what we agreed on, but we didn't even talk about that kiss Grayson," His lips on mine. "The whole world saw that."

"It was for show."

I tried not to show my hurt from his words. "Do you honestly believe that?" Grayson Hawthorne may be able to put on a tough exterior on for the rest of the world, but not me. I saw right through him.

"You know what I feel," Grayson looked at me knowingly.

This all felt so different. So strange. "Everything is hectic right now. But when this is all over, when everything is said and done, can you honestly tell me you want this?"

Grayson Davenport Hawthorne stared at me with more intensity than ever before.

"I thought i'd lost you for years, i'm okay with waiting a little longer for you."
—
❥

a/n:

i'm sorry if these chapters are so bad i'm just trying to get to the final gambit act that's when all the good stuff happens lmfaooo. THANK U FOR 6K reads on this story!!!!<33 anyways I JUST POSTED THE INTRODUCTION TO MY JAMESON FIC, so there's that.