𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 || 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

Five

❥ "𝐈 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐖𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒," Jameson said.

"Great idea." Xander seemed to be the only one who wasn't angry. Something had been going on with Jameson and Avery, it was visible to everyone in the room.

Me and Grayson were self explanatory.

Eve and Grayson were looking through files beside me, and I hated how much I noticed. Every arm brush, small gaze— fucking everything.

It's all reused.

My intrusive thoughts weren't going to get us anywhere, so instead of focusing on Eve and Grayson, I flicked through the files a little more aggressive than before to let out some anger.

"Evie?"

"Yes?" Eve and I said at the same time.

Graysons face went red, as if he had just realized what he'd done.

Do you call her? Almost say my name?

"Sorry, I meant—" The other Evelyn. "Yeah."

"Whatever." I went back to looking at the files, but that was useless because I couldn't focus on anything else but their voices.

"Hey, guys," Xander said, "Jameson found a file. Let's wait in the music room."

Shit. Not that room.
—
❥

It was a known fact that I hated the music room.

Maybe not to everyone, but to some select people. I loved music, but not the memories that came with it. Most of those memories were coated with me teaching Grayson how to play the piano, while he taught me how to play the violin.

Those all ended in kissing.

"You guys have a lot of instruments," Eve pointed out. No shit. "Oh, and a piano? I've always wanted to learn how to play one."

"It's not too hard," Grayson said. "It just takes some practice, but if you ever need a hand, I can help."

Eve smiled at him— sweet, warm. The things I would do to see her smile fade when she found out I was the one who taught him how to play.

"Maybe another time," I cut in. Grayson looked at me— and I willed him to walk away from Eve and stand next to me. Be with me. Your girlfriend.

But we hadn't really been together for a while. Not since that night in the wine cellar.
—
❥

So Jameson really found nothing, and now I was the one watching Grayson swim in the pool. This seemed to be a normal routine now.

Well, we used to swim together.

"I can't believe my grandfather," Grayson said. "I mean, how could he just hide Eve from us our entire lives?

I was getting sick of hearing the name Eve, but I couldn't deny that he was somewhat right. What Tobias did was harsh.

"Maybe," I said.

Grayson made eye contact with me. "I mean, you understand, right? He practically did the same thing to you."

Huh?

"You're seriously going to compare Eve to me?" What the hell had gotten into him? "Gray, what's going on with you? That's different."

"Don't tell me what's going on," he snapped. "You haven't been nice to Eve since the second she's gotten here. Are you jealous or something?"

Oh my God.

"You really mean that?"

"Yes." Grayson lifted himself from the pool while keeping his gaze on mine. "I know things have been hard, but Eve could be one of us. She is one of us."

"You've lost it, Hawthorne."

Grayson scoffed. "Talk to yourself."

"You know what?" I stood up. "If you wanna keep acting like a bitch, go ahead. Eve can be your new fucking girlfriend while we're at it."

Graysons features softened— and then turned to panic. "What are you—"

"Yes, we are breaking up. I have too much to deal with, and it seems like you've already moved on with Emily's doppelgänger." Don't cry.

But the look on his face pained me, because it was almost like a cry for help. I couldn't keep pulling him up though, not when I was already falling.

"If that's what you want." He wouldn't look at me.

That's never been what i've wanted.

A memory shot into my mind.

"You saved that little boy tonight." Grayson was leaned against the counter of the wine cellar, a bottle in hand.

"It was business. I had to." Sharp and unrevealing. So Grayson Hawthorne. He was always like this now.

"Grayson, don't be like that."

"Like what? The man I was raised to be?" he snapped, and I flinched.

I could feel myself coming undone— because this was it, this was him slipping away.
—
❥

a/n:

rlly bad chapter but ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 also the song for this chapter is deja vu like cmon