at the edge of the cliff || ✔

chapter sixty-three: Stanley Delgato

at the edge of the cliff

chapter sixty-three: Stanley Delgato

Grayson's house looked exceptionally larger and more intimidating. I pictured what I could, correction should, be doing. And its not here. An image of Grayson peacefully sleeping in my bed pops into my head. But I am here. At his house. By myself. About to do possibly the worst and most stupid thing possible.

Go talk to his parents.

My legs slowly but surely take me up to his front door. I knocked with a sweaty hand while my stomached twisted within me. I hear the sound of heavy footsteps which told me that it was his dad. Not his mom like I was hoping. I was stood corrected when a man with dark hair and dark eyes opened the door. I still believe Grayson got most of his looks from his mother, but there were some similarities he shared with his dad as well. "Can I help you?" He asks, his eyebrows slightly raised. I forget we haven't met. He doesn't me.

"H-hi." The stutter gave away how intimidated I was by him. "I'm a friend of Grayson's." I say stupidly. He nods.

"He's not here."

"I know." I say. "He's at my house." Grayson's dad looks at me funny. He opens his mouth, to question me no doubt, but Marie appears behind him.

"Shay darling." She says smiling. I took notice of how it didn't quite reach her eyes. She stepped around her husband and pulled me into a hug, which I returned. She pulls away, ushering me inside as she did so. The door was shut behind me.

This is it. There's no turning back now.

Marie puts her hand on her husbands arm. "Honey, this Shay. Grayson's girlfriend." She says. Grayson's girlfriend. Depsite basically shitting myself, I still smiled at the words.

"Hi Mr. Delgato." I gave him a small wave.

"Stanley." He correct, giving me a small, obviously forced smile. He turns to his wife. "She said Graysons at her house." Marie's eyes flicker to me for a second, before nodding.

"I figured." She smiles. Stanley grunts.

"He needs to get home." He walks away towards the livingroom without another word.

The anger that starts to bubble inside me when I hear the lack of concern in his voice gives me enough confidence to say what I need to say.

"Could you at least act like you care?" I say after him. He spins around, face red. I ignore Marie calling my name as I stalk over to him.

"Excuse me?" He says crossing his arms.

"Seriously. You-"

"You think I don't care about my son? Of course I fucking care! What would you know about any of this?" He yells, his voice bouncing of the walls.

"Stan, lets calm-"

"A lot more than you!" No more fucks are given. I'm saying what I want to say. Screw that he is Grayson's dad. I don't care. "I've been through hell and back. I have lost a shit ton of people in my life. I know how it feels to feel completley alone and just want the love of your parents. Don't tell me I don't know! I know a lot more about him than you."

"Are you telling me my son feels like we don't love him?" He still looks and sounds mad, but there is an underlying look of pain in his eyes.

I nod.

"Weather its true or not, thats how he feels. You can't dismiss that." I shake my head. I hear Marie sniffle from the side. "I've been around him a lot, so I know where you're coming from about him being infuriating and stubborn, but he's hurting." I say looking up at Stanley. His face has fallen. I could practically hear all of the thoughts going through his head. I follow his lead when he sits on the couch. "He's hurting bad."

He nods.

"We all are." Marie speaks up coming to sit by her husband on the couch. I watch from the one across from it. "Grayson's right honey. You can't just not talk about Will. It hurts him. And it hurts you." She rubs his arm as he nods.

"That was my son." He says quietly, his head hanging low. I wipe a tear that escaped my own eyes and stayed silent. It was one hundred percent not my place to say any of this, but if I didn't, I honestly think no one would have.

"I know." Marie says, tears streaming down hef face. "I know."

"But that was his brother." I finally say. They look to me. "He lost his big brother, and he felt like you just dismissed it. He-" I sigh. "He needs you guys. He needs you to say its okay to not be okay."

"What is going on?" My heart drops when I hear his voice. We all look to Grayson who stood in the door way, face red from the cold, hair completely deshelved.

"Shay, give us a minute." Stanley say standing up. Gray watches me intently as I walk passed him outside.

I let out a long breath as I stand on the porch. I cross my arms and look out into nothing. Maybe I crossed the line. No, I defiantly crossed the line. Shit. I run my hands down my face. I think I messed up. What if he is pissed? Whats if-

Ugh.

I sit there for I don't know how long. But I shoot up from my place on the steps when I hear the door open from behind me. Because of me shooting up so fast, I stupidly stumble forward before catching my balance and turning to what I have been freaking out over for the past hour or so.

Grayson.

He did not look angry though. The quite opposite really. My heart ached at the sight of tear stains on his cheeks and his bloodshot eyes. But I stay glued in my place because I still have no idea what just happened in there. For all I know he could be crying tears of happiness and everything is perfect. Or he could be crying because his dad kicked him out. I shut my brain up.

Say something you idiot.

I open my mouth, but before any words could come out, Grayson pulled me into his chest. Okay, so he isn't mad. I wrap my arms around him as he holds me close. He sniffles, nuzzling his face further into my neck. Ignoring the questions my brain was dying to know, I gently pushed him away, keeping my hands on his face. His cheeks were now wet again and he searched my eyes back and forth for maybe a minute before saying something. But it wasn't at all what I was expecting. "I love you." He says. I freeze. What the actual fuck did he just say? My heart dropped down to my stomach and I felt as if I was going to throw it back up.

Did he just say the L word? The L- O- V- E word? To me?

"Please say something." He pleaded, putting his hands over mine. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish for quite some time. And then I did possibly the most stupid thing I could have ever done.

I ran.