The Gray Family: Let The Games Begin✔️(Wattpad version)

Close your eyes

Payton

Josie helped me upstairs. When I got to my room, I sat down on the bed. Those bastards cracked three ribs. I tried to change but felt excruciating pain.

Josie helped me change out of my clothes and not flinching. I hissed because of the bruising. She got me down to my boxers, and I laid down as she covered me up. She leaned over and kissed me, then turned to leave when I stopped her.

"Please stay," I said.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "You can borrow a shirt," I offered. Josie grabbed a tee shirt out of the drawer and went to the bathroom. I laid there, and she returned. She turned off a light and climbed into the bed with me. I felt Josie wrap her arm around me as I placed my hand on top of her arm. I drifted off to sleep with her next to me.

As we slept, Park checked on me and smiled at us, then went to bed. Josie never left my side, and this made me love her even more. It's the people we least expect to help us that help us the most.

I woke up the next day and hissed through my teeth. I tried to get out of bed to use the bathroom when Josie got up and helped me. I used her as support as she got me to the bathroom and left me to do my business. When I finished, she helped me back to bed.

I sat down, then laid down. Josie covered me with the blankets. I caught her wrists as she looked at me.

"Thank you," I said as she smiled.

"You need not thank me. It's what you do when you love someone. You take care of that person," Josie told me as I nodded. "I'm going to take a shower and borrow some clothes from Selena; then, I will get you something to eat and drink." She leaned over and kissed my forehead as she left the room.

I laid there and waited for her to come back.

Josie

I walked over to a door and knocked on it. Parker answered the door, half asleep.

"Sorry, I thought I knocked on Selena's door," I apologized.

"You did. Hang on," Parker said as he went to get Selena.

She came to the door.

"Can I borrow some clothes? I didn't have time to grab any from my dorm room," I said to Selena. She nodded and went back into the room. She returned and handed me some clothes, then went back to bed.

I went into the bathroom and got ready. I put my hair into a ponytail, placed my glasses on, and then went downstairs to the kitchen. I made breakfast and brewed coffee.

It didn't take long for doors to open and the others to make their way down to the kitchen.

"Damn, Payton needs to keep you," Parker mentioned getting a cup of coffee.

"This beats a frozen dinner," Shaun commented as he grabbed some juice.

"I didn't know you could cook," Selena said.

"Our mom taught us. Plus, it beats eating out," I said as I finished. I made Payton a plate and got a cup of juice, then took it up to him.

I walked into the room as he pushed himself up. I set the plate and glass of juice on the end table next to him. He picked it up and started eating.

"Wow, this is good," he remarked as he ate.

I smiled as I sat down on the side of the bed. Payton stopped mid-bite. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"In a while," I answered as Payton gave me a look. "Okay, fine, I'll go get a plate," I said. I got up and went downstairs to get a plate of food. I went back upstairs. I joined him as I ate breakfast, and he smiled.

It felt nice after last night.

Markus

I walked into a diner to have breakfast and sat down. I ordered breakfast when the bell chimes as Hayden entered. I watched as he took a seat at the counter, and that girl handed him a menu. I watched them laugh and talked. Well, this sucked.

Another waitress brought me food, and I ate. The faster I could eat, the quicker I could leave. Who wants to see their crush with someone else? Dad told me to give it a chance; I might be wrong. I think he needs his head examined. I'm terrible at liking someone.

As I ate, I noticed someone walk over to me and stand there. I looked at Hayden as he stood there. I sighed.

"Okay, I'm going to ask? The guy you were with at the bakery, is he your boyfriend?" Hayden asked me.

I looked at him weirdly.

"No offense, but I'm not all into nothing, says loving like loving your cousin," I retorted.

"Huh?" Hayden looked at me, confused.

"That is my cousin Matthew. Didn't you notice the resemblance?" I asked as Hayden looked at me, surprised. "Why?"

Hayden sat down across from me. "Because my sister told me to ask you," he said.

"Huh?" I asked.

Hayden pointed at the waitress as I became surprised.

"That's your sister?" I asked him.

"Yeah, who did you think she was?" He asked me.

"Your girlfriend," I said as I sighed.

"What?" Hayden looked shocked. "No offense, but I'm not into girls," he admitted as I looked at him, surprised.

"You don't say," I said as I continued to eat. The waitress brought over a plate of food, and we talked as we ate breakfast. Maybe dad wasn't inept and had a clue about this stuff. One can hope.

Matthew

I met Dad for breakfast. He ordered food for us, and I sat down at a table.

"Sorry I'm late," I said.

"No worries," Dad said. "How's everything going?"

"I think everything settled down for everyone," I answered as I ate.

"Matthew, I'm not talking about everyone else. I'm talking about you," Dad said, and I knew what he meant.

"I told you that I'm good," I said as I ate. I didn't want to discuss it.

He put his fork down and leaned forward. "Matthew, you can't keep this bottled up. It's not healthy."

"It's best if I just keep people at arm's length," I told him as I ate.

"Your mother went through the same thing. It was rough on her and her family," Dad said as I looked at him.

"What do you want me to say? I'm not Ma, and I need not find love again. Once was enough. Sadie's dead," I said, ending the conversation.

I had no intention of opening up again to someone. I refuse to fall in love and have my heart shattered. I was better off alone. Dad didn't press me anymore about it and left it alone for the moment.

No one knew about Sadie except for my parents, and I refuse to talk about her. It was better that way for everyone, including myself. I was better at looking out for my family. Heaven knows they need help.

No matter how much you run from the past, it catches up with you eventually and smacks you in the face. It would take someone unexpectedly showing up to make that happen.