make you stay (g.d.)

forty-two

elizabeth:

his face immediately becomes as white as a sheet, then darkens over. "how?" he asks, and his deep voice makes me flinch.

"he called the cafe, and i picked up," i nod, my mouth feeling numb as i force the words out. "i-i don't know how, and i don't want to know why. i hung up quickly and finished my shift."

he runs his hands through his hair and i feel bad for stressing him out. "lizzy, why didn't you call me?" he asks.

i shrug limply. "i didn't know what to think. i thought i might've been hearing things and making it up, but i know it was him, grayson."

he sighs, flicking his eyes around the room. "okay, here's what we're going to to—"

i shake my head and grab his hands. "no, this is my thing. there's no we in this."

"of course there is!" he yells, and the only thing my mind thinks of is how many people in his building he just woke up.

"you're not going to get involved, grayson," i state.

"the hell i'm not," he says sharply, locking eyes with me.

this grayson doesn't necessarily scare me, but he makes me on edge. i'm so used to the soft grayson that writes in a notebook and tells me he loves me far too often. this grayson is protective, and acts on provocation.

"gray," i soothe, sounding much calmer than i feel. "this is my problem."

"and you told me that one night that i get all of you," he argues back. "your problems, your flaws, your issues, your everything. you promised me everything."

i look away. "but this is different. you don't know my dad and what he's capable of."

"which is exactly why i'm getting involved."

i smile softly. "don't do this to yourself, grayson."

"do what?"

"putting me before you," i gulp, playing with my hands in my lap. "i can figure this out on my own, i think."

"that's the beauty of loving someone, elizabeth! you don't have to figure this out alone. me saying i love you every single day means that i love you. and i want to help you always," he says, his voice growing louder with each phrase.

tears sting the corners of my eyes and i let a few fall before i force them to stop. he deflates a little, and i see the softness in his eyes return.

"come here," he whispers, opening his arms.

i crawl into them tiredly and let myself completely relax under his touch. he strokes my hair, kissing my cheeks and the tears away.

"i just don't know what to do," i choke out softly.

"we'll figure it out," assures quietly. "we always do, remember?"

i nod into his chest and close my eyes.

we sit like that for god knows how long, and i fall asleep, feeling secure with him like i always do.

***************

the smell of pancakes makes my eyes flutter open and inhale my senses with the heavenly scent.

vegan pancakes are better than regular, and i live by that.

at first i didn't believe grayson, but then he told me if i didn't like them, then he would buy me a strawberry smoothie.

in the end, i told him i liked it and he got me a smoothie anyway. it was a win for the both of us, i guess.