speak now | grayson dolan

chapter sixteen: state of grace

grayson

I fix the collar on my dress shirt and make sure my sleeves are cuffed. My hair is combed back and it's actually styled nicely for once. I take a step away from the mirror and turn to grab the bouquet of colorful flowers on my dresser.

I exhale an anxious breath as I put on some cologne and walk across my bedroom. As I'm grabbing my phone off the charger, I notice Ethan standing in the doorway. He has his arms crossed over his chest and he's eyeing me up and down suspiciously.

"Damn, dude. You're getting fancy for a casual dinner." He smirks at me.

"This isn't fancy." I shrug and glance at my outfit one last time. I feel like a goddamn woman.

"You could've worn a t-shirt and shorts, you're just going to Mackenzie's house." He points out.

"Knowing her, she's going to make this dinner a fashion show. I also want to make a good first impression with Charlie."

"Since when do you care about your reputation?" He practically mocks me with a laugh.

"Since he started dating Liz. This is a big moment for their family and Kenzie is really upset about it. You should be more supportive of your friend." I turn to glare at him. His attitude towards this situation is pissing me off.

"I didn't get an invite to this dinner." He raises an eyebrow up.

"Maybe it's private." I shrug it off.

"Or maybe you're finally realizing that you're into her."

My entire body freezes as I nervously gulp. "What are you talking about? I'm not."

"I don't know if I buy that anymore. There's a shift with the two of you and people are starting to notice."

"You know how much Kenzie means to me, as a best friend. She's been putting me in my place since we were kids. I've always been closer to her than you have."

"I feel like it's slowly becoming more." He keeps his intense stare on me. I'm starting to sweat all of a sudden.

"Why? Just because you know we slept together?" I roll my eyes.

"Because you're starting to change. I mean, look at you. You bought a bouquet of flowers to bring to her house-"

"They aren't for Kenzie, they're for Liz. She's been through enough and tonight is going to be hard to get through. I'm just trying to do the right thing." I say and grip onto the flowers in my hand.

"I think you're in denial." Ethan shakes his head.

I stay quiet for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I'm late for dinner."

Without saying another word to him, I exit my room and head for the front door.

As I drive over to Kenzie's house, I try to prepare myself for the evening. I know this is a major turning point in her relationship with Liz.

She needs me and I'm more than happy to be there with her. Ethan's wrong about my feelings. I would do this for Kenzie even if we never slept together. She's too important to me.

When I arrive at the house, I grip onto the flowers and get out of the car. My heart pounds against my chest as I walk up the driveway and ring the bell.

Kenzie opens the door and a slight breath escapes my mouth. She looks stunning, wearing a long lilac dress that goes down to her feet.

Her hair is pin straight and her makeup matches her outfit. The light purple eyeshadow she has on really captures the small specs of gold in her brown eyes.