Grey's pov
The afternoon was bustling with laughter and the clunking of plates round the massive table. The Williams had invited Nana and I for a small reunion to catch up on the long time we had been apart.
"Isn't it lovely to have the boys here?" Rosie, Reece's mom smiled down at Nana who was seated on the opposite side with Mayella beside her.
"They're always busy," Nana looked over to my side as if to scold me but I pretended to busy myself in cutting down some steak.
"Just a little bit busy," Reece joined the conversation with Nana, passing her one of his wide smiles.
"Nana," Mayella softly pulled her arm to get her attention. The adult talk must have bored her as she'd been quiet the whole time.
"Yes, sweetie?" Nana turned to her, slightly adjusting Mayella from the high chairs. She was almost falling off but the girl didn't want to seat on her smaller one anymore.
"I made a new friend!" She squealed that the whole table turned to her and I could see Williams face turned into a scowl.
"What is their name? Are they pretty?" Nana asked in equal enthusiasm that you'd mistake her for a teenager.
"It's a boy," she paused first and Nana's eyes seemed to widen. She had even dropped her spoon to listen. "His name is Dalton and I like him a lot." Her hands were spread out above her head expressing how much she liked the boy.
"Really!" Nana blinked and smiled as Mayella nodded vehemently. "So is he your boyfriend?" She asked next and it reminded me of the time I first met Dalton.
I had planned to visit the bookstore with the excuse of buying Mayella a drawing book. What else could I pretend to do there if not just seeing her?
Then the sight of her holding hands with a man as they crossed the street burned the insides of my heart that I felt a murderous feeling take over me.
Her soft smile seemed to shine even brighter as she ran up to meet a young boy. Their interaction had been so natural that I had assumed he was her son and the man with her was perhaps the father.
That thought alone crushed the hope I had been holding for the last couple of days. She looked so young and beautiful for me to let go that easily thus I ended up asking the same question.
Is he your boyfriend?
Unlike me who had been tense as I waited the answer, Mayella quickly nodded. Reece snickered beside me as he stuffed himself with more food.
"Nana, Masha too has a girlfriend." Every eye on the table shot up to me and Reece began to cough, having choked as he took large gulps of water.
No one spoke for an entire minute as Rosie opened and closed her mouth not believing whereas Mayella smiled sweetly at me.
"Oh Gris, when were you ever planning to tell us?" Nana pretended to sound annoyed and Rosie too looked astonished as she looked at me.
Somebody needed to explain to Mayella what this boy-girl relationship was really about.
"Elle is so pretty," Mayella spared no details, giving them all to Nana and Rosie. Williams gave me a playful look but I chose to ignore it.
"She has very long hair and wears pretty dresses." I could agree on that and I felt a small smile form as an image of her popped in my head. She was always colourful in those dresses.
"Masha stares at her everytime." Mayella had leaned to whisper to Nana as she'd said it was meant to be a secret but we all ended up hearing.
Reece barely contained his laughter as Williams rose his eyebrows at me for me to object. Nana and Rosie looked like they'd received the world's greatest news.
Did I really look at her that much that even a child could notice? But who was I even kidding? My eyes were either on the radiant smile she gave me or her soft hazel eyes or watching her adorable expressions every time she talked, which was basically every part of her.
Goodness, and her shoulder blades too.
My phone pinged with a notification alongside Reece's saving me from talking. We shared a look before taking out our phones, it was most probably about work.
Minor explosion at Baron factory on Gale street. Poisonous gas leakage. There might be a fire, evacuate all residents nearby. ~ Brigade commander
I shot up from my seat having forgotten that we were gathered as a family. Everyone strangely looked at me and I mumbled a hoarse 'work' before I rushed out towards my car.
Reece came after me soon after and pulled me back as I approached the parking lot. My thoughts were scattered and bizarre. I had to get to the scene, there could be a fire.
"Grey, you can't go there." I tried shaking his hands off my shoulders so I could get into my car. I had to leave right away. I brushed his arms away though he firmly gripped me again.
"We're not in charge of that, you know it." His words didn't seem to make sense. I patted my front pocket for my phone and dialled her number.
She wasn't picking up.
Ginelle had texted me this morning saying she'd go shopping this afternoon. In as much I had wanted to accompany her, there a family reunion for me to attend. How I wished I had gone with her.
"Track Ginelle's location now!" I barked at him trying her number for the third time. Gale street was where she'd been headed to and I'd not heard from her after our morning conversation.
Maybe she was already back and I was just being extremely paranoid but why wasn't she picking up? Ginelle had promised to send me photos of some of the items she would buy and I had been waiting.
"Grey you know I can't, there are rules." I frustratedly ran my hand through my hair as I closed my eyes and sighed harshly.
"Please," I begged him, my voice vulnerable and weak and I turned to get into my car. Reece released me from his grip and I was gone.
I sped down the road and quickly changed lanes while still calling her phone. Vehicles were all over and there happened to be great traffic ahead that I got off and rushed there.
The factory was already secluded as I could see from a distance and I sprinted even much faster. Halfway there, Reece sent her location and my insides constricted even further.
She was in the area, a shopping mall two blocks down.
I took the longer route, that was less crowded to get there. Some paramedics were already there helping people out as they were ferried to a safer location.
Most of them were passed out and I worried even more as I pushed through the doors after showing my identity pass.
She was still in there.
Voices rang in my head as I looked left and right. The commotion all around made me stand still and I felt things spiral around me. I shook away the haziness as I picked up Reece's phone.
Second floor, men's casual collection.
I ran up the flight of stairs before he was even done and I breathed heavily. I inhaled the pungent smell after not putting on a protective mask. How much of this had gotten to her system?
The second floor was even more crowded. Seems like they'd began from the lower floors. I looked through two extra large sections before I got to the casual section.
My heart dropped, there was no one in sight.
I ruffled through the shirts hanging around looking through every corner. Then I heard a cough, it was weak, further down into the line of shirts and I hastily parted them away.
There was a small figure curled up at the corner as they hugged a blue shirt to their chest. A girl with brown locks and I knelt to their side and pull her head to my lap when the scent of her hair gets to my nostrils. Lemon.
"Tulip," my hands curved over the roundness of her cheeks shaking her to look at me. Her eyes opened halfway as she called for my name before they closed again.
"I'm here, tulip." I shook her again but she didn't respond. A choke held her down as she coughed. The gas must have gotten into her system.
I cradled her closer to my chest as I brought her up to fully lean on me. Her hands lazily dropped to her sides and I panicked.
"Sweetheart," I called desperately as I shook her again. She still coughed repeatedly but no sound came from her. Her breaths became shallower and uneven and I gathered her up.
I rushed down the stairs as I whispered reassuring words to her. She hadn't moved an inch and surprisingly she hadn't released the blue shirt yet.
I got into one of the vehicles going south so as to get to my car that I'd left down there. I could feel eyes on me in the van but my attention remained on the girl in my lap.
"Tulip," I hoarsely called again once she stirred a little. Her coughs had died down though she was now sneezing heavily and consistently.
"Grey?" I sighed in relief once she opened her eyes slightly and stared up at me. The brown in her eyes was unsettled and I unconsciously began to rock her back and forth as I gently rubbed her back.
Not a minute later her eyes fluttered shut and I tightly squeezed her to my chest. Taking my car at the next stop, I softly laid her on the back of my car then sped to my house.
I called Enzo on my way, telling him to get to my place as soon as possible after briefly explaining Ginelle's condition. I looked through the rear view mirror to see that she was still passed out.
I carried her up my house and laid her on one of the sofas by the living room. She was still unconscious and I repeated my previous actions as I knelt beside her.
Her hands were unusually cold and I rubbed them with mine then blew hot air over them. Her slipping in and out of consciousness was scaring me.
Enzo arrived almost five minutes later and I didn't have the care to read his face after seeing Ginelle. All that mattered right now was her health and safety.
She stirred slightly and I quickly adjusted the pillow on her head so she'd be more comfortable as I held her other hand.
I shot Enzo a glare when he didn't begin to check on her but strangely kept looking between the two of us. He rose his left eyebrow and smirked.
"You have to get out of the way," he was smug in his words but I let him be. I watched him hover over her frame and I came to stand at her head where I could still see her clearly.
There's was an instrument in his hand that I didn't know it's name but I waited patiently for him to treat her. He checked for her pulse and I saw him frown.
"Is something wrong?" My eyes flitted to him for a second then back to her as she barely moved. Enzo's long pause didn't help my restlessness.
"I have to check her breathing pattern," I prompted him to do so though he didn't proceed and I questionably looked at him.
"I'll have to touch her chest." My eyes glinted in disapproval and I protectively stood over her. There was no way I would let him, there ought to be other ways.
"Just over the clothing," he grunted that it was just an heads up before I lunged at him for trespassing but I rolled my eyes as he took her measurements.
"She didn't inhale much," he pulled back and told me to ensure she didn't stay in enclosed areas for long and for me to take her out for fresh air occasionally.
"Thanks man," he nodded once after telling me she'd be awake in a few. I wanted to ask for an inhaler but her coughs made me turn and rush back to her leaving him by the door.
"Ginelle," she was now warm and her face was filled with colour. Her hands patted on the spot beside her till she got to my hand and she snuggled her head up to my lap.
I froze, staying still, till she stopped moving around. My body was always subject to her touch and my erratic beating heart spared me no less.
My fingers began combing through her soft hair that I had longed to touch again. I sighed as I closed my eyes, enjoying the soft feeling until my phone buzzed.
Nana
"Gris, is everything okay?" She asked slowly though I could hear somebody singing from her background. Probably Mayella.
"Yes, I had to check on someone." I breathed out, staring at her calm face for a moment.
"Is she okay?" Nana hesitantly asked and I hummed in reply. Either she was very good at deducing things or Reece might have told him.
"What about you?" I knew it had been years since it happened but fires put me on the edge. I couldn't stand any case related to them as I would suddenly go numb and become immobile.
"I'm fine Nana," I asked about her living arrangements and she promised she would be fine at Williams house. She'd be staying for a week here in the city.
I wished her a goodnight after hearing Mayella trudge to where she was asking for a bedtime story. It wasn't even her bedtime yet.
It was getting dark in the house and I wanted to get a glass of water and turn on the lights but just before I moved, Ginelle stirred and nuzzled her head deeper into my stomach as her arms wrapped round my back.
I felt knocked out and even more winded when she sleepily blinked up at me, fluttering her lashes and as if it wasn't enough to finish me, she slipped her hands to the back of my shirt and began to slowly trace down.
"Grey?" In a low yet sweet voice she called and I could barely talk, as I followed the patterns she was making on my back. She adjusted her head again as she pulled back to look at my face.
"I missed you." My heart beat literally stopped that I thought I wasn't breathing anymore. I swallowed harshly even as her eyes fluttered shut and she fell asleep.
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This update was slightly delayed and I'm truly sorry for that. Thank you all for your patience. The story just hit 1K reads and I'm so so happy. Thank you all for reading, voting and commenting!
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