❥ Fuck, I muttered to myself when the will reading began. All these people were high class and I had no idea why me, Avery, and Libby were here.
It turns out there were three other Hawthorne boys, who I also discovered were Tobias Hawthorne's grandsons. There were also a bunch of other people who I had no intention of diving into today.
".. and to Nash Westbrook Hawthorne, Grayson Davenport Hawthorne, Jameson Winchester Hawthorne, and Alexander Blackwood Hawthorne. I leave you each 250,000 a piece, available for each of them on their twenty-fifth birthdays."
Oh.
I didn't know these people at all, but I knew that didn't sound right. Me and Avery must have been thinking the same thing because she shot me a glance at that same exact moment.
As the reading went on, the sweat puddle forming in my palms increased. Somethings not right. Why has nobody gotten his money? The house?
"...And to Evelyn May Grambs, I leave you The Hawthorne Foundation. May you treat it well."
Libby's jaw dropped. Then Avery's.
I had just been left a foundation. I wasn't even eighteen yet and I owned a fucking foundation?
Who the hell was this Tobias, and why was he leaving random little girls parts of his life?
I didn't even have enough time to process this before somebody spoke up, one of the older women, "This is ridiculous. We're being left trinkets while random girls off the streets are being handed Tobias foundations!"
"Enough." The will reading guy (who I have yet to pick up a name on) says.
But the woman wasn't amused, and she looked me dead in the eyes before saying, "Who are you? That foundation was meant for Grayson you little—"
"Zara." Another woman spoke, warning in her voice.
Zara rolled her eyes and sat down, but her glare towards me didn't go away. That was when I looked at Grayson, the only Hawthorne brother I knew so far. He looked angry. I couldn't even blame him, because I didn't want this. This clearly was his life's work, something he was expecting.
I almost felt dirty, like I had taken it from him. I wished I could hand it back to him but that's not really how this works.
".. To Avery Kylie Grambs."
Me and Grayson were in such an intense staring competition I didn't even hear what Avery had been given. Once I managed to peel my eyes away from the blonde, I looked around to see everyone staring at us. Avery.
I looked at Libby, slowly shaking my head, "What?"
I mouthed, but Libby said nothing.
Zara stood up, slamming her hands on the table, "Okay, who the hell is she? This one has the foundation," She points at me, and then looks towards Avery. "and now this one has the fortune?"
I sunk down in my seat, placing a hand over Avery's.
"Riddles upon riddles.." One of the boys murmured. He had dark brown hair and looked very indecent for a will reading. Drunk, maybe?
"Enough." Another woman says, and I honestly can't keep track, "Zara, we'll figure this out."
Zara hasn't taken her eyes off of me and Avery, "Skye, these ladies are con artists—" she pauses her eyes on mine, and my whole body is set ablaze. Please take your eyes off of me. "Wait, she looks—"
"We're done here." Grayson stands up, tidying off his suit and my eyes are immediately drawn to his veiny hands. Stop it. He looks me in the eyes, and then towards Avery and Libby. "For now."
—
❥
I have no idea what's happening, but now I have a room. It's big, it has too many doors to count, and I feel out of place.
After the will reading a couple of hours ago, me, Avery, and Libby were dragged into rooms to stay away from everybody. Granted, they all looked like they wanted to kill us.
There was a knock on my door, three knocks to be exact which is how I knew it was Avery. I made a beeline to the door and opened it slowly, trying not to make a sound. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk." Avery looks around her really quick and then looks past me into my room, "Can I come in?"
It was my turn to look past her, "Aren't you supposed to be on lockdown, Av?" She rolls her eyes and I sigh, leaning against the door, "hurry up." She comes in as the words tumble out my mouth.
Once I closed the door, I turned to see Avery sprawled out on my bed in a starfish position. "What are we gonna do?"
I shrug, sitting down next to her, "I have no idea, Av. But it's not safe here. We have to get out." Avery sits up straight on the bed, shaking her head in panic. "What?"
"You don't understand Evelyn, we have to stay here."
"Why? I was fine with living out of my car." I tease. The small smirk on my face disappears when Avery doesn't laugh.
"This is serious, Ev. If we don't live in Hawthorne House for a year, the fortune goes to charity, and the foundation won't even go to Grayson."
Guilt sprang in my chest at the sound of his name. I didn't really know him, but I knew that Hawthorne Foundation belonged to him. Here I was, with the foundation, and so willing to discard it. I swallowed the guilt.
"So we have to live here for a whole year? Without leaving?" Avery nods, and I let out a big breath. "Avery, half of the people in this house want to kill us. There's no way we're surviving."
What I didn't tell her was that I had been having these weird feelings. Not just about the people, but this whole place. It felt so strange and in a way.. familiar.
"Ev? You still with me?" Avery flashes her hand in front of my face.
"Yeah, I'm just tired."
"There's no time to be tired!" Avery stands up and I groan, "I'm being serious. If we're going to be here, we might as well figure out what this place is about. Did you even read the letter Tobias Hawthorne left you?"
I hadn't. Not because I didn't want to, I was just scared shitless. This man already gave me the creeps and I wasn't exactly expecting a welcome letter from him.
"I'll get around to it, did you?" Avery nods and she pulls a small paper out of her pocket. I take it from her and read the words in front of me:
Dearest Avery,
I'm sorry.
My shocked expression told Avery everything she needed to know, and she gently pulled the paper out of my hands and back into her pocket. "Isn't it weird? Why is he sorry?"
I looked up at Avery, worry tainting in my face. "I don't know, Av. But my guess would be that whatever he's gotten us involved in, there's no turning back from."
Avery nodded, and I could hear shuffling on the outside of my door. I turned back to Avery, "You should go."
She nodded, and made a quick exit towards the door and back to her room. Once the door was shut I fell back onto my bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Slowly, I reached for the letter on my nightstand, the letter Tobias Hawthorne left for me. Opening it up, the words on the page only left me in more confusion:
Dearest Evelyn,
What's lost is meant to be found.
What do you want with me, Tobias? With us?
There were splashing noises from outside, and I made swift movements off my bed and towards the balcony. Opening up the door, I was met with a beautiful view, of two things.
One: the scenery of Hawthorne House.
And two: Grayson Hawthorne swimming.
—
❥
a/n:
omgggggg😏😏 tobias is such an icon fr fr he's a matchmaker and a personal lottery ticket dude like he be handing out money and foundations left and right? Say less. Hope you guys enjoy and the drama will start soon I just have to introduce more of Evelyn and her life with Avery and Libby and some challenges she faces before we get into the good stuff.