❥ "Oh thank goodness, she's awake."
I peeled my eyes open, but immediately closed them when the windows light shined into my eyes. Fuck. What time was it? What—
The garden. Grayson. Him. It all comes back at once and all I want to do is cuddle up to my stuffed animal, cuddles and listen to Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey.
"Ev?" Libby comes into view and my vision clears, the blue haired girl staring into my eyes with worry. "Oh my, you freaked us out."
"Us?"
"Still here." Avery smirks. Her expression quickly turns to worry as she huddles close next to Libby, "Grayson found you passed out in the garden, what happened last night?"
"I— last night?" That felt like two minutes ago, but I guess that explains the bright light considering it was late last night.
Grayson. Gosh, get that name out of your head Evelyn.
"You sleep light, bed head." Libby runs a hand through my hair, "Okay. Now that you're up, why the hell is fucking master-manipulator-matthew texting you?!" Libby rarely swore, and under any other circumstance I would have been laughing.
I sat up on the bed, thinking about how the hell I'm gonna get out of this one. "Libby—"
She shakes her head, and both her and Avery back up. "I thought you were done with him? He fucking gave you these brusies on your arms and sto—"
"Oh, like dickhead drake is any better. You haven't even stopped talking to him."
I got her and she knew it, but slashes of hurt still crossed her face. "That's different."
"How? I blocked Matt, but he must have gotten a different number or something. He's coming here, and he's gonna do something—" I was rambling at this point and then there was a knock on the door. Oren was leaning against the doorframe.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Evelyn and Avery have to go to school." Me and Avery make eye contact and a groan slips out of my mouth. School.
—
❥
School was the last place I wanted to be, but after Oren and Alisa found out about the text Matthew send me, it wasn't an option for me to go.
I still hadn't seen Grayson, not that I wanted to, but I at least owed him a thank you. He clearly wasn't heartless because he could have left me to faint in the garden.
I was at my locker when a face popped up in front of me, causing me to jump. "Jesus Xander." I held my on my chest, catching my breath.
"Sorry, but I heard about your little accident in the Garden." Oh gosh. Had everybody heard? "Don't worry, we deal with much worse at Hawthorne House daily. But you and Avery are in the spotlight right now, so we Hawthorne's are generously getting a break, thank you very much."
"Yeah, welcome." I mumble, slamming my locker shut. "I tried to bring up Emily to Jameson and Grayson and—"
"Bad idea." Xander cuts me off, "Emily is one of those off limit topics."
Xander seemed the most level headed and unaffected by Emily, so I decided to test the waters, "Jameson said there was another girl. She died a long time go."
Xander's eyes popped up, and this seemed to get to him more than Emily did. "I don't really remember her. Nash does the best."
Xander starts to walk, and I quickly follow him, "I don't understand. What was she like?"
He shrugs, "Everyone said she loved the games, puzzles, riddles." He turns around to face me, "Then again, Tobias Hawthorne made us all love it, besides Nash."
—
❥
Once I got home, I walked into the kitchen to grab some ice cream. Yes, I had seen Xander eat some the other day and I was craving some.
I grabbed the strawberry ice cream and started to dig in with the biggest spoon I could find.
"What are you doing?" I froze, the spoon stuck in my mouth. I didn't have to turn around to know who was there. But I did anyway.
Grayson. "Um.. I was.. um—"
He actually looked amused, "You have a little something— right there—" I was wiping all around my face but nothing was coming off. Oh my gosh.
"Here, let me help." Graysons voice was strained and as much as I wanted to run, that wouldn't really be best. We still hadn't talked about what happened the other day with me fainting.
Grayson grabbed a napkin and wiped the ice cream off my chin. Why was I disappointed?
Stop.
He tossed it in the trash without looking at me.
"Um, thanks.."
"I'm looking for Jameson, have you seen him?" Grayson doesn't even acknowledge my thank you, asshole.
"I'm looking for Avery, so.." My voice trailed off and Graysons lips curved into a grin. Oh gosh. I guess the devastating lips were in the family.
"Ms. Grambs, I think I know where they are."
"Evelyn," I correct him, "It's Evelyn."
Grayson smirks and begins to walk away, and I follow him. "What about Eve? Lynn? El?"
I shook my head rapidly, "Call me Evelyn or I call you Mr. Hawthorne."
"Fine."
—
❥
The library at Hawthorne House was something out of my imagination. It was massive. Hundreds and thousands of books scattered everywhere and dark walls surrounding me and Grayson.
I followed behind him shyly, not knowing what to say. Eventually he tugged on my wrists and I stumbled forward. His touch burned my wrists and my skin felt tingly.
Get a grip.
Grayson leaned over a table with books and papers scattered all around the surface. "Jameson and Avery have been spending a lot of time together." He says, looking at me like I should know something. I don't. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed it."
I shrugged, "Might as well be a fan favorite if she's to inherit billions." Wrong thing to say. "Or they're just up to something." I played with my thumbs frantically, not daring to look at Grayson.
"The latter, most definitely." Grayson's (veiny) hands work through the papers on the table in front of him. I walk over to where he's stood, and I stand adjacent to him, while also making sure not to get too close.
"What is all of this?" I gesture to the mess of paper and books in front of us. His silver eyes meet mine for a second, but he looks pack towards the papers quickly.
"Names. Middle names. Jamie always was one for a puzzle." Grayson lifts the paper up and there are four names scribbled onto the sheet: Nash Westbrook Hawthorne, Grayson Davenport Hawthorne, Jameson Winchester Hawthorne, and Alexander Blackwood Hawthorne.
Could middle names mean something? "Wait, what do you mean Jamie— Jameson was one for puzzles?"
Grayson lets a smile slip for a second. "Growing up Jameson has always been the one with a hunger for puzzles. We all were, but Jameson got something off of it." The smile is gone.
"So him and Avery have already been here?"
"Most likely." Grayson folds the sheet of paper and places it in the inside pocket of his suit. "But I know J, and you know your sister. It shouldn't be too hard to find them."
Jameson. Jamie. J. There was something so oddly familiar about the way Grayson said J, and a sinking feeling aroused in my throat before I swallowed it back down.
"Unless you don't want to?" Graysons eyes pierced through mine, and I felt naked. Vulnerable. I had only known Grayson Hawthorne for a couple of days, but I knew enough about him already to understand how deadly he was.
Getting into business with him wasn't smart at all. But he's smart, he's a Hawthorne. And as much as I loved Avery, I didn't know what her and Jameson were up to.
"No. I do."
And then Grayson Hawthorne gave me a devastating smile, one that hit me somewhere I shouldn't be feeling things.
—
❥
a/n:
guys at the beginning of each chapter can you see the picture I put up? it's a black screen for me and i'm so confused lmfao
i'm reading the final gambit rn and dude I didn't even register that the Eve/Evelyn girl has the same name as the one in this fic 😭 that will cause quite the chaos when we get to the final gambit in this fic. anyways hope you enjoy see y'all soon :)