❥ I am so done with life.
After me and Avery's fight, I requested a leave, which Oren was more than happy to oblige for. Matthew was escorted off the premises and will be restrained for the time being.
So here I am, hours later, trying to figure out a puzzle I can't solve. Evangeline. What does that mean? It was at least three in the morning, but I wasn't going to sleep until I could figure this out.
Even if I did know Tobias Hawthorne growing up, and even if I once lived here, what does that mean about Avery? Libby? What if I was related to the Hawthorne Boys?
Oh gosh.
Graysons hands in my hair— his lips on my neck—
A shiver ran down my spine, but I pushed the thought to the back of my head. I didn't have time to be thinking about Grayson, or any of the Hawthorne Brothers.
There was a soft knock at the door, and I ran to open it with no hesitation. I already knew who it was. There was only one person who would be up this late— after all.
"Ms. Grambs."
"Jameson."
"Ouch, no nickname for me? Here I thought we were making progress." Jameson held a hand up to his heart, pretending to be hurt.
"What, do you want?" I said, leaning against the door and crossing my arms.
"Relax," Jameson smirked. "I found something."
My interest peaked. "About—"
"The letter." So Jameson had been looking. I knew he was too quiet when I showed him the letter Tobias Hawthorne left for me. Jameson held his hand out to me, and after a brief eternity, I took it.
Leading me down the halls and into a room, Jameson held out a large blue light flashlight. "Ready?"
I nodded.
Jameson flashed the light against the wall, and hundreds of words appeared before me. Phrases, quotes, and just.. words. So many of them.
"Eyes over here." Jameson pointed to a word on the wall, and I instinctively moved closer to get a better look. When the words came into view, confusion was the only feeling in my body.
"Grant." I read the words off the wall.
"Does that ring a bell?" Jameson moved closer to me, examining my face.
"No. How did you even figure this out?"
"Me and Avery have been digging, but she's not up to it at the moment."
Awkward.
"That might be my fault." I confessed. "We got into it at the party tonight."
"About what you found?"
"Yeah." I place my hands on the table in front of us, leaning forward. "She doesn't want to believe it, but I think she knows something."
"So does Grayson." I whipped my head over to Jameson when the words Grayson left his mouth. "Did you tell him?"
I shook my head. "Nope, he found out." And then he kissed me, but I left that part out.
"I think you should talk to him." Those were the last words I expected to leave Jameson's mouth. He was the secretive one, the hungry one. His work was his work, so whatever was going on between him and Avery must be that bad.
Awkward, again.
"Why?"
"Because he's not okay. I talked to him earlier and he told me everything, Evelyn." Everything. "The letter, Evangeline, and you."
My heart ached to reach out to Grayson, wherever he was now. "Where.. where is he?"
"I'm not taking you to him. I'm doing something I should've done a long time ago." Jameson grabbed my hand. "Something I should have done the minute you walked in here."
—
❥
DNA test was the only thing that ran through my mind during school. Hawthorne's being Hawthorne's had connections, and Jameson was able to reach out to a client of Tobias— now Avery's, and the DNA test would be coming back today.
I don't know why Jameson wanted my blood, or better yet, who he was going to compare it to.
I had a feeling things weren't going to end well.
When I got back to Hawthorne House, I told Jameson I would meet him in Tobias Hawthorne's wing. Sneaking around with him was risky, but he was the only one who was willing to help.
When I walked into the study room, Jameson was already there. "How did you get here so quick?"
Jameson smirked. "Secret passages, riddles, you get the point." He signaled for me to come over to where he was, and I did.
"Do you have it?" I said, anxiously.
Jameson nodded, pulling out the envelope. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
And for the first time in my life, I knew exactly what my answer would be.
"Yes."
—
❥
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Fuck that.
After opening the letter, I didn't even wait for Jameson to say something because I was on a hunt to find Avery. I ran down the halls aimlessly until I found Avery in the kitchen.
"Did you know?" I said.
Xander, Nash, Libby, and Avery all looked at me at the same time.
Avery gulped. "About—"
"This." I held the letter up in my hand. "That i'm not related to Ricky Grambs? That my father is a stranger i've never fucking met?"
The color drained from Avery's face.
Xander stepped in front of Avery. "Let's hold on here." He looked down at Avery, who looked guilty. "Do you know something?"
"I wanna explain everything to you." She said, her eyes now watering.
Grayson and Jameson walked in the room at the same time. I was too angry to care.
Jameson inched closer to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Evelyn, you need to let me explain—"
"What—" Avery looks between me and Jameson. "You two are working together?" A tiny trace of jealousy lingered in her voice, which I ignored.
"This is ridiculous." It was about time Grayson Hawthorne spoke. Avery was in deep now, because what words didn't get Grayson Hawthorne, those eyes did. "What is going on?"
"I took a DNA test," I looked at Avery before continuing. "Ricky Grambs isn't my father." Eyes widened around me, but my gaze was stuck on Avery. "A man named Grant Ruth is."
"I'll be damned." Nash said, and Libby gently grabbed his arm. It was almost like she—
Already knew.
"You know." My voice broke when I spoke, because if Avery and Libby both knew..
Everything about my life would be a lie.
"Wait," Xander said. "Grant Ruth is your father?" Nodding, Xander exchanged knowing looks with his brothers.
Jamesons eyes widened. "I didn't think it was actually true. I wanted to run the test to be certain, so I took some of Grants old stained clothes— and—"
"You are Evangeline." Xander finished the statement. "You died."
Silence.
Avery was the first to stand, and when she tried to grab my arm, I flinched. "Don't." My gaze shifted between Libby and Avery. "You both knew?"
"Ev—"
"Please, just be honest for once." I pleaded, desperate for some real answers. Nash intertwined his fingers with Libby's.
"I didn't remember you either growing up." Avery began, "Mom used to tell me all sorts of things— like you were a cousin staying with us, until she told me and Libby the truth." She swallowed, hard. "She told me you were adopted, but we weren't aloud to tell you. I asked her why— she always said when the time was right, you would know."
A tear rolled down my cheek, and beaded into the sweater I was wearing. "You're my sister, Evelyn, no matter where you came from. I need you. I love you. Libby loves you—"
"But you lied." I looked at Libby. "Both of you." Her expression shifted to pure and utter guilt.
"Evelyn, I knew when we came here this would be 'the time' mom was talking about. She was dying in her hospital room, and her last wish was to let you find out the truth on your own." Avery looked at me, hope glittering in her eyes.
"But you're not," Another tear. "Really, my sister."
She didn't respond.
"Xander," I said. "Where is my father?"
Xander looked at Grayson for a brief moment, before he said, "Evelyn.."
"Where?"
Another pause.
"He died."
"Oh my—" Breathe. "So my real father, who I have absolutely no memory of, is dead. My real mother— probably dead too."
"You have us." Grayson said.
And when I looked at him, I knew he really meant it, but I couldn't feel it. "All I have is a lie."
I ran out of the room as quick as my feet would carry me. I could hear Avery's voice, beckoning me to come back in, but I couldn't. Maybe I was being harsh, and maybe they were trying to help, but my
whole entire life was a lie.
Running out the back door, I had no idea where I was going. When the coastal rocks came into view, the sea breeze sounded like a good idea to me.
Still, my mind couldn't stop racing. Was I related to the Hawthorne's? Obviously not, since Grayson kissed me. Who was Grant to Tobias? Most importantly..
Why did he drag me back into this?
—
❥
a/n:
guys I know it's so confusing rn but I promise you it will make sense!! we only have like 2 or 3 more chapters of the inheritance games and soon the hawthorne legacy chapters will be coming out!! THANK U FOR 1K READS!! love you all, and I hope you're enjoying the story <3