(y/n pov)
You sighed to hear the sound of the bell ring as you stalked the croissants on display. You gave e/f a little smile as she walked in.
"Hey!" You nodded, putting them away before holding up a finger. You quickly turned to tell your coworker you were taking your break, after ringing up this customer.
"Hey-- want something before we sit?" you asked. She smiled, nodding.
She read the menu up on the board and ordered two lattes. You made them for her, putting them on the house, and handing them to her before walking around, taking your apron off.
"How's your first day going?" she asked you both sat. You smiled, shrugged.
"The same; I used to work here so I'm just getting back into the swing of things." She nodded. "What's up?"
"Nothing-- I just felt like we should get to know each other!" She had way too much energy. She sipped on her drink and so did you. "So what'd you go study?"
"Uh-- business." She nodded. "Management, social media, things like that-- economics." You smiled. "What do you do?"
"I used to model for a few agencies, but I've stopped when I got pregnant, you know?" You nodded. Of course. "Ever been interested-- I'm sure I can get you into a few--"
"Oh, I don't like cameras," you said with a little smile. She laughed, nodding. You were both quiet for a moment as you played with your coffee cup.
"So, uh--" she cleared her throat. "E told me what happened," she whispered. You looked up and shrugged.
"It's alright." She didn't say anything. "I'm very happy for you both, I really am." She gave you a small smile.
"Thank you." You nodded. "I- are you, you know, jealous of me?" You raised an eyebrow.
"Jealous of the girl that got the guy I like?" you asked with a little smile. She returned it, catching your sarcasm. "It's okay, really, I should've said something sooner." She shrugged.
"It's pretty nerve-wracking." You nodded. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for."
"I guess asking you to plan our baby shower was pretty ignorant too, huh?" You smiled.
"You didn't know." She shrugged. You reached and put a hand over hers on the table. "It's okay-- you're really sweet, Ethan deserves someone like you." She smiled.
"Thank you." You nodded. "I just-- if you're up for it, I would really love for you to be a bridesmaid? I wanted to do those fancy invitation things but there isn't enough ti--"
"That's really sweet of you, but I'd really just like to be in the crowd," you said quickly. She nodded. "Thank you, though."
"Oh yeah, for sure-- I was just wondering." You nodded. "So, you're only staying until the wedding's over, right?" You nodded.
"I think so, I've been looking at apartments in my spare time-- all the time." She laughed, nodding. "How's the house you and E building coming along?"
"Pretty good, we didnt want it too big so it should be done by the time we get back from our honeymoon."
"Oh, where are you go-"
"Bora Bora!" she said, excited. You smiled, nodding. You'd always wanted to go. "We're leaving the day after the wedding." You nodded some more.
"That's exciting." She smiled.
"The only reason we're rushing it is because I don't want a bump in all the pictures," she said with a laugh. "And E's not into having a super fancy wedding either as long as we have two pictures and a bunch of memories to look back on." You nodded.
"Well, as long as you have a good time, it doesn't really matter, hm?" She nodded and you downed the rest of your latte. "Well, I sh--"
"I'm really sorry." You shook your head as you stood. "You must've seen in him what I see in him and I can't imagine not having hi-- oh my god that was so--"
"Hey," you whispered. "It's not your fault."
"I'm still so sorry, though." You shrugged. "Thank you for the coffee." You shook your head.
"Don't worry about it, bride-to-be."
---
"Oh my god!" you gasped, hand over your heart as you turned from the dresser. Grayson laughed, stepping back. "Jesus, Grayson."
"Sorry, sorry," he said with a smile, taking his hands off of your shoulders. You sighed, turning. "Looking at places?" You nodded.
"I can't live with my parents forever." He nodded. "What are you doing?" He smiled.
"Building a house." You smiled.
"Of course you are." He chuckled and crouched next to you to see your screen. "I just want something small, just for me."
"Well, lemme see-- I can help." He pulled the laptop into his lap as he sat on the floor.
"You can sit on the bed, you idiot." He chuckled, shaking his head, leaning his head against your knee. "Hey," you whispered.
"Hi."
"I got accepted." He looked up. "For that paid internship I was telling you about?"
"Oh my gosh, really?" You nodded. "That's amazing, y/n!"
You smiled and shrugged. "And I get to work from home so I can just do that in the evenings, and still keep my shifts at the cafe." He nodded.
"I don't think you'll need to work that much to--"
"I'm just tryna keep myself busy, Gray," you said, taking your computer back. Gray smiled and nodded. "I have some money saved up-- believe it or not, I didn't blow all my money in college." He laughed.
"I believe you," he said with a smile. You rolled your eyes, running a hand through his hair. "Don't touch it-- stop--"
"It's nice and soft." He laughed, shaking his head. "So, what's everyone doing?"
"Mom and them are heading down to check out the venue." You nodded.
"You not going?"
"And leave you by yourself?" You laughed. "Nah, if he likes it, I'll like it, and it's not really my choice even, so why bother?" You nodded.
"Well, that's nice." You gave him a smile. "Thank you for being here for me, Gray."
"Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. You shrugged.
"So, what's up with you? We never even talk about you." He shrugged this time. "Even our sleepover, all we did was-- all I did, was cry."
"It's okay." You shook your head. "I'm okay."
"Yeah?"
"Is it weird that I kinda wanna go on their honeymoon?" You laughed. He smiled at this and continued. "C'mon, I don't wanna be left in the dust."
"Why don't you get married to them too?" He rolled his eyes. "So-- no girlfriend, Gray-- I know there are plenty that want you," you said with an eyebrow raise.
"Oh, shut up," he said, modestly. "I don't know, man."
"Oh-- are we home alone, if everyone's already gone?" He nodded. You smiled. "Well, what now, then?"
"We can do anything-- let's throw a party."
"What are we-- 16?" He laughed. "Well, I looked into it, and I'm only working at the cafe Monday to Friday, which leaves weekends free and I only work nine to three."
"Well, that's a relief, at least you don't have to close up like you used to." You nodded. "Me and E are taking a long break from youtube, just until this wedding shit's over and he's back from- have you heard about their hon-"
"Bora Bora, yeah," you said with a smile. "E/F came to visit me at work yesterday; she told me." He nodded.
"Yeah, I thought it'd be cute- I suggested it."
"I wanna go," you said with a little pout, joking around in hopes of keeping yourself from crying in Grayson Dolan's arms once again. He laughed.
"I said the same thing like five minutes ago and you made fun of me."
"Well, I don't wanna go with them." He rolled his eyes. "I just wanna go."
"We can go some time." You nodded, a smile on your face. "Hey, y/n?" he asked in a whisper.
"If no one's here, why are you whispering?" He smiled, voice raising.
"This room's kinda lonely, no?" he asked. You shrugged, looking around. He cleared his throat. "I can stay the nights with you-- if you want." You smiled.
"That's sweet, Gray, but it's okay." He nodded. "I think Lisa comes by every few nights and stays, which is really nice of her." He stared at you for a moment and you raised your eyebrows. "Hm?"
"That's-- uh, me." Your mouth opened a bit and he nodded. "I-- I hear you crying sometimes and I don't want you to be al-alone, so I just thou-- sorry, if that's like--"
"Oh, Gray," you whispered, eyes watering. He sighed, standing to pull you into a hug. And there you were, crying to him again. He rubbed your back.
"I didn't mean to make you cry."
"No, it-- it's not your fault," you whispered. He hugged you tight. "That's really-- really nice of you; I thought it was your mom the whole ti-time. I was gonna thank her-- I guess that would've been weird." He chuckled and looked down at you.
"You're okay," he whispered. You smiled, nodding as tears kept falling. "But I was thinkin' about it last night and that's a little weird, yeah? Me just, getting into bed with you." You laughed, pulling away to wipe your eyes by the sleeves.
"Oh, Gray, we've shared beds way too many times to count-- it's totally okay." He nodded. "But I'm okay, really, it's getting better."
"Are you, you know, getting over him?" You nodded slowly. "How's that?"
"Hard." You laughed a little. "I mean, where do I put all of the wedding planning I'd done for our wedding, you know? What folder in my brain does that go in?" He smiled.
"Trash." You smiled, shrugging.
"I don't know, Gray, it's kinda-- hard to believe? I mean I guess that's stupid-- but it's like, I always, always, always, always, thought we were gonna end up together? It seemed logical to me." He nodded. "So now that, that, it's not happening, my head is kinda like-- thrown off."
"That makes sense." You shrugged. "You can't just throw away eighteen years of love." You sighed.
"I guess not." He leaned over to squeeze your shoulder. "Do you think that-- if they like, hadn't-- whatever-ed, when I told him, he would've, I don't know, reciprocated?" Gray stared at you for a moment.
"There's no point in thinking about it, y/n." You began to cry all over again. He pulled you in for a hug again, squeezing you. "But, yeah-- I do."
"Yeah?" He nodded, chin on your head.
"You're very likeable y/n." You laughed a little, muffled through his shirts and your sobs. "Very likeable."