HIRAETH [1] || Grayson Hawthorne

Chapter 3- Chocolate

"Very, very wrong." -Avery Grambs

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I could feel eyes on me the moment I stepped out of the car. Ignoring the feeling, I looked around the estate and noticed a figure by the window. Everything about it looked ghostly with its pale body and black clothes, Tobias Hawthorne? I tried to suppress my laugh from my stupid joke.

"Looks like Nash made it home." Alisa said as she looked at a beat up motorcycle. "Nash?" I heard Libby ask, "The oldest Hawthorne grandson, there are four of them total." she explained. I made a mental note for the brothers I heard of or already knew, Grayson and Nash.

Alisa turned to Avery and stared at her, "Take it from someone who's been there and done that— never lose your heart to a Hawthorne." she warned. Avery looked immediately annoyed, "Don't worry, I keep mine under lock and key." she said. And I keep mine around my neck. I thought stupidly.

---

Libby was led inside to the bathroom by a maid, leaving Ave and I alone with Alisa. "You've arrived." I heard a familiar voice say next to me once we reached the foyer. "And right on time. I trust there were no problems with your flight?" Grayson continued. I looked at him and saw that he was wearing a black suit now, he changed clothes, I made a note.

"Except for the fact that they could get better champagne, there were no problems." I replied with a short snort at the end. When no one laughed I looked around and cleared my throat, "Kidding, I was kidding." I looked at the ground, embarrassed for making a non-funny joke. I let my hair cover my face as I stared at the most interesting floor I've ever seen.

"You're nineteen would it kill you to act like it?" I heard Alisa say. I looked up and saw him smile, "It might." he replied with his teeth on display. I tore my eyes away from him and looked around the foyer, it looked too big for a mansion. Was someone planning on hosting a wedding here or something?

"Rors." I felt Libby nudge my shoulder, I didn't know she was back. "Grayson asked if he could take your coat." I looked at Avery who kept her coat on and decided to do the same, "No thanks, I'll keep it with me."

---

I could hear Xander talking to Libby. I had met Alexander Hawthorne, the youngest of the four brothers, when he popped out a secret passage in the closet where Grayson placed Libby's coat.

I grew mesmerized by the entire mansion and wanted to take photos of everything. But sadly I got my phone stolen from me one night, never forgiving that guy, never ever. "You have a very expressive face." I heard Grayson tell my sister, Avery. "And you don't." he said looking straight at me. I scoffed, "You are very wrong Mr. Hawthorne." beside me I could hear Ave scoff as well, "Very, very wrong." she exaggerated.

"You two look nothing alike." he continued to say even after we both looked away. I made eye contact with my twin and understood him immediately. Her hair was wavy, mine was straight, and where my hair was one shade of brown, hers was lively and full of different hues. I had blue eyes when she had brown. She looked incredibly beautiful and here I was, the dull twin. My eyes are the only thing most people like to look at, so I guess that's a plus.

"We get that a lot, are you going to ask if we really are twins next?" I asked jokingly earning a scoff like chuckle from him. "Gray darling." I heard a woman say. "They're ready for us in the Great Room, or they will be shortly." she took a quick scan of the people with her son, "Where's your brother?"

After the two spoke for a while, she turned to look at Ave and I, "You must be Lauren and Ava." she smiled at us "I'm Skye." she introduced.

"Lorelai and Avery, mother." he paused to compose himself, clearly embarrassed from what his mother said about him being a toddler nudist a few minutes before acknowledging me and my sister. "Their names are Lorelai and Avery."

It was my turn to smile at her, "Call me Rory please, everyone does. Or you could call me Lily, some people do." I held my hand out for her to shake and she did. "What happened to your face, darling?" she asked me with genuine worry splattered across her face. I shrug and gave her the simple answer I've been giving everyone, "I was mugged."

She looked knowingly and moved on, "Do you mind if I ask dear, when is your birthday?" she didn't give me enough time to answer, "Scorpio? Or Capricorn? Not a Pisces, clearly."

"Scorpio." I answered her with a smile, she immediately hooked her arm with mine and grinned at her son. "I'm keeping this one next to me." she announced, earning a look from Grayson. "I doubt she'd want any of your tarot readings Skye." My eyes widened immediately, "You do fortune telling?" I asked clearly surprised.

"Want to do one after the will reading?" Skye asked me genuinely and I nodded my head yes. "If you don't mind."

---

We're seated at the table with people I don't know around me, besides the one's I do know like Alisa, Zara Hawthorne-Calligaris, and such. Zara was Skye's sister. We met her moments before we entered what looks like a gigantic hall called the Great Room. I examined the gargoyles, yes fucking gargoyles, in the room as I listened to the noise around me. I couldn't make out the conversation Xander and his grandmother, I think, were having with my sisters but I could see that Avery suddenly lost interest in it and stood up to leave. I didn't bother following her, thinking she probably just went to the bathroom.

"Where did she go?" I heard a voice say behind me, I turned my head and smiled at Grayson, "Bathroom maybe? She'll be back soon." I answered. The boy cleared his throat and gestured to the seat beside me, "May I?" he asked and I nodded in reply.

He took the seat next to me and drummed his finger tips on the table, driving me crazy. I took a deep breath and faced him, "Would you stop that?" I asked in my nicest voice. He folded his hands together, "Of course, my apologies. Was it bothering you?" I didn't care to answer his question.

"Aren't you nineteen?" I asked instead and it was his turn to nod, "I am, why?" I tried to stop myself from saying what I said next, "Then start acting like it." he didn't answer, instead he looked confused with an awkward pause between us.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just a thing I do sometimes which I know is not an excuse. And before you ask," I said the next part in a deep voice, "What thing do you do sometimes?" I stopped with the voice and continued speaking, "It's this thing where I sort of forget to filter my words and end up saying something wrong." I finished and waited for him to reply.

I waited for a few seconds before he let out a soft chuckle, "What's so funny?" I asked. He kept a small smile on his face, "I didn't know you could talk that much in one breath." he said and I smiled back at him. "I could talk even faster if I wanted to, anyways, do you accept my apology?"

Grayson nodded and glanced behind me, his smile fell immediately. "I accept your apology Ms. Grambs. I have to go assist my brother, thank you for the company." I smiled at him once more before he stood and left me by myself again. Libby continued to speak with Xander and the old lady, even when Ave returned to her seat. "Where did you come from?" I asked. "Outside, and I just met the fourth Hawthorne brother." she pointed at the messy haired boy Grayson was with.

"Eye candy." I joked and she shook her head at me in disbelief followed by a quiet laugh. "Which one Rors?" she asked just to humor me. I stared at one of them, "Guess."

•••
some lines were taken from the book. credits to jennifer lynn barnes for it.