HIRAETH [1] || Grayson Hawthorne

Chapter 47- Wafer sticks

"Jamie and I, we loved her." -Grayson Hawthorne
(3rd POV)

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Lorelai ran an arm across the side of her mattress that remained warm despite being abandoned by Grayson moments ago. Her eyes fluttered open as if sensing the absence. She frowned in confusion, was this morning just a dream?

Impossible. She remembered a glass of water and a bowl of apples, both were still on her bedside table. "Grayson?" she called out, hoping for a response. Lorelai sat up carefully to scan her bedroom for any sign of him. She felt her worries disappear once her blue eyes landed on his sitting figure. He was on a white plush chair, rubbing a hand across his jaw in thought. "What happened?" she asked.

She scooted to the edge of the bed and pushed the duvet off, "Don't get up." Grayson stood instantly and began walking over to her. It must have been two or three in the afternoon now but she couldn't really tell through the half drawn curtains that covered her glass balcony doors. 

Rory obeyed and stayed by the bed while Grayson sat beside her. He had woken up just a few minutes ago but it was enough for him to think through what he was planning on saying to the chocolate-haired beauty. 

He looked into her eyes, determined to shut down whatever was happening between them, in fear that he could hurt her. But all he saw was Lorelai, he saw her entirely and he was scared. Last night she had cried in his arms, proof of it still lingered in her puffy eyes. 

Stopping the situation between them from growing would mean having to watch her run to somebody else for comfort, just the thought of it made his blood turn green with envy. "What is it?" Rory asked after a short moment of silence, to him it felt like an eternity since he had sat down. 

"I figured out the clue." he wasn't going to place a wedge between them, he wanted to see where this went and if it ended with them both wearing rings on their fingers, then so be it. "When?" she asked, growing less and less interested in figuring out the mystery every time someone got hurt. "Last night." he replied then stood to walk over to the paper covered coffee table. "I decided to solve it to keep myself busy." he spoke, explaining to her what he had been doing. 

Rory frowned once more, "Did you sleep long?" she asked, Grayson smiled at her expression as he went back on the bed, "Yes, I woke up just before you did." he reassured her but Rory's frown remained, "Then why weren't you in bed?" she pried further, wanting to see what excuse he had in store for this. If he decided to lie, she probably wouldn't be surprised. 

Grayson was expecting her to ask, "I was afraid." he placed the papers beside him so nothing stood between them. She wasn't anticipating him to say that, "Afraid of what?" she pressed her lips together, unsure if she wanted to hear what he was going to say next. "My feelings." he wanted to tell her last night about how he felt, he tried to rid himself of the desire to let her know but it only seemed to intensify whenever he breathed.