Ransom Drysdale - State of Grace ✔️

Chapter 1

Grace sighed as she entered the house for the first time in almost ten years, thinking about the last time she was here.

*****Flashback*****

Grace enters the Thrombey house on Saturday afternoon, hearing everyone buzzing around. She is quickly greeted by Fran, the housekeeper.

"Grace! Ransom is in the back with his other friends."

Grace nodded, "thanks Fran." She sighed as she made her way to the backyard to see Ransom standing with a few of his male friends. She took a deep breath before approaching them, seeing them all eyeing her as if she was diseased. She touched Ransom's arm, him pulling it away immediately, "happy graduation Ransom."

Ransom huffed, "thanks. Whatever."

She looked at his friends who only snickered as she pulled him away from them, "Ransom."

"Grace. What are you doing here?"

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, "we're friends? At least we are when you're alone. I love you Ransom. I'm going to New York for school, come with me. You need to get away from this place and away from these so called friends of yours."

Ransom rolled his eyes, "just go Grace. We're better off without each other."

Grace felt her eyes welling with tears as she tried not to give his friends the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She raised her voice, "that's not what you've said when we're alone." She watched his friends whisper to each other as Ransom pulled her further away from them, laughing.

He looked down at her, "what are you doing?"

She placed her hand on his cheek, "I know you love me too. Now or never Ransom." She felt him lean into her hand before he pulled away, walking back to his friends and she heard them laughing.

Ransom laughed with his friends as he watched Grace walk back into the house to leave, feeling the pit in his stomach growing. She was right, he did love her. But he knew she was better off without him.

*************

"Grace!"

Grace looked to see Linda Drysdale, Ransom's mother, in front of her, "sorry. I zoned out."

"Grace. I'm so glad you're here."

She nodded, hugging Linda, "I'm really sorry for your loss. How is he?"

Linda shrugged, sighing, "thank you dear. And I don't know. I'm not even sure where he is. Harlan was sick for a while, he took it hard. You know how those two were. They fought all the time, but they had a bond Harlan didn't have with anyone else." She hesitated, "well I'm glad you're here. It's been a while."

Grace smiled, "sure." She sighed again, looking at the stairs. She knew where he was. She groaned as she climbed the stairs up to Harlan's attic office. The door was slightly open as she stood in the doorway, watching him just sitting there.

Ransom looked up, sighing, "Gracey. What are you doing here?"

She scoffed as she entered the room, "I'm here to pay my respects to your grandfather. And to check on you."

He turned away from her, "well you aren't family, so you shouldn't be up here."

"Ransom." She went to touch his arm but he stood up and moved away from her, facing away from her, pretending to look at some books. "Still an ass I see."

He groaned, looking at the ground as he heard her leave, slamming the door behind her. "Fuck."

Grace heard the door open behind her as she reached the bottom of the stairs and Ransom grabbed her hand.

"I'm sorry Gracey."

She turned around to face him, crossing her arms.

He reached out, running his fingers through her blonde hair, "you look good."

She nodded, "and you look like shit. Are you high?"

He pulled his hand back, "you know you don't have to be such a bitch."

She hit him in the chest, "I'll let that go, today. I'm going. Thank your mom for inviting me." She left him standing in the hall, slipping out of the house without having to talk to or see anyone else. She reached her car before looking back at the house once more seeing Ransom watching her from the balcony. She shook her head before getting in her car and driving off.

"Was that Grace leaving?"

Ransom turned around to his mother, "yeah. Why did you invite her?" He pushed past her, downstairs to the main floor, hearing her following him. He went into Harlan's study, sitting in one of the oversized chairs.

Linda stood in the doorway, "you used to be best friends Ransom, what happened?"

Ransom scoffed, "that was a long time ago mom. We aren't friends anymore."

"Why?"

He stood up, "none of your business!" He pushed past her, hearing his father Richard.

"Don't talk to your mother like that!"

Ransom looked at his father and rolled his eyes, "father," before grabbing his coat. He slammed the front door behind him as he left the house.

****************************************************************************

Ransom drove around for a while before driving to the pier. He parked his car, walking a few yards to a small clearing overlooking the harbor. He smiled when he saw her sitting there.

Grace sighed as she felt Ransom sit next to her, "what are you doing here?"

He nudged her shoulder, "I showed you this place, remember?" He hesitated, "you always came here whenever we fought. I'm sorry."

She looked at him, seeing his eyes bloodshot and red, "for what? Making me look like an idiot in front of everyone at your graduation when I said I wanted to be with you? For waiting so long, only admitting your feelings when it was too late. Ignoring me for the last almost ten years?"

Ransom groaned, "I didn't think I was good enough for you."

She scoffed, "right. You were the one not good enough. While I was good enough to be friends with and sleep with as long as no one knew. You were Ransom Drysdale. I was just some poor nerd girl that wasn't good enough to be seen with you." She stood up, "I'm sorry about Harlan. I really am. You know how much I loved him. But I can't do this with you. I only came to check on you because your mother asked me to. We're better off not being friends. Just leave me alone."

He groaned again, standing up. He grabbed her hand as she began to walk away, pulling her to him, "no. I was always the one not good enough for you. Even now I know I'm not. I'm sorry Gracey. What do you want me to say? I'm sorry. How often do I say that?" He smiled at her smirk.

"Ransom.."

He brought his hand to her chin, pressing his lips softly to hers, "you always made me a better person Gracey."

She sighed as he rested his head against hers. "I know. But you should want to be better for you. Not for me Ransom." She brought her hand up to the nape of his neck, kissing him once more before pulling away. "I'm sorry."

He stood, watching her walk away from him again, wondering how many times would he have to watch her walk away from him.