Burn for You

44

Serena
The dinner. Nothing different from the last time other than Grayson's better mood and Carlos, the birthday boy, only talking about how ready he is for the cake.

"So Serena, how has work been? I've never had a friend that's a bartender?" Willow smiled as she sliced into the thick piece of lamb.

I adjusted Grayson's hand in my lap and tried to put my words together, unsure if I should explain that my job burned down and I was fired from my previous job.

"Fine, it's really nothing special. I just deal with drunks all day." I chuckled awkwardly, my eyes shifting from Willow to Grayson.

"That doesn't sound like an easy job, Serena. I don't think I could do it ya know? I think I'm too argumentative."

"You kind of have to be sometimes but you can't just get angry even though it's frustrating. I guess I just...learned how to not be fazed by it." I swallowed hard as Grayson's grip tightened on my hand.

I've never had trouble talking about my job but I guess because this is his family and he knows it makes it harder to say.

"You know, Serena,"

Everybody's head turned toward the head of the table, Graysons father slicing at the thick steak set out in front of him.

"I find it odd how humans always go back to what they know," his lips smacked together as he glared at me.

My throat felt dry for some reason and my stomach sank at the thought of what he could mean. "E-excuse me?" I stuttered.

"You know," he pointed his knife at me, his voice softening as if he was breaking some hard news to me. "With you being an alcoholic and your father being an alcoholic, it's odd how you became a bartender. Stuck dealing with drunk bastards day in and day out."

"Sir-"

His head shot toward Grayson, "what? What could you possibly have to say?" He paused, Grayson's hand squeezing in mine. "Exactly, nothing. I taught you better, so do better. Don't act stupid boy."

I watched as Grayson's head lowered like an embarrassed puppy.

"Serena, I knew your father and I know your adoptive father. Two very different men and it's a shame you'll be nothing like Emilio,"

I felt like I was punched in the chest, the air leaving my body. Such simple words hurt so much that I couldn't even believe them.

"Your father was a terrible bastard...well, I guess you know that," he chuckled slightly, looking around to see if anybody else even had a smile on their face. He was met with nothing but lowered heads and I couldn't stop staring at him. "I also guess you know that you will never be worthy of my son. Or his last name, no matter how much of a fuck up he is, you are a fate much worse than anything he deserves."

"Sir-"

His hands slammed down on the table, the plate clattering as it almost bounced from the surface. "Shut up, Grayson!"

"You will not talk to her like that! You don't know shit about her or me or our relationship!"

He chuckled as if he was amused by his son speaking up. "I don't? You think I don't know!? Did she tell you what she was doing while she was getting piss drunk every day!? Did she tell you how she got fired from her job!? Fucking ask her and see if you-"

"Let's go, we're leaving. Get up, Serena."

Grayson stood up abruptly, pulling me up with him.

"Grayson, wait I-" I hurried as I tried to pick up my stuff and not knock anything over.

"She almost fucking killed somebody and herself! She almost took a kind and caring coworker with her to hell when she tried to jump off her workplace building! You want to marry that? You want to disgrace your mother's ring and our family name with something like that?!"

Grayson froze, the lump in my throat thawing and flooding out in tears.

"Elijah!"

"Grayson," I choked. "It's not-" my heart ached as his grip loosened on my hand. "Please," I choked, his grip getting looser. "Don't let go...it's not what you think-"

I ignored the arguing between Grayson's parents and siblings and only focused on the man I love dropping my hand from his.

"Grayson-"

"Stop...stop talking, Serena. I'm begging you to stop talking."

I watched as he walked off, my legs weakening as I resisted the urge to drop like everything else inside of me.

Just explain to him, he'll understand. He knows you're not a bad person Serena... he knows.

"But you are a bad person, Serena. It's not your fault that you are, it's all you know, but you can never run away from the fact that you are a terrible person."

"No...no, I'm not, Grayso-" I glanced around, choking on the dryness that ran through my body as I searched for him.

I knew he walked off, I knew he left but I know he'd come back. He'd come back for me...he was mine and he was-

We were happy.

I walked off in the direction he went, toward the house. I just needed to explain, just tell him what happened even if I didn't want to. My Grayson would understand if he knew what happened—what really happened.

He will understand...won't he?

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