𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 || Jameson Hawthorne

don't be a stranger

༄ 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐃— timeless, perfectly designed, and broken.

Usually, I walked into the house without a second thought. No knock was needed; Hawthorne House was our second home. Maybe even our only home.

But now, standing in front of the columns and the tall thick-framed door of Hawthorne House, I thought about turning back. I knew I needed to do this, but something kept pulling me back. Somebody.

The door wasn't locked, even though all the press and drama with Avery definitely should have warranted a lock. My footsteps echoed throughout the house, and the marble floors reflection stared back at me.

Tobias Hawthorne had designed a room for all of us. Even up until his death, he was making new puzzles and rooms for us to solve. It was never ending. It still might be.

Everyone had their own favorite spots; A hiding place, the old man would call it.

Xander loved the kitchen, even though that wasn't much of a hiding spot. Nash claimed he didn't have a special spot, but I swore I'd seen him in the backyard far too many times, so I guess that counts.

And me? Grayson, Jameson, and Emily?

The treehouse.

Although Jameson wrecked that days after she died.

I shuddered at the thought— the memory of Jameson recklessly tearing through the roof with an axe, claiming there was nothing left for him.

Then it clicked.

The wine cellar wasn't a far walk from where I was stood, but I still ran like time was running out. And with Jameson Hawthorne, sometimes time really was running out.

Once I got to the cellar, I stopped, took a deep breath, and entered forward.

Yes, I was nervous.

But instead of finding Jameson, I was met with Avery and Grayson—

Close.

"Uh," I stammered. Grayson jumped back and held a hand to his chest, obviously unaware to the fact I had been standing there. Avery's face went red.

"Sorry," I said, "but I was just wondering if you'd seen Jameson?"

Grayson regained his composure before saying, "Down the hall with Xander." In other words, please get the hell out so I can continue what I was doing.

"Right." I gave him and Avery a knowing look before quickly walking down the hallway. I would definitely have to ask one of them about that later.

After a short walk, I saw Jameson and Xander staring at a piece of paper. Xander notcied me first.

"Lizzie!" Xander threw his hands up which grabbed Jamesons attention. "I was afraid you were going absent on us again."

Jameson stared at me, and in that moment I hoped he'd been feeling everything I had been. Because at the end of every day, every night, one thing always stayed the same.

I missed him.

Xander glanced between the two of us. "So, i'm gonna leave you two to it, maybe see what Grayson and Avery are doing." With a jump off the table and a quick few steps, Xander was gone.

"Hi," I said.

Jameson scratched the back of his head. Nervous. "I didn't think you—" he shook his head, "I thought you wouldn't want to see me."