Heart of Glass// Ethan Dolan✅

Chapter 14

When I get inside, I head to my room where my phone is. You see, I don't bring my phone on dates or formal hangouts because I am supposed to be paying attention to the people around me. Or at least, that's what my mom claims the process is for.

I look down at my phone to see at least thirty text messages, a mixture of them from Hannah and Grayson but the majority Grayson.

Did you make it home alright? Are you home yet? God, I'm so sorry.

I smile down at the worried texts. At least he's not as mad as I thought he would be. I start typing up a reply.

Don't worry about me. Although sending your brother might not have been the best idea after our fight. Wait, I take that back. He was nice for once.

I click the send button and get a FaceTime call.

"God, I'm never leaving you alone in the park again," Grayson quickly huffs, running a hand through his hair quickly. "I was worried that something was going to happen or something."

"I'm fine, Gray," I assure him quietly. "Nothing happened."

"I'd be really mad if something did. Because it would be all my fault," Grayson shakes his head. "I'm really sorry, Care."

"It's okay," I tell him. "But I do believe we have several things to talk about. We've gotten into two fights today, and that kind of makes me really angry."

"It makes me angry too because we're supposed to be that secret couple that nobody knows about but is still the best couple out there," Grayson sighs, half joking. "But Care, I just want to say that although you don't want to talk to your dad, I really think you should."

"Why didn't you tell me about your dad?" I ask him. "Maybe if you told me that, I would have been a lot more understanding, but all you told me is that you didn't have a dad to look up to. You didn't tell me what happened."

"Yeah, I decided not to let anyone know that, but Ethan is so okay with it now," Grayson says, almost in a depressed voice. "I was never able to get over it to be honest."

Now, I understand better. It makes perfect sense to me. Grayson wants me to be able to have a relationship with my dad that he wasn't ever able to.

"You really should have just said something. I would have understood," I tell him honestly.

"That's the thing," Grayson sighs, running his hand through his hair again. "I don't tell people that because it's something that I've never really been able to cope with."

"I don't think I've ever been really able to cope with the fact that my dad is an abusive man. That's why I don't want to forgive him, Gray. Imagine if your dad abused your mom," I explain to him.

"It's just hard to understand that someone wouldn't want to talk to their dad. I think no matter what, you should cherish someone while they're with you. When they're gone, you might regret not spending time with them," Grayson sighs. "At least, that's just what I feel."

I smile at him through the camera lens. I feel like if we talk about dads anymore, one of us is going to start crying, and it won't be me.

"You really thought Ethan would be a good idea to send to me?" I ask with a small smile.

"I mean, Aaron was busy with a yoga class," Grayson grins. "Besides, I trust Ethan more than any of the other slobs on that football team of ours. E is trained in wrestling and football, so he could take most people down."

My mind flashes back to what Ethan said to that guy the night I was attacked in the alley. He said he had taken down guys twice his size, which makes me wonder about a lot of things.