Choose G.D. & E.D.

Chapter 9

*2 weeks later*

I was feeling depressed. I couldn't cry at the funeral. I just couldn't. When Cami told me, obviously I cried. A lot. For a few hours. I just told Grayson he needed to go with out explanation. I told him I would explain it later but I couldn't talk then. He said ok and kissed me and left. I texted him all night while crying my eyes out. He tried his best to cheer me up but, no real success.

Something in me just broke.

It happened out of no where. How was this fair? My dad died in a car accident too but that was before I was even born. Now, I just watched my mom, who struggled 5 days on life support, be put in the dirt.

I don't want to go home.

Not only does everything remind me of her, but the landlord is literally packing my bags. I'm 16. I can't afford to pay a $950 rent. Plus all of the other bills. And I cant live alone. So I need to move.

Its really sad to leave my home. I grew up there. My whole life was in that 2 bedroom apartment.

At this point I'm basically fucked. Most likely going into foster care. My moms parents are dead. She has no siblings. Cami's mom can't have me stay there. There's only one place I could go. And it's a lot to ask so soon. But I think I have to.

***

*texting*

G: "Hey babe. How are you feeling?"

J: "I'm just tired. Tired of everything."

G: "Babe."

G: "Is there ANYTHING you need. I'm right here. What do you need."

J: "Gray.. Its not that simple."

G: "Jem. Just tell me."
✔Read

*Bum. Ba doom ba do do doom ba doom do bum.* "Gray ❤"

I tried to hide the fact I was crying by sniffing in my runny nose.

"Hey.."

"I'm coming over."

*End of Call*

What the fuck Gray.

***

*Knock knock*

I opened the door to see Grayson standing there with giant white teddy bear and a rose in his teeth.

I started to cry as I ran to hug him.

"Don't cry baby." He said into my shoulder.

"Grayson, you didn't have to do this idiot."

"But I wanted to." He said pulling away from the hug just to return with a slow meaningful kiss.

"Can I come in?" He said trying to peek behind me.

"No!" I said slamming the door shut.

"What? Why?" He said looking at me concerned.

"Its-a.. Its just.."

He pushed past me and opened the door to see boxes. A lot of boxes. I began to cry even more.

"Where are you going? He said with a shaky voice.

"I don't know." I said dropping my head, wiping away tears.

"You can't leave me Jem." He said looking at me with desperation.

"I have no where to go." I said still sobbing.

"Me. You have me. Stay with me." He said pulling me close to him.

"Grayson." I sighed. "You don't need me. You don't need all of this. Its only been a few months. Even adults don't do that yet. This is too much for me to ask. I have so much shit going on right now. You have a lot going for you obviously." I said pointing to him. "All I am is drama. Its bullshit. You can do so much better." I said as I slid down the wall wrapping my arms around my knees, crying.

"Are you fucking kidding me Jem?!" He shouted. ""I can do so much better"". He said putting air quotes around that sentence. He dropped down to sit in front of me on his knees. "Look." He said putting the palms of his hands on my cheeks, tilting my head up to him. "You are the best girl anyone could ever ask for Jem. How in the hell could I leave you ever? Let alone with all this shit coming down on you. You need me just as much as I need you. I want you. I need you to stay with me. Please." He said starting to tear up. "The only way I'm letting you go is if you don't want me anymore. Not because you think you're a burden. Not because you think I can do better and I don't need you. That is not true. You're the most perfect girl ever. Don't leave me. Please stay with me. I can't let you leave unless you don't love me as much as I love you."

I was crying and I was annoying myself with how much I was crying. He just said he loves me and my body was too busy crying to even say it back.

I sniffed in again and wiped away some more tears. "Grayson... Did you just say you love me?"

"Yes I did. And yes I do." He said before he crashed his lips into mine. He pulled me up not breaking the kiss and leaned me against the wall. He grabbed my hands and pinned them to the wall on each side of my head. He let go and all of a sudden he had picked me up bridal style. He walked a few feet then said, "Grab them.", pointing to the bear and rose sitting on the coffee table. I grabbed the bear by the bow around his neck and put the rose on my lap.

He carried me outside and shut the door behind him and walked me down the stairs to his Uber car that, I guess was waiting. I had stopped crying due to the amount of happiness Grayson had just made me feel. He put me down next to the car and opened the door. I put the bear in and slid in. He came after me and after he shut the door he told the driver, "Home.", before he turned to me and ran is fingers through my hair and kissed me again.