creѕтғallen ➬ g.∂ {editing}

2.3

Previously
Gracie.." a familiar voice called out through the other line, the phone on speaker.

Ethan stares at me in shock, his eyes widening, "it can't be," we say in unison.
___

An audio plays in the background, Grayson's voice.

"I knew I was gonna die because happy endings are not real and we weren't meant to be. Fate chose a different ending for us and I couldn't change that."

There's a pause before his voice is heard again, "I woke up early the day of my appointment. I had a feeling that something was going to happen, I knew that I wouldn't be able to see you again," Grayson voice shakes as he sighs and sniffles. Tears were probably staining his rosey cheeks, "You live because they don't get to, I didn't get to. Don't worry about me though, I-I would rather die instead of living and having to see you leave me. Having to see your future crumble." There's a ringing sound in the background and then his voice plays again on what sounds like a cassette tape, "I love you, I hope you know that and I always want the best for you."

I look at Ethan as I hesitantly put the phone on the table as Ethan and I sit on the couch, eager for what's to come, "please don't forget me, I love you. Please forgive me, but I may have been a father, a father to someone you may already know but hate. It's Shelly, she's having my child. I made a big mistake and no I did not have sex with her. I'm not one to hurt someone I love." There's a pause, "Please, Gracie, forget me. I made these recordings for a reason, for you to hear my voice for it's last time and to delete these recordings with all the hate for me in your heart. I know you can't do that but I'm demanding that you do. Do it because I'd hate for you to suffer from my actions. Just please do it, I'm used to not existing and right now I no longer exist. So if you'd just delete everything from the past. I don't want to exist, I wasn't meant to meet you and I truly apologize for ruining your life."

Tears stain my cheeks as I stare at the dark phone screen, "this isn't real."

"I want you to move on and even though I'm afraid that I won't be able to protect you if they hurt you, I put this on myself. I'll always look down on you but I don't expect you to know that, for you'd already forget me. It's a demand, Gracie, for me." There's another pause as the sound of Grayson's voice lowers and then rises again, "I'm most likely resting with my twin brother who I love. He'll always be my big brother and now that I rest with him, we hope that you just forget us. Don't remember us, forget we met at that cafe, throw away our notebook. There was never an us and there was never a me. Forget me, Gracie. I love you, " he sobs as his voice lowers. He was stuttering and at that moment I couldn't forget him. All the memories we had together, even at this very moment a memory stuck in my mind. The memory when he stuttered and tried to explain to me that he loved me and that he'd never hurt me. But now he's doing the opposite, he's saying he loves me but he's hurting me. He's adding fuel to the fire.

"We can't be a burden on you. Gracie, let that rose burn, especially that white petal that is now nonexistent."

The call ends and before I can grab my phone, Ethan picks it up and dials Grayson's number, "he's gone, Ethan."

Tears fall down my cheeks and my words are jumbled as my crying suffocates every one of my words.

"No, Grace, he's alive! Don't tell me that my little brother is gone because you're wrong!" He blurts out as the call doesn't go through. His number doesn't exist.