Mercy- Ethan Dolan

Chapter Sixteen

ETHAN'S POV

"What are we suppose to do?" Grayson asks. "We can't just stay here. We'll go crazy. She's going to drive us up the wall, or give us away or something."

"Gray, calm down." I say, laughing a little bit. "She's not going to give you away, I doubt she hates you that easily."

"She said we were good for nothing, Ethan." Grayson tells me, I don't mean to be insensitive, but I say the first thing that comes to mind. "Grayson, you're being dramatic." I say, instantly knowing it was the wrong thing to say. "What I meant is-"

"No, I get it." He sighs. "It's just I'm not use to this, you are."

"Honestly Gray," I tell him with a sigh. "If I were you, I'd go tell mom that you're sorry, maybe squeeze out a couple crocodile tears and tell her you're just worked up today. Insure her it won't happen again. You'll be fine."

"There's no way in hell that I'm doing that, thats for sure." He says, almost offended by the idea of it. "She isn't getting that satisfaction. If I do that, I'm not only telling her that she's right, but I'm also turning my back on you. I can't do that, not again. As much as you pretend to want me to hate you, I can't, Ethan. I just can't."

"Okay," I tell him. "You're going to get worked up again, so please just stop that. We'll figure it out. We'll just have to walk around the house with our heads down."

"I can deal with that." Grayson tells me. "I can deal with walking on eggshells for the next couple of months. I can deal with awkward silence and pretending we're living the perfect cookie-cutter life here."

"It's not exactly gonna be like that." I say and laugh. "Just a lot of co-living with someone you barely know."

"So, the most depressing season of Big Brother ever?" He asks.

"Sure." I say.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask him.

"Sure."

"Are mom and dad okay?" I ask, I'm not sure why, but kind of scared of the answer. "I remember that they loved each other when I was younger, and now dad isn't ever home." I say.

Grayson just looks at me and shakes his head. "No, they're not okay." He says. "Dad was always on your side. But the second he'd say anything mom would flip. He shut his mouth for mine and Cameron's sake. But, she's gone now and you're back, so I don't think that him and mom are going to be together much longer."

Hearing that breaks my heart a little. I know he didn't mean it in the way I took it, but to me that just feels like I was the one that ruined mom and dad's relationship. Dad shut mom out because he disagreed so much with that she did to me. That makes me wish that he just hated me too. I try to shake the feeling that I have in my chest after hearing that, but I can't. So, I do what I do best. Pretend I don't feel anything after it. I just give Grayson a small pity smile. He grew up in a broken home because of me. "Sorry." Is all I can think to say.

"For what?" He asks. "It's not your fault mom was brainwashed."

"I- I don't know." I say. "How long after I left did this all happen?" I ask.

"Pretty much instantly." He tells me. "I remember not being able to sleep at night because they were up fighting and screaming. He said he was going to get an apartment and take you with him. She asked him at the other two kids expense, because if he were to do that, he wouldn't see us anymore." He says. He must see the look on my face as he says that. "Don't worry about it. It's not important. Not anymore. You're here now, that's all that matters, okay?"