Alone [G.D]

~11~

"Please stop doing this, Madi. I need you to stop, because I care about you, okay?" 

"Then, why are you so mean to me?" I ask, as I nervously bite the inside of my cheek. We've had this conversation multiple times, and I was never ready to listen, but now I am, so tell me, Grayson. 
"To protect myself, but don't think it doesn't hurt me to do it, because it does. I tried to make them stop, James and Claire, but they're ruthless when it comes to you, and I don't know why." Grayson says, and I look away from him, as I think.
"I've never said anything to them. Anyway, what are you trying to protect yourself from? From James? Claire?" I ask, trying to get all the information.
"Yes and no, but I can't tell you. I'll get killed." He whispers, as he drops his hands from my face.
"Grayson, you can't do that to me." I say, as I push him away from me. "If you expect me to believe anything you say, tell me everything."
"Madi, I can't, they'll kill me." Grayson whispers, as he takes a few steps towards me.
"Who, Grayson?" I ask, as my mind flew to different options. "If you can't tell me get out. I can't trust you, if you can't trust me." I whisper, as I turn my back to him.
"I'll tell you anything else, just not that." He says, and I shake my head.
"No, I don't want there to be secrets." I was really pushing it. "You said you cared about me, then tell me, tell me what you are protecting yourself from, Grayson, so I can help you."
"You can't help me, Madison, because they'll kill you too." He says, and I feel chills run down my spine.
"Get out!" I yell. I'm done with this bullshit. "Grayson, get out!"
"Madison, I'll tell you anything else, please." He begs, and I can't help but feel myself start to give in.
I shake my head, as I cross my arms over my chest. "You said you cared, and I care to, but how am I supposed to trust you knowing you can't trust me?" I ask, and Grayson looks away in frustration.
"Why do you keep saying that? Everything is just trust with you."
"Because I can't give my trust away anymore, Grayson! Because I don't want to get hurt, and you obviously are going to break my trust if I give it to you, so just leave, before I c-"
"They're in a gang." He cuts me off.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. "They're in a gang, and they're waiting for you to snap, so they can kill you off." Grayson says, as he steps closer, his hands brush against my arms.
"They're trying to kill me?" I ask in shock, as I feel my legs tremble under me. "They're trying to kill me." I mumble to myself.
"I'm not going to let them kill you, Madi." He says, as he pulls me into his arms.
"How do I know you're not doing this just to get close to me? Next thing you know you're stabbing me to death." I murmur, as I slowly accepted my death.
"I would never."
"Maybe, I'll just kill myself. Make it easier on them, on everyone." I say, as I bury my head into his chest. If I'm going to die, might as well spend my last few hours enjoying it.
"Madison, stop it! I hate it when you do that!" Grayson says, as he slowly pushes me away by my shoulders. "Stop talking about taking your own life. You make it sound like its nothing, but its everything. That's not the way to go, because people care."
I bit my lip, as Grayson's eyes filled with tears. "I'm not sorry. For talking like I am, because they made me into this. Talking shit about me, and always putting me down. I'm worthless, Grayson, to everyone, including my mom." 

"Just please stop talking for a second." He mumbled, as he held onto my wrists and pulled me into his chest. His arms snaked around my waist, as he rested his chin on the top of my head. The smell of his cologne was strong, as I laid my head against his chest, listening to his ever so soft, heartbeat. "I don't want to talk about the people at school anymore." He whispers, and I close my eyes.
"Me too." I mumble.

"Shoot. We have to go to my house. My moms pissed." Grayson says, as I lift my head from his chest.
"Why?" I ask in total confusion. The past six hours we've spent on my couch watching movies, instead of being at school.
"The school probably called telling her we skipped." He says, as he turns the TV off, and holds a hand out towards me.
I take it, and he pulls me up from the couch. "I'm sorry. I should've just went." I say, as he leads me outside.
"No, it's all good. I had fun today anyways." Grayson says, as a small smile appears on his lips.
"Your mom probably hates me." I say, as I pull my hand away from his. I was not ready for his mom to see us holding hands, and coming up with theories of what we are, because I don't even know what we are.
"She doesn't hate you. She's probably in love with you. You're like a daughter shes never had." He says chuckling, as we cross the street.
"She's going to hate me now." I say, as we approach his front door. Grayson opens the door, and his mom was already standing there in her 'mamma' pose. Her arms were loosely crossed over her chest, and one foot was out further to the side.
"You two are in big trouble." She says, as she nudges her head to the living room. "Go sit, while I talk to your dad, Grayson."
I suck in a breath, as we squeeze passed her to get to the living room. "Yup, she hates me." I mouth to Grayson, as we sit on the couch. I scoot over, as I distance myself from him. Minutes pass, as the tension rises.
"Madison." I hear Mrs. Dolan say, as she appears from the hallway.
"Yes, ma'am?" I say, as I release the breath I was holding.
"Sean and I were talking about whether or not we should call your mom, but we decided against it, because we think you're a good person. We feel that we can trust you, so I'm letting you off with a warning, but if you do something like skipping school again, I will call her." She says, and I feel a huge wave of relief.
"It won't ever happen again." I say, as I shake my head.
"And for you Grayson, you're grounded for a month, and no phone. So, hand it over." Mrs. Dolan says, and I see Grayson's face fall.
"Don't punish Grayson, it was my fault." I say, surprising myself.
"Madison, it was Grayson's choice to skip with you."
"No, he really wanted to go. He was begging me to go with him for at least two hours, and I said no, because I wasn't in the right head space. Then, I begged him to stay with me, because I wanted company, and he tried to leave, but I didn't let him, so please don't punish him." I beg, as I take a quick glance at Grayson and then back to his mom. Grayson's face was in pure shock, as his mom looked between us.
"Do you guys have like a thing going on?" She asks out of no where taking me by surprise.
"What! No!" I say a little more loudly then expected. "It's a frenemy type relationship, Mrs. Dolan." I say, this time more quietly.
"It's a love-hate relationship." Grayson says, as he leans back on the couch.
"No, just hate." I reply, shaking my head.
"No, it's both." He says, and I glare at him.
"It's not." I say reassuringly, as I look back to his mom.
"Well, whatever it is, Grayson, you're still grounded, but you can keep your phone." She says, as she narrows her eyes at him. "Madison, your punishment is you have to eat dinner with us until your mom gets back." Mrs. Dolan says, as she walks out of the room.
I furrow my brows, as I think about my 'punishment.' "What type of punishment is that?" Grayson asks, as he shakes his head.
"A pretty big one, because I have to see you everyday now." I sigh, as I lean back on the couch.
"Hey!" He says, as he pushes my arm. "You seemed to like me a lot when we were cuddling on the couch at your house." He says smirking, and I felt my face heat up.
"It was one time." I pout, as I look away from him in annoyance and embarrassment.
"Doubt it."
I roll my eyes, as I look at the framed pictures on the end table. "Is this Ethan?" I ask, as I pick up a picture of a guy who looks a little like Grayson, sitting on a trampoline. Grayson leans over, as he looks at the picture.
"Yup, I took that picture." He says, as a small smile appears.
"He's a pretty good looking human being." I chuckle, and Grayson takes the picture from my hand.
"You can't be hitting on my brother, my twin brother!" He says, scowling at me.
"Jealous?" I joke, as I nudge his arm.
"Maybe." Grayson whispers in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.
"Good." I say, as I push his head away with my pointer finger. "Now, you'll know how you made all those girls feel." I say.
"You mean you?" He asks, as the smirk from before reappears.
I shake my head. "I don't get jealous." I lie.
"That's the biggest lie of this year." Grayson says, as he poke my rib, making me jump.
"I don't lie either." I say, as I poke him back.
"That's another big lie." He says, as he grabs a hold of my hands. I shake my head, as I chuckle. It only took six hours for us to be somewhat friends. I try to yank my hands away, but he's too strong.
"Are you ticklish?" I ask, as my laughter starts to become uncontrollable.
"Nope, but I know you are." He says, as he releases one of my hands, and pokes my stomach. I let out a shriek, as he continues to poke me. "Jesus, Madi, you are thin, as hell." He whispers, as he stops poking me.
"No, I'm not." I say, still giggling, as I get my other hand free.
"Yes, you are. Look your ribs are poking out." Grayson says, as he barely lifts my shirt, exposing my rib cage and stomach.
"Stop it, Grayson." I say, no longer laughing.
"I'm sorry, it's just, it worries me." He says, as I pull my shirt back down.
"You don't need to worry about me, I'm fine." I say.
Grayson looks at me with a concerned look, before nodding his head. "You're right."
I play with a strand of my hair, as an awkward silence falls between us.
"Do you like me, Madi?" Grayson asks, breaking the silence.
"In what way?"
"Like, you want to date me." He says, and I feel my stomach turn.
Am I supposed to be honest? No. Yes. Be honest. "I don't know, Grayson. I have mixed emotions about you." I say. I am being honest.
"Go on."
"I want to have some type of good relationship, because you seem like a genuinely nice guy, but I'm scared to completely open myself up to you, because I'm scared you're using me to gain popularity with James and Claire." I say in one breath.

"Okay, let me just say that, I'm trying to protect you from James and Claire, because I like you Madi, like, like-like you." He says, as he starts to play with his fingers.
"That's a lot of likes." I say, as I slightly chuckle. "And I wish I could say the same, but I can't right now, because I'm still thinking." 
"I'll get you to change your mind." He says smiling.
"Oh, will you now?" I say, as I raise a brow. Grayson nods his head, as he takes one of my hands in his, as he leaves a kiss on the top of my hand.
"I'll leave you till dinner, my lady." Grayson says, as he abruptly stands up from the couch and bows, before running out of the living room, and out of sight.

~<3~

A/N
Okay, so here's another chapter. I'm sorry for not updating my sequel, I'm kinda stuck, so I'm thinking about what else I could write. I am also thinking of a schedule, because this is all over the place, and I hate it. So, if you have a suggestion for an uploading schedule comment it below, or DM me on Twitter (@GRAYSONSACE). 
A big thank you to everyone who is voting and reading. It really means a lot, so thank you. :)