| Emma's POV |
"Can I speak to you, Emma?" Asks Grayson when we pull up outside the twins house. Ethan has already exited the car and has disappeared into the house in incredible speed.
"I've got to dash" James frowns looking between me and Grayson like a worried father. Its actually quite sweet that he's looking out for me, it makes me feel really fucking grateful.
"I'm a big girl, I'll be fine" I smile with a wink towards James who nods at me as I jump out the car and tap the bonnet "you be careful" I smirk knowing that his next destination is a male specimens house. He shoots me a finger gun and literally cringes at himself before speeding off
"This way" Grayson announces snapping me from staring at the road where James had been.
Grayson leads me towards his house straight through the front room and out a pair of glass sliding patio doors onto their back yard.
It's spacious and there's a gorgeous view, my mouth kind of hangs open but I remind myself to not be fucking weird. Grayson definitely notices and chuckles,
"Come sit down" he smiles lowering himself onto the floor and dangling his feet into the pool, reluctantly I do the same. Still kind of scared from what had happened all those years back.
"If it's about the question just know I-"
"It's about Ethan" he interrupts and I look up from my toes to meet his eyes "Emma, what happened?" He asks with genuine concern
"I promise you, Gray" I whisper "I didn't watch the video. I hated him for so long, I thought he hated me. I was crushed"
I paddle my feet around watching how hella satisfying the small waves are when they reflect the sunlight
"I believe you" he smiles putting his large hand down upon my thigh making me look up with tears brimming. It means so much to me, to know that he actually believes me
"I watched the video, Gray, and I broke. I hated myself. I could've been happy. He's all I wanted- all I want" a burning tear runs down my cheek and I quickly swipe it away. "I'm sorry you must think I'm stupid"
"I don't think you're stupid" he frowns keeping his hand on my thigh as a comforter "I can't imagine what it must've been like for the person you thought you loved the most, to distance and just leave you"
The way he spoke was so soothing and a few more tears brimmed my eyes
"I watched one of your videos, I think it was called 'the reason I started this' and just from that I knew you didn't watch the video" he pauses and looks at our feet and sighs "he really liked you"
The past tense basically rips my heart in two and I hold on to a massive sob I want to get off my chest. I want to ask Gray what he meant by liked, whether it was a slip of the tongue or if everything is over.
Maybe that's why he's being so harsh with me.
I hear the patio doors slide open but I don't think that Grayson does because he doesn't even turn round or flinch. For some reason my chest gets tight and just as I'm about to get up and leave so I can sob alone back home,
I'm pushed head first into the water.
I'm sinking to the bottom of the pool and I'm thrashing and all the memories are flooding back. The bubbles are exactly the same as James' when he kicked around trying to save himself from being sucked into the vent.
My chest is heaving and I've forgotten how to swim but no ones coming to save me, I'm having trouble breathing and I'm not sure but somehow I think I'm crying.
I feel like I've been drowning for ages and no matter how much a thrash it's like I can never save myself, I'm moving no where.
I scream, it's muffled, but I scream.
