drag me down | grayson dolan

【four】

The loud sound of my alarm clock going off causes my eyes to open. I lift my head up and see the early time of 7:00 am. Letting out a small yawn, I sit up from my bed and stretch my arms over my head. I quickly stand up and throw on a sports bra and baggy shorts. My hands reach for a scrunchie to tie my hair up in a messy ponytail. I decide to go for a morning run everyday so I can keep my fitness up, and it's an excuse to jog down the beach.

I walk over to my small kitchen and pull a water bottle out of the refrigerator. The cold liquid trickles down my throat as I take a sip. I gather the rest of my belongings and exit my apartment. Duke mentioned I need to be in the office by noon, giving me the perfect amount of time.

I walk a few blocks toward the Santa Monica Beach, which is my favorite so far. That's where my jogging begins. I grip onto the water bottle and start my run along the shoreline. The water occasionally splashes onto my feet, which I love. I inhale a deep and relaxing breath as I control my short breathing. The sounds of the waves crashing and the chirping of the birds flying in the sky leave me at complete peace.

I have always been into health and fitness, so running always calms me down. I continue my jogging until my feet come to a halt. I inhale a very deep breath and wipe the sweat from my forehead. I'm not used to this heat, especially this early in the morning. Taking a sip from my water bottle, I turn to face the water. This is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. The sun shines brightly on the deep colored blue liquid in front of me. A wide smile forms on my face as I close my eyes, allowing the warmth to brush over my skin.

"Enjoying the view?" A deep voice says from behind me.

My eyes open as I spin around, lowly gasping at the sight in front of me. A shirtless Grayson is letting out a laugh as he places his hands on his hips. Sweat is glistening off his muscular body and a white towel is placed on his shoulder.

"You scared me." I laugh and cover my mouth with my hand.

"Sorry, I just saw you standing here." He lets out another chuckle.

"What are you doing here so early?" I remove my hand and let out a breath.

"Just went for a morning jog." He laughs again, clearly amused by this conversation.

"Oh, me too." I nod as I slowly eye his bare chest.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" His soft voice speaks as he steps closer, now standing next to me. "Nothing is better than the beach at sunrise."

"It's amazing." I grin as I look back to the beautiful water.

"Last night was fun." He laughs after a few moments of silence.

"Maybe for you, it was my first day." I chuckle and glance back at him.

"You handled those old drunks like a champ." He laughs while shaking his head.

"Do you hang out there a lot?" I rub my lips together.

"Yeah, my friends and I are regulars." He smirks and looks down at me.

"Your friends are very-"

"Interesting?" He cuts me off with another deep laugh.

"You could say that, yeah." I playfully roll my eyes.

"Johnny is the moral compass of the group, always making sure everyone is in tact. My brother Ethan is more of a smart mouth. He has no filter and will say whatever the fuck is on his mind. Bodhi is just an asshole, plain and simple." He laughs at his final sentence.

"And what about you? Where do you fall on the spectrum?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm the quiet one who likes to live life to the fullest." He smirks back at me.