Adopted By Grayson Dolan

Chapter Five: Ethan, we can't. It's too soon.

Willow

I focus on the ground beneath my feet. Nothing else is fueling me to run further and further away from Ethan and my dad. You can't fix someone that's broken. Was I broken? I didn't think that I was broken, but maybe I was. I keep running straight, not listening to anyone asking their questions or anyone who was shimmying past me. I haven't heard anyone calling my name, so maybe they stopped looking. Even if they had, I don't want to be found. Miss. Violet was right, I was going to be brought back days after bring adopted. I know she's right.

I reach a park where there's hardly anyone around. I spot a swing set near a pond. I slow my run down to a walk, heading towards the swing set. I'm not sure how far I ran or how many times I turned down different streets. I sit down on the swing, my mind swimming. How could Ethan say something like that about me? I was only joking. I didn't think anything about it.

"Sweetheart, are you lost?" I look up and see two dogs sniffing by my feet.

The two men in front of me look awfully familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. One of the dog's raises its head and I realize that its Uno. Doing a double take, I realize the two men in front of me are Shane and Ryland. I can't find my words- not because I'm nervous, but because Shane has done a few videos with James. I shake my head, hoping that they'll go away and not draw attention to me. I don't want to be found by anyone. I want to be alone. Ryland sits down on the swing next to me, handing Shane the second leash.

"Sweetheart, I know who you are. I seen you plastered all over James' Instagram and Twitter." Ryland says as starts to push himself back and forth a bit. "Where are the others at?"

"Willow?!" I hear James and my dad call at the same time. "Come on, Willow!"

"Shane, maybe we should call them over." Ryland starts before I climb off the swing. Shane dials a number on his phone.

Seconds later, James' phone goes off. James looks at dad, who nods his head. James picks the phone up and I can hear him from across the park. Before I hear what he says, I turn on my heel and I start to run the direction I came. I don't want them to find me, that's the last thing I want. I want to be left alone.

"Willow!" My dad yells across the park. I can tell he's running again, but I'm not stopping.

I do my best to stay ahead of him and not look back, but the moment I do, I run into someone's chest.

"I got her, Gray. She's not going anywhere." Emma says holding my body into hers.

I squirm and try to push myself out of her arms. She picks me up and I do my best to get out of her grip. Ethan's nowhere in sight, which makes me feel a little better. Right when I start to slip from Emma's grasp, my dad takes me from her. I squirm in his arms before he props me on his side.

"You had me worried, Will," He states breathless. "Extremely worried."

"I don't care."

"Watch the sass mouth, Missy. You're in trouble."

"Why isn't Ethan in trouble? He was the one being an ass to me." I snip back.

My dad tries to not let the smile break on his lips, so instead he frowns. "Willow, watch your language. I'm serious. Ethan and I have already talked. He knows what he said was wrong. Emma, where is he?"

"He was right behind me a few minutes ago, but that was a block or two back. I don't know where he went after that."

Ethan

I wander the streets, knowing that I shouldn't have stopped looking. Willow could be anywhere at this point, but I was done looking. I wasn't going to have Willow hate me more than she already does. I walk into a shop, not noticing where I'm at. When I look around, I realize that I'm in a children's toy shop. I browse through the toys before I find myself in the animal section. I smile sadly when I see a giraffe stuff animal sitting on a shelf. I never meant anything that I said to Willow, but I was angry. I've never seen Emma look so upset with me, but she understood it partially.