little white lies | grayson dolan

𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

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My stomach turns with nerves as I press my finger into the doorbell of the Dolan household. They live a half hour from campus, so it wasn't too far of a drive. My school bag is hanging perfectly on my shoulder as I stare at the wooden door in front of me. I thought it was very generous of Mr. Dolan to invite me over for dinner. It's a little awkward considering he's going to be my professor in a few months, but I try to push that to the side.

I texted Ethan yesterday saying that I had a surprise for him, but he never answered. He hasn't texted me all week and I'm really confused as to why. He kissed me at the party, and then fell off the face of the earth.

My thoughts are interrupted when the door swings open. My future professor stands in front of me with a wide smile. "Hanna, come in." He steps to the side and opens the door wider.

"Thank you, Mr. Dolan." I politely smile and walk into the beautiful and put-together home.

"Please, you aren't my student just yet. Call me Sean." He lightly laughs.

"Okay." I chuckle as the aroma of pasta fills my nostrils.

"Hanna." A voice suddenly calls out.

My eyes meet Grayson's, who seems nervous. His cheeks are flushed and his eyes are heavily dilated. I take notice to his chest heaving up and down at a heavy pace.

"Grayson, hey." I grin while he steps closer to me.

"Uh, welcome." He clears his throat.

"You must be Hanna!" An enthusiastic voice fills the room.

My head turns to see a woman with light hair walking up to me. Her arms are open as she pulls me into a warm and welcoming hug. The gesture makes me smiles as I hug her back.

"I'm Lisa, it is so nice to meet you." She says after pulling her body away from mine.

"Nice to meet you, too. Thank you so much for having me." I flash her a wider smile. She's already so sweet.

"Nonsense, it's my pleasure. We are so happy Grayson made a friend this semester." The woman looks at her son with hopeful eyes.

"Mom." Grayson mutters while looking down.

My heart softens a bit as I stare at the quiet boy. He's staring down at the ground while exhaling a calming breath.

"Let's eat. Dinner's ready." Lisa smiles while guiding me into the kitchen.

My heart begins to sink when I realize Ethan is nowhere to be found. A frown crosses my lips as I take a seat at the table, which is covered with delicious plates of pasta and salad. Grayson sits across from me next to his mother, while his father sits at the head of the table.

"Where's your brother?" Sean furrows his eyebrows, looking at his nervous son. "Ethan!"

I look down at the food in front of me, feeling my heart pounding against my chest. I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack.

The sound of heavy footsteps catches my attention as my head turns to the left. Ethan slowly walks into the kitchen with his hands shoved into the pockets of his sweatpants. His black hair is messy and his face has no expression. My eyes lock with his and I flash him a smile, happy to finally be seeing him again. He gives me a weak grin as he sits next to me.

"Ethan, hey." I let out a breath as I turn my head to look at him. "How have you been?"

"You two know each other?" Lisa blinks as confusion grows on both her and her husband's face.