little white lies | grayson dolan

𝓉𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑒𝑒

•ＨＡＮＮＡ•

-one week later-

I let out a deep breath as I walk over to my English class. It's been a week since Grayson showed up to my dorm and explained himself. What he said has been embedded in my brain ever since. Knowing that he has such bad anxiety makes my heart shatter into a million pieces. I hate that he feels insecure and is constantly down on himself.

I took this seven day break to reflect on everything that happened. I know where my feelings stand, which scares me. Everything I felt was in those messages, and that was all Grayson. It's strange having a connection with somebody you know, but don't know at the same time.

We have to present our project today, which makes me nervous. I hope he'll be okay to stand in front of the class. He hasn't spoken one word since the semester started last month.

When he told me I fixed him, it made my heart explode with happiness. I mean a lot to him and that's what I've been wanting my entire life - somebody who genuinely cares about me.

His words made me melt, but I still kept my guard up considering the embarrassment I felt about the catfishing situation. Now, that humiliation is all gone and is replaced with an understanding sense about everything.

Cassidy and I have barely spoken since our argument. She's been spending a lot of time at the frat house, not that I really care. I actually love being alone in the dorm.

I walk into English and my hazel eyes immediately search for Grayson. I smile when I see him sitting in the back, a poster board is next to his desk. My smile fades when I notice his leg aggressively bouncing up and down. I quickly walk over to him and sit down in the desk next to his.

"Hey, you okay?" I nervously ask.

"Uh, yeah." He stammers.

"It's going to be fine." I reassure him. "Just pretend nobody is here."

"That's hard to do when there's like, forty students in this room." He frantically looks around.

"Hey, look at me." I quickly hold onto his hand, preventing it from shaking. "Just take in a deep breath. Like this." I gently close my eyes and inhale a deep breath through my nose. I open my mouth and exhale, feeling more relaxed.

He closes his eyes and copies my actions, taking in a deep breath. He quickly blows the air out and looks back at me. "Thank you."

"No problem." I pull my hand away from his. My eyes move down to the poster board. "I feel so bad I didn't contribute."

"Don't worry about it. I wanted to do everything." He reminds me.

I open up the project and instantly gasp. The left side is filled with quotes and facts from the Catcher in the Rye, while the right side is dedicated to The Great Gatsby. The middle has a venn diagram showcasing their similarities and differences. He included pictures of the novels and a few quotes.

"Grayson, this is amazing." I look back at him.

"It was nothing." He shrugs with a small grin.

"I love it." I can't stop staring at the organized and colorful project.

"So, uh, how have you been?" He gulps while gazing at me.

"Good." I say with a tiny smile. "I wanted to talk to you about a few things."

"Oh, really?" A nervous tone takes over his voice.

"Yeah." I nod while staring back at him. "So, I was-"