No Strings Attached || Grayson Dolan

24. THE ONE WITH THE NEXT DAY

April 16th
POV Lydia
The last thing I wanna be doing today is go to school, but I know I have to. Me and Sierra talked to her parents this morning about... well everything. They agreed to let me stay at their house as long as I need, but I told them that I got accepted to Yale and will be moving in August. It was this morning it really sunk in what happened last night and it hurts that neither mom nor dad has even tried to contact me. It's like they're thinking that it's me that made a mistake and should crawl back, well that's not gonna happen.

I've tried to meet Grayson all day, but when I'm free he's not and vice versa, and right now it actually seems like we both have time.

When I round the corner I finally see Grayson in the busy hallway and he sees me too. We start walking faster and when we meet he embraces me, we don't care that people are watching us. He strokes my back with one hand and my hair with the other one. I don't know for how long we stay like this, but it feels like an eternity.

"I'm sorry for putting you through all this" I mumble into his shirt and he pulls out from the hug, and leads me to a nearby closet. He looks me straight in the eyes and puts his hands on my shoulders.

"Hey. None of this is your fault, and you know that. Your mom is a total brat and I think it's a good that you finally stood up to her" he says to me and a lump forms in my throat. And then it all comes out.

I explain everything to him, everything that has ever happened between me and my mom. From the small incidents, like me stealing her car and her makeup, to every big fight like the first time we fought over me "dating" Grayson. Grayson didn't know about what really went down in the fight because I chose not to tell him.

"And that's my story with my mom. You surprised the story ended like this?" I finish off and he looks at me with a shocked face.

"I-I had no idea Lyd. I just want you to know that I will stand by your side for as long as you let me" instead of answering I give him a kiss, trying to make it a good one.

"I need to get to class. Can I come to your place after school?" I ask and he nods.

"You can always come to my place Lyd"

* * *

I went home after school and gathered all the things I'll be needing the next weeks. I can't be borrowing Sierra's clothes for the rest of the school year so I went to get my own. Luckily no one was home, I mean who would be at 3pm, but if someone were home I don't know how I'd handle it. Going in that house again was hard enough.

I get a text and I open my phone, expecting it to be Grayson, but it's not. It's dad.

Are you ok? I read and I almost laugh out loud at his wimpy text. He really thinks that made anything better? I just reply with a simple yeah to let him know that I'm alive.

Can we please talk? He replies immediately and I sigh to myself. There's nothing to talk about I write back and put my phone back in my pocket because I don't have the energy to deal with this right now. I lock the front door and drive off to gray's place.

As soon as I make the turn to his driveway I see my fucking dad sitting on Grayson's porch. Grayson's porch! What the fuck. The most confusing thing is that Grayson doesn't seem to be home yet, because if he was he would probably try to do something about my dad sitting on his porch. I strongly consider turning the car around, but soon realize that it's pointless.

"I figured you'd be here" dad says and stands up to meet me, but I gesture for him to stay.

"Where is Grayson?" I ask and cross my arms over my chest.

"I don't know, haven't seen him" he shrugs and continues before I get the chance to say anything "you need to come home Lydia. Emily didn't mean what she said"

"You know damn well she did. Why didn't you come down to fucking do something about her last night? Huh?" Silence. "That's what I thought. Look, I'm not coming home"

"Why are you doing this Lydia? Are you trying to prove anything?"

"I'm showing mom that her behavior is in no way acceptable. If she doesn't want me in her house, then so be it. Dad, you need to see this from my perspective" I say and look him straight in the eyes, trying to make him understand but I can tell that my words does nothing to him.

"Think about Lacey" he says and hits my sweet spot. Fuck. "She's devastated without you"

"Hey, what's going on here?" I suddenly hear Grayson's voice behind me, coming out of his car. I didn't even realize he came home.

"Dad was just about to leave actually" I say as Grayson snakes his arm around my waist, showing me that he's there. Dad sighs and gives me a look but he does stand up.

"I want you to come home Lydia" he says and walks right past us. He just keeps walking down the street with his hands his his pockets.

"Are you okay baby?" Grayson asks as we walk into the house and I shrug.

"Yeah, all good. I just feel like I need a really hot shower"

"Mind if I join you?"
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