Again | g.d

Part Twenty-Four

I don't know what wakes me up first, the smell of coffee or the fact that Grayson is missing from my bed when I reach over to touch him.

I sit up straight up, immediately longing for him. I was warm until I realized he wasn't next to me anymore. Now I'm freezing. And grumpy.

I glance over to the clock, surprised to see that it's six in the morning.

What the hell is doing up so early?

I pull myself out of the bed and follow the pleasant smell through the house, waddling down the hallway and steps in Grayson's sweatshirt in search of him.

I turn a corner into a kitchen, and immediately see Grayson's back as he leans against the kitchen counter with a mug of coffee in his hands.

I stand there for a minute, hesitant on whether or not I should make my way over to him. If he wanted to talk to me – he would have woken me up. And even I need alone time, sometimes.

I almost turn back around and head back to my room. But the moment I shift onto the tips of my toes to turn around, I hear Grayson let out a shaky breath so loud I can hear it from the other end of the room.

I hesitate, but eventually take a step into the dark kitchen.

"Gray?" I send out into the darkness.

I see his silhouette perk up at my words. As soon as he realizes I'm walking closer to him, he turns his back to me.

I fill with confusion at his reaction to my presence, but continue towards him until I'm right next to him.

Graysons hunched over the counter, his arms outstretched and his hands resting on top of the counter top.

He's breathing heavily, and he still hasn't said a single word to me.

I gently place my hand on his back, running circles against his bare skin as I lean in closer to him to try and get a glance of his face.

"Grayson?" I ask more seriously, growing worried. "What's wrong?"

He shakes his head. "I'm okay," he says hoarsely.

I cock up my eyebrow. "You're standing in my kitchen at the crack of dawn," I chuckle. "And you're drinking black coffee," I comment. "You never drink coffee."

"So do you want to tell me what's really bothering you?" I pry.

Grayson goes silent, his heavy breaths the only sound in the kitchen.

"Okay fine." I take a deep breath, leaning my head against him as I stand next to him. "You don't have to tell me. But I'm going to stand here with you until you feel better."

Grayson says something I can't make out. Not only is it under his breath, but his words are jumbled together because he says it so quickly.

"Hm?"

"I couldn't sleep," he says lamely. "I had a bad dream, it's nothing."

I place my hand over his, reassuring him. "It wasn't just nothing, though. Obviously, it made you pretty upset."

"I can't get it out of my head, Sav," He says slowly. "You lying there on those steps," he thinks out loud. "There was so much blood coming from your head and you weren't moving..." he trails off.

"But I'm okay, now, Grayson. Everything's fine," I tell him - and it's true.

Sure, I've got a couple stitches and a bad concussion but I feel great. Now that me and Gray are together I've never felt better.