Living Famous (Emerson Series #2)

18.

"When someone loves you, the way they talk about you is different. You feel safe and comfortable."
— Jess C. Scott

Song: I Will Never Let You Down by Rita Ora

"So, when are you going to tell him?" Jessie asks with a smirk. I look up at her from where I'm laying on her bed, and just glare at her. "From past experience, you don't keep your love for someone away from them."

I give her a sympathetic smile, and nod, looking back at the ceiling. "Is it too soon though?"

"You guys have been together for well over a month now. But in my opinion, it's never too soon. Don't miss your opportunity to tell him how you feel."

"You're right. I just need to tell him."

"Yes. Go, go tell him." She smiles, looking more excited than me. I'm a ball of nerves and anxiety right now.

"Okay. Before I talk myself out of it." I push myself off of her bed, telling her goodbye, and hurry out of her room.

Gray should be home, so I'm going to go to his house in a bit to tell him. First, I'm going to change into something cuter than what I'm wearing. Which is a tank top and sweats. Can only get better from here.

When I get to my house, I say a quick hello to my parents, then rush up the stairs to my room. I throw open my closet door, and start to scan over every item of clothing I have.

After about an hour of searching, and completely destroying my room, I have finally found the perfect outfit. A blue floral sleeveless maxi dress, and gold gladiator sandals. I hang the outfit on my closet door, and get to work on my hair and makeup.

I curl my hair for fifteen minutes, only to decide I want it straight instead. So, I turn off my curling wand, and grab my straightener. I plug it in, and wait for it to heat up. While it's warming up, I start on my makeup.

I plan to keep it simple. Concealer, foundation, mascara, and eyeliner. Maybe a little highlighter and blush. Okay, not so simple I guess. I might have to forgo the eyeliner, since my hands are shaking too much.

After my third attempt at winged eyeliner, I give up and wipe it all off. I apply mascara to my eyelashes, and call it good enough. My skin is clear today, so I'm not too worried about it. And my cheeks are naturally rosy anyway.

My straightener is hot enough now, so I start to straighten my long blonde hair. I take a section from the front of each side, and braid it, tying them together in the back of my hair.

I slip on the dress, then the shoes, and take a final look in the mirror. I smile at my reflection, and grab my purse, keys, and phone, and head out of my room. I tell my parents goodbye, and hop into my Jeep, heading to Grayson's house.

When I pull up to his house, I sit in my Jeep for a moment, trying to calm my breathing a little. Finally, I get out of my Jeep, and walk to the door. I knock on the door, and wait for an answer. The door opens, and Gray stands there, smiling at me.

"Rae." He smiles, hugging me tightly. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." I smile, kissing him softly. "I'm sorry for showing up unannounced, but I need to talk to you. About why I've been so weird lately."

"Okay. Come on in. Nobody else is home." He leads me into the living room, and we sit down on the couch. "What's going on?"

"I... I haven't known how to say this. I've been scared to, actually. Because it's so soon. Like, really soon. But Jess talked me into finally telling you." He nods, watching me intently, looking confused. I let out a deep breath, before continuing. "I love you, Grayson."

He just stares at me, not moving, not speaking a word. His face is blank, and I can't tell what he's thinking. Then his eyebrows furrowed, and he looks away. "I'm sorry, Rae."

"Sorry?" I ask, not understanding.

"I appreciate you telling me, but I can't say it back." He tells me, and I nod slowly.

"Right. Um... I'm gonna go." I jump up from the couch and quickly walk to the door.

"Wait! Please don't go." He begs, but I just shake my head and keep walking. I walk out of the house, not wanting him to see my tears.

He doesn't love me. That should be okay, right? It's too soon. I knew it was too soon.

I hop in my Jeep, ignoring his attempts to get me to stay, and speed off, not glancing back once. I need to get away from here. My heart hurts, my head hurts, everything hurts. I shouldn't feel this betrayed, I knew it was too soon, but I thought he would at least react differently. Not say he's sorry.

I turn a corner, as a car is coming from the other direction. I realize I'm in the other lane, my eyes blurry from the tears, and I swerve to get back into my lane. I over correct, and end up losing control. My Jeep veers off of the road, and begins to flip down an embankment.

I let out a scream, as I flip once, twice, three times, until finally coming to a stop, upside down. Glass is shattered all around me, and I'm trapped by my seatbelt. I smell smoke, and I know my car is about to catch fire. But I'm stuck. I try to unclip my seatbelt, but it won't budge.

The smoke gets darker, and the smell is stronger. I start to cough, struggling to get my seatbelt off still. I can hear sirens in the distance, but I'm afraid they won't get here until it's too late. My head throbs, and everything goes black.