Hello Stranger

Chapter 13

"I'm not living with you," I reply.

Grayson let out a sigh of annoyance. "Funny, I don't remember asking."

"Because you're a dick who doesn't care how I feel about what you just said," I remark.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk a lot? Because you do," Grayson said as he continued to drive. I assumed he was driving to his house, but I wasn't positive about that. He still wouldn't answer most of my questions.

"You're a pompous ass," I say rolling my eyes. He was unbelievable.

"I'm a deranged pompous ass?" Grayson asks in amusement.

"YES!" I yell. Grayson slams on the break causing me to scream in fear. "You ass! My brother was just in a car accident!"

"We're here," Grayson blatantly states as he gets out of the car. He grabs my bag out the back, too. He walks over to my door and opens it before he starts walking away. But notices I'm not following. I was still sitting in the car with my arms crossed against my chest. He walks back to the car and reaches to pick me up again.

I swat away his hands. "I'm not getting out of this car until you apologize to me!" I yell.

"Are you serious?" Grayson was looking at me as if I said something stupid.

"Deadly serious," I reply with a shrug.

Grayson sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Just when I thought he was going to apologize, he yanked me out of the car and threw me over his shoulder once again. Then, he started walking to the house after he closed the car door with his foot. "What is wrong with you? You're a sociopath!"

"Would you shut up already?!" Grayson says sternly. As he went inside.

"No! Put me down!" I yell back. I could see Aaron, Ethan, Cameron, and Ellie look at us from the couch in shock.

"Just shut up," Grayson says carrying me up the stairs. I could see Ellie start to get up to help, but Aaron immediately stopped her. They all just watched me struggling as Grayson carried me upstairs.

He walked into a room and slammed the door behind us before throwing me on the bed. I felt dizzy for a moment, so I let my vision refocus. He brought me to his room. I was in his room again. "What the hell-"

Before I could finish, Grayson cut me off. "I'm sorry. Okay?"

"What?" I say in shock. I didn't even realize at first that it came out as a whisper.

"I said I'm sorry," Grayson repeats. I stood up and started to walk toward him. We stood there face to face, with barely any space between us, looking at each other in our eyes. I started to speak but the second I did, he was out the door. He left the room shutting the door behind him, leaving me alone in his room. I glance around the room when my eyes stop by the door. He put my bag on the floor. He doesn't seriously think I'm staying in his room, does he?

I take a deep breath and sit down with my back on the bed. Why am I here? Why did Grayson of all people bring me here? What about Asher?

Everything just felt so complicated. And all of it started with me that bonfire. That stupid bonfire Lizzie and Xavier hosted. It was supposed to bring us closer. It was supposed to make things better, but instead, everything's been falling apart for me. The day after, everything fell apart. I ruined Joey and Lizzie's relationship, I saw Drew, I got drunk and danced with someone who acts as if he hates me, Asher got in a car with my ex and was in an accident, and my mom came and left without saying anything. Nothing that felt right before, feels right anymore.

Xavier and Asher had always been the constants in my life. They were always my safe place, yet I found out Xavier's been keeping a secret from me that he knows I deserved to know about. He lied two years ago when Jackson came back. He said Jackson never talked to him. If he lied about that, what else did he lie about? I don't know if I should trust him anymore. I don't know who to trust anymore. All I can see is what can go wrong and not what can go right with people. What's wrong with me? Why am I so broken?