Chapter 55

A few days later, my friends and I were at a fancy store in the city that sells formal wear. Lucy insisted that she, with the help of her father’s credit card, would be paying for our outfits for the wedding. Which, to me, seemed far too generously outrageous. I mean, her dad is already paying for the entire wedding, and there’s also the honeymoon to Greece, which Lucy had mentioned.

“So, did you ask your soon-to-be stepmom if I could be one of her bridesmaids?” Hannah asked as Lucy checked herself out in the mirror.

“She didn’t even want me to be one of her bridesmaids. My dad basically forced her to.” Lucy says.

“You should totally wear white.” Hannah says. “Put that bitch in her place.”

“White isn’t a good shade on anyone, trust me. If I ever get married, I plan on wearing a red wedding dress.” Lucy says. “Boys, did you pick something yet?” She turned to Jake, Phillip, Cody and I. We were all seated on the sofa, bored out of our minds.

“I already have a tux at home.” Says Cody. “So I’m good.”

“Phillip?” Lucy raised an eyebrow at him.

“Uh, I don’t know what to wear.” He says.

“We’ve been here for hours!” She groaned.

“Uh, actually, we have only been here for half an hour.” Jake corrected.

“Guys, you’re all supposed to be looking for an outfit, not sitting around like a bunch of single dads.” Lucy groaned.

“All these outfits are dumb.” Jake argued.

Thankfully, as they escalated their argument, my phone began ringing. I pull my phone out and answer it.

“Hello?” I speak into the phone.

“Hey.” I recognised his voice instantly.

I stand up from where I was seated and walk somewhere more quieter so that I could hear him and not my friends arguing.

“Did you finally get a new phone?” I asked him.

“Nah. I stole my mom’s when she wasn’t looking.” He says. “And get this, it turns out that she’s screwing the sheriff.”

I was actually speechless.

So that’s how she got a restraining order against me…

That sounds…. Illegal?

“Really?”

“Yeah. She agreed to cancel it, or retract it, whatever they call it.” He says.

“That’s good, I guess.” I say.

“Anyways, what are you doing?” He asked.

“I’m in the city.” I tell him. “Lucy is making us buy our outfits for her dad’s wedding.”

“Did you pick out something yet?”

“Not yet. But if I don’t find something soon, I think she might actually murder me.” I whispered dramatically.

“I bet whatever outfit you choose to wear will look hot.” He says, causing my face to redden.

“So, are you going to be there or-“

“Shit, I gotta go.” He interrupted me. “I’ll, uh, talk to you later?”

“Okay. Bye.” I hang up.

I take a breather before deciding to turn around and head back to my friends.

“Was that Grayson?” Lucy wondered.

“Yeah.” I say.

“Did he say if he is coming to the wedding?”

“I don’t know.” I answered, looking down at my blank phone screen.

“Ooh, Dal, I almost forgot that I found the perfect tuxedo for you.” Lucy says, rushing out of sight temporarily before returning with a pink tux.

“You’re joking, right?” I scoffed.

“What’s wrong with it, I think it looks cute.” She says.

“Even the hottest guy on earth wouldn’t look good in that thing.” Hannah said.

“I agree.” Jake added.

“Well, if you all don’t hurry up and choose something yourselves within the next twenty minutes, you’re all going to be wearing one of these.” She says with a menacing tone of voice, and it kind of scares me.

Hannah laughed.

“What are you laughing at?” Lucy asked her with a pointed look.

Hannah’s face went all serious.

“If you don’t pick a dress, I’m going to make you wear polka dots.” Lucy says.

Hannah gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Twenty minutes, or else.” Lucy warned.

When I get home that afternoon, my family are seated in the living room eating an early dinner. I close the front door behind me and kick off my shoes before starting towards the stairs.

“How was your day?” Mom asked.

“Good.” I tell her, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.

“What’s that in your hands?” Dad asks.

“It’s a tuxedo for Lucy’s dads wedding.” I answered.

I’m getting seriously tired of saying wedding.

“How did you afford that?” Mitchell asked. “I mean, I know you have a job now but there’s no way you can afford a tux.”

“Lucy bought it with her dad’s card.” I say. “They’re like super rich or something, apparently.”

“Are you hungry?” Mom asked me. “We ordered in pizza and mozzarella sticks.”

“Uh, sure. Just let me take this upstairs and I’ll be right back down.” I quickly head upstairs and hang my tuxedo in the closet before heading back downstairs and stuffing my face with pizza.

After eating, I head back upstairs and decided to have a semi-warm shower before getting dressed into a pair of cozy, flannel plaid pajamas and jumping into my bed.

I was so tired that I fell asleep almost instantly.

I wake up hours later to my phone vibrating like crazy from my bedside table. I reluctantly roll over and reach over to pick it up. With weary eyes, I look down at the screen to see the same number that Grayson had used to call me earlier. His mother’s number.

I answer. “Hi?”

“Hey.” His voice was calm and smooth.

I let out a prolonged yawn that seemed to hurt my jaw.

“I’m sorry, you were sleeping. I shouldn’t have called.”

“No, it’s fine.” I tell him, rubbing my eyes awake with the bottom of my left palm. “What’s up?”

I hear him clear his throat before he starts talking again. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Did you try counting sheep?” I joked.

He feigned a chuckle before fading into silence. All I could hear was his breathing on the other end.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

He takes in a sharp breath before exhaling. “I had a nightmare.” He choked.

“What about?” I wondered.

“I saw you..” He says. “You were walking across the street, and the car was coming… but I didn’t make it in time.”

Oh.

“I’m okay, Grayson. We’re both okay.” I tell him.

It goes silent on his end for a minute.

“Can I tell you something?”

I seated myself upward with my back against the headboard as I replied to him. “Always. You can tell me anything.”

“It’s embarrassing. Promise you won’t laugh?”

“I promise.”

He releases a quavering breath before continuing. “I wish you were here.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“Really?” I queried.

“Yes, really.”

An uncontrollable smile took over my face as I respond. “I wish I was there too.”

We ended up talking for another hour or so before he eventually fell asleep and snored softly through the phone.

“Goodnight Grayson.” I say before I had also fallen asleep.