Grayson's POV
I was so surprised to see Chase.
I didn't know what to make of it.
I wasn't expecting him.
I had spoken to him only a few hours ago. I didn't think any of us still had the strength to be running about like he was. Especially not for that case. It was well underway and I didn't see any reason I should stress myself about it.
Uncle Mike was a bit of a criminal himself anyways.
Plus we'd done the whole confession thing, and Emma, whose implication I had foremost in mind, being the main reason I decided to look into the case, was someone I had made peace with.
Lily wouldn't want me to continue, so I was dropping it in her honor.
"Chase, man I have no business with that shit anymore." I said truthfully.
"You can't say that." He replied.
"And since when did you start to tell me what I can and cannot say?" I asked.
"That's not what I meant." He corrected himself. "I'm only saying that it's not right."
"So you now tell me what's right and what isn't?" I asked him. "Aren't you together with Emma anymore?" I asked, wondering why he was hellbent on a case that could implicate her.
"It's none of her business anymore." He said. "Or her mom's." He added.
"Whose is it?" I asked, getting tired of running in circles.
"I just wanted to get the puck versation done with and retire into my shell." I was done with socializing, temporarily. I had to figure out what I wanted out of my life.
My dad had requested the school let me take my exams online.
On the basis of Lily's death, I had been granted my request.
It granted me all the time in the world to figure out what I wanted.
"I literally said your mom's life is at risk, Gray, and I mean it." He repeated.
I thought it was just sometimes he said in passing.
Her husband was a real piece of shit, I heard my dad fixing to place him behind bars, otherwise, nothing else threatened my family's peace.
"Yeah, I heard that." I was getting bored.
"And you're not bothered?" He asked, looking really surprised. "Don't you like to have your family around for longer?" He asked again.
I was stretched emotionally and mentally, and Chase was stretching me further.
I was tired, didn't sleep the whole night, and left the hospital around five in the morning.
I couldn't sleep.
"You're gonna threaten me with that?" I asked, chuckling dryly.
"I'm not." He said, and looked around a bit backfire saying the next thing he did. "My dad is." He whispered.
I shot him an unbelieving look, causing I couldn't believe how anything concerned his dad in the whole thing.
I'd barely seen Chase's dad, and whenever I did, he never really fancied me cause he didn't his son either.
Strangely it was one of the reasons Chase held me closer.
"What does that mean?" I asked, looking around like he'd done before.
"I think your mom has some explaining to do." He said instead.
I hated the suspense, and I hated for him to see that I was interested, but I had to do what I had to do, so I went to grab her from downstairs where she was with my dad. Thankfully, they weren't banging each other's brains out like they'd been doing the whole time.
"Can I steal her for a bit?" I asked my dad.
He knew I lost Lily, and he pitied me so hard. The old man brought me coffee in bed earlier, even though I wasn't sleeping. He had my mom make toast, he kept coming to check up on me.
I got tired of his pity visits and decided to do something else, music, and that was when Chase walked in.
"Just please do not take her out of this house." He warned, protecting his own interests.
I smiled a bit. The man was smitten, they were falling in love all over again, and it was good to see. They had plans of getting her a job, he was gonna let her work this time around and she was so happy. They had also bought a space not so far away to set up their own library and laboratory too.
"I'll be back." My mom said to my dad and smiled.
I was so happy to have her back, regardless of everything that had happened.
It's the one thing I'd always wanted from her.
My step siblings were gonna stay with their dad, and while it'd have been great if they came, I didn't want any reminder of her being away from us for so long, so it worked for all.
She had her hand across my shoulder all the while. She was a pretty tall woman, but my shoulders were still a stretch for her.
"I remember carrying you up these stairs to bed." She said, reminiscing.
"Well, I do not." I said truthfully.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, looking at me skeptically, "I mean, other than what happened already, sadly. I wish I could meet her." She added.
I loved my mom, but there was a strange, weird feeling, like she was trying to make up for all the lost time and it was so overbearing.
"You don't have to, mom." I said.
She noticed that my body had gone rigid, and so, took her hand off. I felt bad, but I was only doing what she did in summer, 2012, putting myself first.
Ten years later, but there are things that time doesn't change.
"You must be mad at me." She said, looking away.
"I'm not, mom." I hate myself for making her feel that way.
"It's okay." She sighed.
We were soon in my room, and so we had to chill because of Chase's presence.
"Oh,my!" She exclaimed, "what a fine young man you have become." She said,
We both exchanged looks. It was funny that she acted like she was just seeing him when in fact he passed by them on his way here. "He passed you guys on his way here, mom." I said what was on Chase's mind, and he smiled, nervously.
"You must forgive me." My mom said, putting a hand to her chest. "I didn't pay any mind, I mean, I couldn't." She said and blushed. I was a bit embarrassed on her behalf, but I'd have had it no other way.
"It's okay, ma'am." Chase said in reply.
"How's your mom?" My mom asked, k immediately looked up from my laptop I tried to busied myself with while she flushed and blushed before Chase, "She must look quite old now herself. She always had beautiful skin though. She was every skin care producer's dream." My mom closed her eyes, reliving the memory in her mind.
My mom and Chase's had been friends. Then one day they fell out, I never really knew why, never cared, just as long as it did affect my friendship with Chase.
I looked in his eyes for any sign of hurt or annoyance, even just a slight flinch, but there was none.
"She's dead." He said, dryly.
My mom gasped, and even lost her balance.
My next look at her, she'd begun to tear up.
"I nearly almost started making plans to pay her a visit." My mom said, more to herself than to us.
We both gave her a moment to get herself together, after which she sat on the edge of my bed.
I looked away immediately. If only she'd known the amount of ladies I'd had there at once, she would spring up and chant her hymns and stuff she says when she's scared. My mom was a really religious person.
"We have questions, Mrs McKinsey." Chase addressed her by my father's name, an honest mistake, I'm sure, but she didn't seem to mind either way.
"Sure." She said, "Shoot. I hope I'm still in the right frame of mind to provide the answers you seek." She said,
"You sure are." He said. "Before I do though, my sincerest condolences on Mike." He said.
"Oh, thank you. We grew apart before his death, sadly. But Gray always loved him." She looked at me with pride in her eyes.
I really could get used to that.
"My dad has ordered your murder." Chase said, taking the bull by the horn.
My eyes flew wide open in shock. I couldn't believe what had just come out of his mouth.