Back

You thought he was dead, but there he is, right in front of you on the street, smiling at you. Your heart racing, your hands trembling, as beads of sweat fall down your forehead. He reaches his hand out and gently caresses your shoulder.

You stand perfectly still, in shock that he is there in the flesh. You grab his hand that is caressing your shoulder, you want to make sure it is real. His hand in yours feels so familiar, it brings back so many memories.

He intertwines his fingers with yours, looks deeply in your eyes and smiles. You look back at his gorgeous blue eyes, they had always had the power to suck you in.

“How are you here?” you ask.

“How could I not be?” he asked.

“I thought you were dead” you responded “I thought I had lost you forever"

“Yea if Nolan had it his way, I would be" he said. You are shocked that he has said Nolan, your close friend would want him dead.

“Grayson, what are you talking about? Why would Nolan want you dead?” you ask.

Grayson drops your hand suddenly fearful, then kisses your cheek “I have to go” He then turns and walks down the street, around the corner out of your sight.

You stand there in shock, not sure if what you saw was real, and unsure if it was real if you would ever see Grayson again.

A black car pulls up on the street beside you but in your trance you do not realize it.

“Hey, Sophia. What are you doing” the voice from the car said.

You jumped startled back into reality, you turn to look at the voice coming from the car, it was Nolan.

At a loss you stumbled across your word “Oh… I am… ugh"

“Out for your nightly walk" Nolan offered.

You shake your head and say “Yea, my nightly walk”

You leave out the part where you passed a store then decided to go back to it because you wanted a drink as you forgot to bring your water, then upon turning around saw Grayson. Grayson who everyone thought was dead, who Grayson said Nolan wanted dead. You knew you could not tell anyone that you saw Grayson.

“Are you o.k. you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Nolan asked.

“Yea, I am fine" you lie to him. “Do you want a ride home?" Nolan asks.

You do not want to get in Nolan's car with him, as Grayson has made some serious accusations against him, that if true then Nolan is not safe for you to be around. However, you do not want to rouse suspicion with Nolan.

So you say “Yes, thank you"

Nolan opens the back door in front of you, you sit down in the back seat beside Nolan. You close the door behind you, and the driver started driving. You are nervous and it shows, but you try to hide it anyway. Nolan looks you up and down, realizing that something is off.

“Are you sure you are alright?” Nolan asks unconvinced that you are o.k.

“Yea" you answer, then offer as an excuse to why you may seem off “I am just hungry, I have not eaten yet"

“Oh, well we can get something to eat before we take you home" Nolan offered.

Worried about what he would think if you said no you answer “Yes, that sounds great, thank you"

Nolan tells the driver to go to Antony’s a very under lit, romantic Italian restaurant. Normally you would believe that Nolan just liked the food, but after seeing Grayson, you are unsure of Nolan's intentions. The host seats you two at a small table in the corner. You get spaghetti and he gets carpaccio. As you are eating your spaghetti, you notice Nolan staring at you. You smile back at him uncomfortably.

“Are you alright?” Nolan asks “You seem a little off today.”

You chew the spaghetti in your mouth, upon swallowing the food you reply “Yea, I am fine. What do you mean”

“I do not know, you just seem a little stand offish” Nolan stated.

“Oh, well I am not trying to be" you answer “I am sorry if I am being rude"

“No, not rude, just a little weird" Nolan responded, then reached over and grabbed your hand.

“Really?” you ask worried he knows about Grayson.

“Yes, and it is o.k., I feel the same way" Nolan stated.

You surprised say “You feel the same way about what?”

“About you" Nolan answered.

“You feel the same way about me as I feel about what?” you ask.

Nolan chuckles “ I have feelings for you as well, I have for a while"

“Oh" you answer.

Although it was true, you did start to have feelings for Nolan as you had been spending more and more time with him. But now, with Grayson back, and him telling you about Nolan's role in his ‘death’ you are not even sure who Nolan was. But you are also fearful of Nolan finding out Grayson is alive and what Nolan would do if he knew you know you have to keep up the rouse.

You squeeze his hand and say “Yes, that is true. I have feelings for you. But I do not what that means, Grayson has been gone for less than a year"

“You are not disrespecting his memory by moving on with your life" Nolan assures you.

“I know, you are right. It just dies not ease the guilt I feel" you respond.

The waiter comes over and asks how everything is, you tell him the food is delicious, then ask for a container for your left over food and the bill. Upon paying the bill you and Nolan leave, Nolan drops you off at your house. Nolan walks you to your door.

“I know that things are still hectic, and you are still grieving but I need you to know I am here when you are ready" Nolan says softly.

“Thank you" you answer.

Nolan leans in and kisses your cheek, and then your lips. You reluctantly kiss him back. Nolan moves back with a smile, then turns around and walks to his car and is driven home.

You unlock your door and walk inside your house and turn on the light. You see Grayson sitting on your couch and jump back, and take a labored breath inward.

“Oh my God, what are you doing here? Nolan could have seen you" you exclaim.

“Well now I know why he tried to kill me. I just need to prove it and put him away forever. Will you help me?” Grayson asks.

“Yes, I will" you answer determined.