Psychosis || Grayson Dolan - Book One

XI

Jack drove you two to the Starbucks closest to the institution and paid for your coffee. He was so nice. He held the door open for you, let you order first (even though you had no clue what you wanted), and he let you pick where you sat.

"So, how long have you been working at the hospital" you ask him, sipping on your dark roast vanilla latte. It was heavenly.

"Only a couple days. Maybe like four" he questions, unsure of how long.

"Oh me too. I started on Sunday, so today is my third day" you smile, causing him to smile with you.

"Well at least we're both new. I didn't want to be a newbie all by myself" he laughs nervously, twirling his straw through his drink to mix the sugar and cream. His ocean blue eyes were fixated on the swirling liquid in his cup.

"Why did you want to be a guard?"

His eyes re-focus on you, "I um" he clears his throat, "thought it'd be kind of fun" he says honestly, finishing the mixing of his drink before sipping it.

"Fun" you question, your eyebrow raising in confusion.

"Yeah, I didn't think it'd be much fun to be at a boring ass desk job, so a guard at a mental hospital sounded more fun" he says truthfully. He shrugs his shoulders along with his statement, smirking a little to himself.

Fuck, those dimples.

"Hey, I have a boring ass desk job" you defend, laughing at him.

His eyes widen slightly, realizing you really do. "Oh, no I didn't mean you. I-i meant like an accountant or a-"

"It's okay, Jack" you continue to laugh. A few people stared your way, but you didn't care.

He places his hand over his heart, exhaling deeply, "okay". He starts to smile, looking at you carefully. His eyes wandering your hair. Then your face. Your lips, rounding to your neck. Then he focuses on your eyes, giving you perfect access to his. You smile to yourself as they crinkle at the side, indicating his big smile.

The longer you look, the darker they get. The blue slowly turns to a hazel color, matching Grayson's. Your eyebrows crease and you look away.

What the hell.

Your mind was playing tricks on you. Grayson's eyes were stuck in the back of your mind, controlling you. Judging you for being here with Jack.

"M-maybe we should go back" you say.

Jack's eyes widen as he questions what he did to make you uncomfortable. "Did I do something? It was the job thing wasn't it? God, I'm so sorry" he rambles, burrying his face in his hands.

You laugh at him, "no it wasn't that. I just have some paperwork to get done on a patient." The lie just flew off your tongue and you mentally curse yourself because of it.

"Oh, what patient" he asks, standing up. He grabs his coffee in one hand and takes out his keys with the other.

You said the first thing that came to your mind, "Grayson Dolan". His face instantly turns sour. He just nods, making a sly comment as you two walk out to his car.

"Isn't he the one that killed his girlfriend?" You nod.

Jack's eyes widen as he unlocks his car door. You walk around to the other side, sliding in the seat and closing the door. "What was that face for?" You giggle, seeing him smirk.

"It's crazy. How can you kill someone you claim to love?" You think back on what Grayson's file said.

"Well she cheated on him and it was a crime of passion type thing" you defend, "they were engaged."

"Oh. I see," he starts his car and pulls out of the parking space, heading to the lot exit, "so he had his blood boiling and decided to stab someone and choke the other to death?" His blue eyes fix on you as he sits at the stop sign, waiting for traffic to slow before he pulls out onto the main road.

"Well, he used asphyxiation on Stacey" you state correctly.

Jack's eyebrows furrow, indicating he wasn't following whatever that meant. You sigh in a light manner, "it means he cut off her air supply enough to let her suffer, instead of die immediately..." as you think back on it, you realize it wasn't a crime of passion. Grayson thought about it before doing it. Asphyxiation cuts off the air supply, causing someone to convulse for... hours before death. He had a plan for a killing. For her, at least. Her lover wasn't exactly a unique kill.

"Still think it was heat of the moment?" Jack asks as he pulls onto the road, looking at you just long enough to see you shake your head, 'no'.

"I don't."

Grayson's POV

"So how's Bettleman's new assistant?" Her bright eyes stare me down, as if she was expecting me to say something dumb or cute like, 'not like you'.

Yeah right.

"She's great" i say, looking her dead in the eyes. She rolls her eyes to the side, using her tongue to suck her front teeth in annoyance. "What? Were you expecting me to say you were better? Because you weren't. You never helped me." My hands are cuffed in my lap, my nails digging into the fabric of my pants. Us 'patients' are only put in orange jumpsuits when we're transferred somewhere. Like court, where i'll be tomorrow.

"I helped you plenty, Grayson" she defends.

"Yeah. You helped me get my dick wet" i scoff, looking around the room. Each corner had a camera, taping every angle.

"You're a fucking asshole" she spits, leaning back in her chair. Her arms cross over her light blue shirt-covered chest. My mind wanders to what's underneath. "No wonder it took me this long to come see you."

I laugh maniacally, knowing the reason she waited was because she was awaiting another trial. "Oh, please. No one made you come see me. It was your own idea baby" i speak in a dark tone, leaning forward. I raise my arms up to rest on the table as i stand to lean all the way over, getting close enough that i could smell her sickly sweet perfume that i indulged myself in so many nights. Her breath hitches when i'm a mere foot from her face with my own. "You wanted to see me because there may be a chance that i will get out after my trial" her eyes squint, "a chance that you won't have to raise our child alone."

She lets out a shaky breath, "i'll always be alone. Because you'll never be stable enough for a family, Grayson."

I laugh in her face, still leaned over the metal table, "you're right." I sit back down in my chair, "i'll never be stable enough for a family." The fact didn't hurt my feelings. Not one bit. It made me happy. "I'll never have to hear a baby cry. Listen to you bitch. Clean a house. Pay bills. I'm more free than you ever will be, you slut" i spit.

A tear forms in each cold eye of hers, "it's not my fault i got pregnant, Grayson!"

"What, so you expected a guy in a mental facility to have condoms?" She stays silent. "That's what i thought."

"I can't do this" she exclaims, standing to her feet before grabbing her purse. "I'll see you at your hearing tomorrow" i cut her off, "don't fucking bother."

A small sniffle leaves her nose, just like it did after she told me she was pregnant. She walks to the door, waiting until someone opens it. As soon as it's opened, the guard comes to grab me as well, leading me back to my cold cell.