never be the same | grayson dolan

forty seven

The rush of adrenaline I feel while running into Grayson's arms ignites every ounce of me. Wrapping my legs around him, I use my small weight to pull his body close to mine. I can't control the tears that stream down my face as I rest my head on his broad shoulder. After a week of misery, it feels amazing to be home. I move my head back to stare into those beautiful brown eyes with a wide smile. He places me back down on the ground and runs his thumb over my cheek.

"Why are you crying?" He gently asks.

"I'm so happy to be here with you. I had a terrible week," I begin my break down. "And I need to tell you about it."

"I know it involves your mother and NYU." He sighs. "Although that doesn't surprise me."

"You know about it?" I look up at him confused.

"How? I was planning on telling you when I got here."

"Your dad mentioned it." He slowly responds.

"Fucking Bill." I mumble with a longing sigh. "Grayson, I am so sorry I didn't say anything to you about it. I didn't want you to worry and I wanted to-"

"Madison, it's okay." He cuts me off with a whisper. "I'm not angry about it. I completely understand."

My eyes make its way to look down at the beautiful roses in his hand. "You got me roses?"

"Yeah, I know they're your favorite." He grins and hands me the flowers.

"They're gorgeous." I beam down at them.

"Just like you." He smiles before cupping my face and colliding his perfectly parted lips with mine. My stomach turns with excitement at the feeling of his lips on me. He breaks away from our kiss and looks down. "I am so happy you're here."

"Me too." I smile brightly while picking up my dropped duffle bag. "I'm excited to have a drama free weekend without my mother."

Grayson removes my bag from my arm and places it around his shoulder. "It's going to be a great couple of days."

I intertwine my fingers with his as we exit the airport and step into the warm Florida air. I take this moment in with a smile as I look at the familiar palm trees and bright green grass around me. Grayson leads me over to a parking garage where the family car is parked. My father suddenly steps out of it holding out a bouquet of sunflowers.

"Dad!" I beam as I run toward him.

"There's my beautiful daughter." He smiles while pulling me into a hug and kissing the top of my head.

"These are for you." He hands me the flowers with a grin. "Consider it a welcome home gift."

"I love it." I smile down at the two different types of flowers in my hand.

The bright yellow sunflowers perfectly represent my father while the dark and lustful roses perfectly represent Grayson. "Thank you both so much." I turn to look back at Grayson who has the back seat open. He smiles at me before getting into the car and sitting behind the passenger seat. I get in right after him and the three of us head home.

"Now that I'm here, Thanksgiving is my new favorite holiday." I giggle as I stare back at my father.

"You always loved Thanksgiving." He corrects my statement. "It's our tradition to watch the parade in the morning."

"Yeah but I hate how we never had home cooked meals." I deeply sigh. "The turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes. We always ate at fancy Italian restaurants that have nothing to do with the holiday." I cross my arms over my chest and peer out the window.