red hot | grayson dolan

thirty five

GRAYSON

"Oh my god, this house is beautiful!" Molly lets out a loud gasp as we step through the doors of Landon and Lily's brand new home.

As annoying as she is, she isn't wrong. Landon and Lily decorated this house to perfection. I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a home decor magazine.

The minute you walk in, there's a bright crystal chandelier hanging in the living room. I would love to know how many diamonds are covering it.

Ironically, the song Material Girl by Madonna is playing from the radio in the corner of the den. My eyes take in the elegant setup of black couches with white fluffy pillows scattered across them.

A statue of a panther is sitting next to the fireplace. There's a long staircase that leads to a mysterious upper level. Shit, this is fancy.

"Yeah, it's amazing." I mumble in awe as my eyes glance around the luxurious mansion.

"I feel like we're in a museum." Ethan chuckles while shaking his head.

"We practically are." I gulp and glance around the party.

There's a lot of guests sitting in the kitchen and mingling in the dining room. I didn't realize this many people would be here, and that puts me on edge.

"I can't wait to meet all your friends." Molly say while looping her arm through mine.

"Yeah." I awkwardly clear my throat, trying not to sound too annoyed.

"The Dolan twins are in the house!" A voice yells in the distance, and suddenly all eyes are on us.

"Hey man." Ethan waves to the person who called out our names.

Landon and Lily approach us holding hands. They both have happy smiles on their faces, and that calms me down. Seeing them so in love is sickening yet adorable.

They really are the perfect match for each other. I'm glad she got away from Ethan's wild and destructive behavior. Just like Avery got away from mine.

"I'm so glad you guys are here." Landon pulls me into a quick hug and I pat his shoulder.

"Of course, I am the best man after all." I let out a small laugh.

"This place is sick." Ethan smiles while greeting our guitarist.

"It only took us seven months to finish, but it's finally done." Lily giggles while glancing at my date. I can already see her eyes widening.

"Babe, are you going to introduce me?" Molly speaks up and I sigh.

"Molly, this is Landon and Lily. The bride and groom to be."

"Nice to meet you." Landon shakes her hand.

"Pleasure is all mine. I was so happy Grayson invited me to this party." She lets out an obnoxious laugh, and I cringe.

"Yeah, glad you could make it." Lily flashes a fake smile her way.

"Love the music choice, Madonna is an instant party classic. Don't you agree, babe?" She flips her hair to the side while looking back at me.

"I don't really listen to pop music." I mumble and automatically scan the room again. I don't know who else will be appearing at any moment.

My eyes suddenly latch onto Austin, who is walking over to us. A red solo cup is in his hand, and my stomach drops at the sight. It's something I haven't seen in awhile.

"Relax, it's just water." He says to me while rolling his eyes.

"Good to see you, man." I exclaim, and actually mean it. I miss how close Austin and I were.