Grayson's POV

I thoroughly regretd my decision to drive the two siblings. I was here to make sure Annabelle was fine and didn't get hurt in any way but her brother is the most infuriating kid ever. Every situation he makes about himself. He is an incredibly worse version of Jameson.

I adjust my eyes to the road ahead making sure I am following the directions properly.

"I have one question: will you Grayson dickhead Hawthorne please answer it." Anna's brother says from behind us. He is popping his head right next to Anna's seat.

"No" I looked in their direction for a second. Anna has her head tilted back on the headrest letting her ponytail sprawl down the back of her seat. Her brother has a smug smile and is just waiting to torment me. 

"So I'm gonna ask anyway, " he says. I hear Anna groan as he continues on, "Why are you so obsessed with my sister that you forcibly made her take you with her to see her favourite person?"

"Eth shut up or I'll let Grayson throw you out the car." It was always so strange even in sarcasm Anna could make anything believable. Like she said it with such truth.

"Okay fine.  I actually just wanted some family bonding today and your stalker roommate person is bothering me." He said while pulling her hair which caused Anna to slap him on the head.

I decided to join this strange conversation, "You are the one who wanted me to drive you."

"That's just because Anna is the worst driver ever. I bet she like paid money to bribe the instructor." I almost laughed at that. I remember when Annabelle came and said she got her licence. Jameson cracked up and started laughing telling her it was a nice joke. She was didn't talk to him for a week because she was so furious. I don't even know how he was able to get her to forgive him.

"I'm not that bad of a driver so please both of you just shut up." I wanted to watch the way her face moved. There was a small moment where you could see her real feelings before she hid them. Anna was great at secrets and hiding. I got used to it. That's why I found it so easy to read others. If I could sometimes read Annabelle's I could basically read any face.

I kept my eyes on the road. I couldn't get distracted. Not today. She would claim that she didn't need my help and me driving them was a waste of time but it wasn't. I knew how much this hurt her and part of it was my fault. Because I didn't pay enough attention before. 

Ethan leaned back in his seat, "Hey, so can someone explain the who will thing to me. Like why did you get anything and why was Mr Perfect disinherited and shit."

Annabelle rolled her eyes, "Mr perfect doesn't know."

"Yea," He continued, "But do you know."

"No"

"Oh, well that sucks."

Really regretting this. 

Annabelle's POV

I feel the atmosphere of the car shift as we drive up. The whole ride I have been debating actually seeing my mother. I haven't spoken to her in around 2 months. Last time we did speak she was screaming at me for not acknowledging her.

We eventually get to the doors of the clinic. My brother is trying his best to stay happy but I see his guilt, his sadness and anger.

I don't know how I am going to do this. I never felt any connection with my mother. I just resented her for hating me. I am trying my best today not to make this about my own feelings.

I watch as Ethan hops out of the car leaving me alone with Gray.

I turn to Grayson, "You have to stay out here."

"No, I don't," He fires back at me. 

"Ethan's dad is in there I'll get a ride back with him and you can go work on figuring out the puzzle." I say to him. 

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes Grayson."

The more Grayson stays here the more I feel like I need to run. I hear voices in my head telling me to turn around leave and don't look back. Unfortunately that's not how life works. I don't just get to turn around and run away. No matter how much I want to. 

I watch as Grayson stares deep into my eyes. I see as he bites the inner part of his cheek.

"Fine," He says as I am filled with relief. "I won't go in with you. If anything happens you need to call me."

"Deal blondie." I open the door and walk up to stand beside my brother. Giving him a small brave smile. I have to be brave for him. Even if its pretend. 

"lets go Eth." I take a step forward. and he pulls me back to stand in line with him.

"Your not going to leave me alone right?" I feel like I am going to break into a million pieces with just those 8 words. My brother, my baby brother is scared I am going to leave him. 

"No way in hell kid." I grab his hand and we walk inside.

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"Name please."

"Annabelle Casey and Ethan Casey-Hall here to see Lydia Casey-Hall." I watch the receptionist at the desk look at us with minor confusion before she typed the names into her computer. My mother made sure my name was never included in the family. The rest of them all had hyphenated names to show that they were all a team. I just got my mother's name. This was a simple way to isolate me. She wanted me to know that she never wanted me and if it was only up to her I would have never re-entered her life. 

The receptionist looked up from her computer, "Looks like your father is in there with her now. he left a note that he will come and collect you when its time to see her."

"What do we do until then," Ethan piped up beside me.

She gave him a soft calming smile, "You can wait over there on the chairs kids."

When we walked away from the desk I couldn't help but roll my eyes. 'kids'. I could pass for being around twenty and Ethan looked exactly his age. 

We both sat down facing a wall. It has a poster on it that read the words, 'Find healing and hope at our rehab centre'. I'd seen one of these at each of the four clinics I had to visit. All of them were nearly identical. Like how each clinic was supposed to be the best. Not even the best can fix her. 

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"What's taking him so long." My brother groaned.

"Need a distraction E."

In a way he looked desperate, "What could possible distract me.'

"People watching," I smile. 

"People watching?" He asked. I'd never done this with him.

"Look, " I pointed to a mother and her young daughter, "She is here visiting a parent, most likely father. She is divorced and now has a long term boyfriend. Her daughter favourite subject is definitely Art but she says it English to seem like a smart kid. Her daughters father is not in her life because of another partner and this causes the mother it get really jealous."

Ethan looked astounded.

"How did you do that?"

"What can I say, I'm psychic." I give him a small smile.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are both sitting there laughing our heads off while Ethan tries to tell me a man across the room is actually an alien from a planet 'cal wopoa'. Every person he has done he creates some mythical backstory that makes me in awe with his wild imagination. 

 From the corner of my eye I spot Ethan's dad. His face is stone cold still. His left eye is squinted and eyebrows tilted out. His bottom lip is quirked down. He just experienced something bad.

He stops in front of us, I stand up to meet his eyes. "Annabelle, your mother wants to speak to you."

I look up to his brown eyes. they are glassy nearly on the verge of breaking down.

"What about me?" Ethan asks standing up to face the both of us.

"Ethan. Not right now. She only wants to see your sister."

Ethan slumps back down into the chair looking completely defeated.

I rest my hand on his shoulder, "I'll fill you in if she says anything Eth."

He looks up, he's hopeful, "Promise."

His eyes look just like they were when he was little. The time he fell over on the ground outside and he was trying not to cry.

"Promise"

I tried to give him a smile but I just turned and walked towards where the attendant was.

—-----------------------------------

"She is in here. She may be going through a bit of withdraw so if she is a little short with you don't take it took much to heart." The attendant says as her blond hair falls slowly out of its clip.

"Don't worry I get it."

"Take all the time that you need." I hate this. I hate the attendants trying to sympathies with my mother.  They all picture her as a woman who is just truly trying her best. Maybe she is. That doesn't make her a good person though.

"I'm good on time. can I go in now?"

"Yes go right ahead."

I take a step to the door and walk in. The room is smaller than it looked. In the middle of the room there is a small table and chairs. The walls are covered in a floral wall paper making it look like something from the inside of a doll house. 

"I thought you would find this room interesting," says the blond woman who is sitting at the table.

"Looks like the inside of a doll house," I say stiffly.

She looks so calm her green eyes tempting me, "We are nothing alike. Its honestly a little silly."

"Funniest thing I've ever heard," I say sarcastically.

"You know what I mean Annie." As soon as she say the nickname I flinch, "Me and your brother look similar but you look exactly like a female version of your father."

I flinch again. Every word she says is just another way to hurt me.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" I snap.

"Calm down. Even a stupid whore like you should be able to figure that one out" One wrong move and one of us is dragged out here in handcuffs.

"I'm legally and adult you will not be getting any of my money Lydia." I watch as become even more angry then she was when I first walked through the doors. 

"I raised you." she spat. 

"No you didn't."

"That's right you were raised by a psychopath so you would be just like him.  Look at you all grown up he really was able to get exactly what he wanted." She snarled.

"You think that is going to make to bow down to you and give you money," I laugh. "You married a extremely rich man you do not need anything from me."

 "Not that you need to know but I am leaving him." The way she held her head so high like she was in no position to be looked down on. 

"You are going to leave the only person who has put up with your shit for years." I scoffed. The fact that she actually was going to do that. She was going to leave her family the one she left me to die for. 

"Yes. I need the money so I can live out my life. You owe me that much for ruining it."

"I ruined your life. Your the one who go yourself trapped there. I wasn't even alive. Everything that has happened is your own fault." My whole life I wanted to love my mother. She just made it way too hard.

"You stupid girl. You existing ruined me. You made me re-live all the awful things that happened to me. Everything he did to me. That was all your fault." Her pale face turned into a bright red from screaming at me. She looked so desperate so in need for help. All I felt was numb. All the rage all the hurt was gone. She had broken me apart and told me I was worthless one too many times. There was not a single inch of me that could even pretend to care. I just wanted out.

"Leave me the fuck alone Lydia. Don't ever try and speak to me again. I'm done." I turned around and walked out the door. 

The void of feeling and numbness didn't leave went out the door. 

I couldn't do it anymore.

 I couldn't bring myself to care about anything.

I was just

Numb.

A/n

I hope I did Grayson's POV justice. He is really hard to write. 

Hope you liked it :)