RUNAWAY
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR...!

❝ BEEN SOMETHING MORE , SEASON
SEVEN ❞

       JENNIE was never against being in a relationship with someone.

After being single for almost twenty years, the teen began wondering if it was because of how she was. She wondered if she pushed opportunities upon opportunities away, in fear she might get herself hurt.

No— that would be crazy. Right?

"Oh my God, shut up." She rolled her eyes, but his laughter made her lips smile as well, "Are you always this annoying to people you don't know?"

"Just you." Grayson told her, "Besides, I can tell we're probably going to be best friends by the end of the week. Might as well get used to me being annoying now."

"We're not going to be friends."

( Chapter Three : Malthusian Theory )

"We should hang out again." He told her.

"We really shouldn't." Jennie stated, bluntly, "Not to mention, there's like a 90% chance you're like— an axe murderer, so, I don't know how much I count against that."

( Chapter Four : Neck Pillows )

"I had a fun day with you today, Jennie." He told her, as they walked to her vehicle.

"Don't get used to it. This is the last time I'm doing this with you." Jennie told him, unlocking her car.

(Chapter Five : Frozen Yogurt )

Okay— maybe the assumption that she pushed people away wasn't too far off.

She sat in a nearby coffee shop, her leg bouncing up and down. Grayson and her made plans to meet there, planning on talking about what happened a couple years ago.

To say she was nervous would be an understatement.

"Jennie."

She didn't know if she wanted to look just yet. Because she knew once she looked, she would see someone who changed her perception on life in many different ways. She would see someone who made her feel good and bad, the two feelings constantly switching.

She would see him.

Finally, she turned to the man who stood in front of the table she was seated at, quickly scanning his face.

He looked different, but also the same. How was that even possible?

Finally she cleared her throat, offering the man a small smile.

"Hey, Grayson."

—

"HOW have you been?"

That was the first thing Jennie said after the long silence between them. Grayson's eyes, which were previously focused on his cup of coffee, looked up at the girl, before he spoke.

"Good." He told her, "Really good, actually. I'm on a break right now, but I'll be out of college next year, and hopefully by then, I'll be accepted into law school. I'm actually— starting my application process now."

Jennie looked at the man, surprised at his words, "You're going to be a lawyer?"

"If all goes well." He nodded, "Hopefully it does. I mean, I've been working my ass off for the past three years. I'm gonna be kinda pissed if I don't make it."

With that, Jennie laughed, ultimately causing the small smile on Grayson's face to widen.

Even after almost three years, he still adored the sound of her laugh.

"What about you?" He asked her, curious.

"Uh, well—" Jennie began, trying to think of what to tell him, "I also graduate next year. I'm planning on taking this Honors Intership during the summer. It's a ten week program that'll give me some experience before applying to the academy."

"Wow." He chuckled, "I kinda forgot you're like— a rockstar."

"Hardly." She shook her head, "You're going to law school, for pete's sake."

"And you're going to be a freaking agent." He told her, "Not to mention how you're a year younger than me, and already graduating soon. Sounds like a rockstar to me."

As he took another sip of his coffee, she only rolled her eyes, with a small smile on her lips.

He really did miss it.

Her smile.

"Um, Grayson—" Jennie began, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, as she looked down at her hands, "Do you think we could talk about— it?"

He immediately knew what she meant by 'it'.

He wasn't surprised at the question. He knew it would be brought up eventually, either by him or Jennie. I mean— it was the whole reason they hadn't seen each other in almost three years.

It was why they were in the coffee shop that afternoon.

"Yeah. Yeah— let's talk about it."

—

       "I WENT TO CONNECTICUT."

Grayson told her, after an extended silence. Ironically enough, the whole situation with George Foyet was so much to explain, but it seemed like there were no words to explain it.

"After my dad died, my uncle and I moved there." He continued, "It was hard at first, but we just learned to get used to it. After I started going to Yale, school pretty much occupied my mind for the most part. Of course— I never forgot about what happened that day. The day I found out my dad was a serial killer. I-I never stopped thinking about it. I just— pushed it aside. Tried to, at least."

Jennie stayed quiet for a moment, letting his words process in her brain. That was before she looked down at her hands once more, before back up at the man.

"When did you snap?"

Grayson tilted his head slightly, "What do you mean?"

"After pushing it aside." She explained, "When did it become too much to— hold in, so much that you snapped?"

Grayson looked down at his coffee cup for a moment, biting the inside of his cheek.

"I guess I haven't gotten to that point yet."

His words surprised Jennie. Almost three years of holding onto the fact that his late father was a serial killer, and he hadn't broken down? Hadn't— exploded, with a pool of anger surrounding him?

"Have you— snapped, yet?"

Jennie avoided his gaze after hearing the question, something she found herself doing a lot during their interaction. She then nodded slowly, letting out a small sigh.

"I remember—" She began, "I was in my bedroom. And— my dad and my brother were asleep. There was this pill bottle, just— right there, on my nightstand. And, I remember realizing if I stared at them any longer—in a matter of minutes, the bottle would be empty. I remember— how I was going to do it."

"But you didn't?" Grayson questioned, his tone careful, but curious, causing Jennie to nod, "Don't answer this if it feels too invasive, but— why? How did you fight the urge?"

Jennie never thought she'd have to fight her waterworks while sitting in a coffee shop, but there she was.

"My brother." She spoke, her voice small, "You and I both know what it's like to grow up without our biological moms. And now, Jack does too. And if he's anything like me, I knew— at least once, he would just want someone to hold, while our dad was away at work. Someone to help him understand it, in ways our dad couldnt explain."

She looked down at her hands, pausing, before continuing.

"I never had that someone when I was a kid. And— I knew I would never forgive myself if I let my little brother didn't either."

Grayson nodded understandingly at her words, his eyes softening at Jennie, "You were saving him."

Jennie chuckled.

"He saved me, really." She told him, "Him, and my dad. And— my dad's team. All of them saved me. Especially, my one friend, Spencer. He— He definitely saved me. And, everyday, I wish I could repay him."

Grayson smiled, seeing the girl's state relax when talking about her friends.

"I'm glad you have people like that in your life, Jennie."

Those words made Jennie's eyes land on the man, and this time— they didn't wander. This time, she didn't nervously looked down at her hands every five seconds.

Her gaze stayed on him.

"I'm so sorry about how things went down last time we saw each other, Grayson." The teen told him, "If I could— go back in time, and change it, I promise you— I would."

"Jennie, it wasn't your fault." He told her, "If I was in your shoes, I would've reacted the same way. Maybe even worse."

"You were hurting too." Jennie tried to remind him, "I should've— checked up on you. I thought about it, more times than I can count. I was just—"

"Scared?" Grayson finished her sentence, causing her to nod, "Don't worry, I was scared too. I mean, you should've seen me on my flight back to Quantico. It was just— sweat spewing out my pores."

"Ew." Jennie giggled, the man joining in with her. She then paused for a second, hesitant to say her next question, "Grayson?"

"Hm?"

She paused again, "Why did you come back to Quantico?"

That question caused the boy to looked down at his coffee cup, and just then, Jennie realized that both of their 'tells' wee similar. He would always look down at whatever was in front of him, and she would always look down at her hands.

It was kinda cute.

"Ask me again in eight years." He told her, a small smile on his lips, "I'll tell you then."

"Eight years?" Jennie repeated, furrowing her eyebrows. Her confusion made Grayson laugh, "You want me to wait eight years?"

"I mean, hey, we waited almost three years for this reunion, so—" He shrugged, causing the girl to let out a scoff, before the two's laughs overlapped one another.

As their smiles remained on their faces, the two looked at each other.

And in that moment, Jennie felt just like how she felt when she first met Grayson. Like how she felt when they used to hang out. Like how she felt on their first date.

"Jennie?"

Jennie looked at the man, seeing his hesitant expression, as he was trying to find the right way to phrase the question that had been roaming in his mind.

"If things— were different, if things hadn't gone the way they did three years ago—" Grayson began, "Do you think you and me could've—"

The 'been something more' part was left unsaid, the man not finishing his question. However, Jennie didn't need him to say it. She already knew what she meant.

With that, he could see a small smile on her lips, as she nodded slowly, her voice quiet.

"Yeah. I think we would've."

—

AUTHOR'S NOTE |

GUR 👹 RAY 🌞 SON 👨‍👦

word count .
1865.