It had been a week since Gabriel Grayson had purchased a beautiful engagement ring. He was so excited that he could barely keep still at any hour of the day or night, he was sleep-deprived, and nervous all the time. But it had to be perfect. When he asked her, it had to be right. Just a fancy dinner with the ring in the bottom of the champagne class wasn't enough for Gabe; he wanted to go up and beyond, because that's what he believed Alexa deserved. He had everything planned, and when the night arrived, he had got into dressed up in an ivory button down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, as well as some nice brown pants and a brown vest to match. He looked dapper, and driving to Alexa's house, a million emotions were running through his head. Fear, excitement, doubt... but he pushed those feelings aside.
Gabe walked up to the apartment, ring in his pocket, and a bouquet of red roses gripped in his free hand. He went to knock, but when no one answered, he simply entered himself, looking around the empty foyer. "Alexa?" He had called out, blinking as he walked deeper into the apartment, heading for the bedroom, where the door was slightly cracked and he could hear a noise. "Babe, are you ready? We've got reservations..." he stopped mid-sentence as he opened the bedroom door. The sight he saw made him speechless; he dropped the flowers, his breathing becoming uneven.
"I can explain," Alexa had said, tears gathering in her eyes. She had rolled out from underneath James, pulling the sheets over her naked chest. His brother didn't utter a word, and neither did Gabe. After a few more silent moments, Alexa spoke again, saying, "It's not what it looks like... Gabe, wait. Gabe, I'm sorry!" But by that time, he had walked out of the room, leaving the roses in ruins on the ground as he left the apartment. And that was that. What was supposed to be the happiest night of his life, had turned into his worst nightmare.
"Gabe! Hello? Can you hear me? GAAAABBBEEE!" Isabelle Grayson, Gabe's mother, was yelling on the other end of the phone as he drove through the woods, heading to the cabin.
"Mom! Yes, I can hear you, why are you yelling?!" He replied, rolling his eyes as he watched for the turn he was supposed to make. No matter how many times he had driven these roads, there was one street he always missed when heading to the cabin.
"Oh, good. Honey, I need you to run to the market and pick up some advil for your father. He's got a nasty headache, and neither of us are up to driving."
He sighed, before nodding to himself and responding with a, "Sure, Mom. Be there in a few. Love you." And then, he hung up. Soon enough, he had stopped by the local store just a few minutes away from the house, and arrived at his destination. It was a comfortingly familiar sight, to see the trees and his mother's car in the driveway, as well as the front door of the cabin. It was a deep burgundy red, something he had noted since childhood, with a small scratch running down the left side from an incident when he and James were younger. He smiled to himself as he got out of the car, unloading his suitcases and heading inside.
Mrs. Grayson greeted Gabe immediately, wrapping her arms around him and kissing both his cheeks. "Oh, Gabriel, how are you?" she said, touching his face and tilting her head with a loving pout on her lips.
"I'm good, Mom." he answered, giving her a smile as he picked up his bags again. "Where's Dad?"
"In the living room. Lazing around. Waiting for his advil," she said, looking around. "Where's the advil?"
"Right here, Mom," he said, reaching into his pocket and handing it to his mother. "Am I the first one here?"
"Yes. It's just me, your father, and Jenny right now. Emily should be here soon, as well as James, too..." she seemed a bit hesitant upon saying James' name, knowing the situation.
"Oh, alright. Cool. But wait, Jenny?" He asked, tilting his head and blinking, confusion obvious on his face.
"Jennifer. The exchange student? She's been staying with us, didn't I tell you? Jenny!" she called out, and the both of them waited for her to make an appearance.
Gabe walked up to the apartment, ring in his pocket, and a bouquet of red roses gripped in his free hand. He went to knock, but when no one answered, he simply entered himself, looking around the empty foyer. "Alexa?" He had called out, blinking as he walked deeper into the apartment, heading for the bedroom, where the door was slightly cracked and he could hear a noise. "Babe, are you ready? We've got reservations..." he stopped mid-sentence as he opened the bedroom door. The sight he saw made him speechless; he dropped the flowers, his breathing becoming uneven.
"I can explain," Alexa had said, tears gathering in her eyes. She had rolled out from underneath James, pulling the sheets over her naked chest. His brother didn't utter a word, and neither did Gabe. After a few more silent moments, Alexa spoke again, saying, "It's not what it looks like... Gabe, wait. Gabe, I'm sorry!" But by that time, he had walked out of the room, leaving the roses in ruins on the ground as he left the apartment. And that was that. What was supposed to be the happiest night of his life, had turned into his worst nightmare.
"Gabe! Hello? Can you hear me? GAAAABBBEEE!" Isabelle Grayson, Gabe's mother, was yelling on the other end of the phone as he drove through the woods, heading to the cabin.
"Mom! Yes, I can hear you, why are you yelling?!" He replied, rolling his eyes as he watched for the turn he was supposed to make. No matter how many times he had driven these roads, there was one street he always missed when heading to the cabin.
"Oh, good. Honey, I need you to run to the market and pick up some advil for your father. He's got a nasty headache, and neither of us are up to driving."
He sighed, before nodding to himself and responding with a, "Sure, Mom. Be there in a few. Love you." And then, he hung up. Soon enough, he had stopped by the local store just a few minutes away from the house, and arrived at his destination. It was a comfortingly familiar sight, to see the trees and his mother's car in the driveway, as well as the front door of the cabin. It was a deep burgundy red, something he had noted since childhood, with a small scratch running down the left side from an incident when he and James were younger. He smiled to himself as he got out of the car, unloading his suitcases and heading inside.
Mrs. Grayson greeted Gabe immediately, wrapping her arms around him and kissing both his cheeks. "Oh, Gabriel, how are you?" she said, touching his face and tilting her head with a loving pout on her lips.
"I'm good, Mom." he answered, giving her a smile as he picked up his bags again. "Where's Dad?"
"In the living room. Lazing around. Waiting for his advil," she said, looking around. "Where's the advil?"
"Right here, Mom," he said, reaching into his pocket and handing it to his mother. "Am I the first one here?"
"Yes. It's just me, your father, and Jenny right now. Emily should be here soon, as well as James, too..." she seemed a bit hesitant upon saying James' name, knowing the situation.
"Oh, alright. Cool. But wait, Jenny?" He asked, tilting his head and blinking, confusion obvious on his face.
"Jennifer. The exchange student? She's been staying with us, didn't I tell you? Jenny!" she called out, and the both of them waited for her to make an appearance.
