Cousin

There is a deafening sound between us after Grayson’s father left the house. He was just standing to the same position for the past five minutes.

I sighed and went outside the house without a word, there is a nearby convenient store. I don’t know if I did the right thing, but I can’t let anyone insult us in our own house.

I went straightly to the freezer and grab my most favorite things around this living world and pay for it.

When I got home, Grayson was still in the living room but he was sitting now, looking at nowhere, like he was lost in his own thought. I handed him the food. The living room was now all dimmed.

He looked taken aback in my presence, then looked down to my hand. His browse furrowed.

“Ice cream?” He said but still get it.

I nodded and sat beside him and open my ice cream, “My dad used to give us ice cream, especially to our down moments, this basically made my childhood,” I answered while opening my ice cream and starts to eat it, then I looked at him, “This is cookies and cream, and that is matcha—that’s my dad’s favorite flavor,”

He briefly looked at me and starts to peal his own ice cream and starts to eat it, “I’m sorry that you have to witness that, he is the least person I expected to visit me,”

I nodded, “It’s fine, this is your house anyway, but does he really know where you leave?”

He chuckled, “Of course, this is our old house. This is my mom’s house before she left us, it was under her name, but I was her sole beneficiary just in case something happen, and it’s been years. I got all the papers and transfer it to me before I started to renovate it five years ago, I was living at the penthouse before,”

“Oh, so, uh, she died?” I was unsure because he said she left them, does it mean she’s dead or just left them?

He chuckled, “Silly, no. She literally left me, we we’re happy then suddenly she disappeared, I never heard of her after she left,”

“But you have a lot of money, you didn’t tried to search for her?”

“And she also has tons of money to hide herself, even her basic information was all hidden, it’s like she was telling that she didn’t exist at all. Of course, I tried search for her, but I’m all over the news for being one of the youngest billionaire around the globe, if she would, she can always find ways to talk to me, but she didn’t,” he looked at me, I don’t know if it’s because of the dimmed light, or his eyes was really down and teary.

“Would you like to see her?” I asked, “Just in case, what if she suddenly appeared on your doorstep?” I asked him a hypothetical question.

“Well..” he halted and stared at half melted ice cream, “I’m not sure what to do, since she left me for long time, maybe when I’m in that prompt situation, I will instinctively know what to do, but right now, I don’t know,”

I didn’t answered, I nodded and finished my ice cream, he wasn’t talking after that. I really want to ask about his father, but I’m afraid I’m not in the right position to do—

“My dad,” he paused, I immediately looked at him, “He used to beat me up when I was a teen,” I tried to hide how shock I was, he experienced that? “When my mom left, he starts to go home drunk, no, not just drunk. He was so intoxicated to the point that he can’t walk on his own, he was usually sent home or drop off by some of his subordinates, some nights, he will bring a women, I can hear them having sex, it was so loud that I had to sleep at my bath tub, because I won’t hear them there,”

He stopped and let a heavy sighed.

“He will beat me up for any petty reason he could think of. Above average grades, past curfew of six o’clock, eating a lot of foods, sweets, snacks, even mom’s favorite foods. He hates seeing me anything that associates to my mother. When he’s beating me up, he kept saying that I was the reason why their marriage crumbled down,”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, maybe having me? I have no absolute idea why he kept saying those,”

We kept talking, throughout the night. I can feel that he purposely left out some parts, but I didn’t demand anything, the fact that he opens up a little bit is okay with me. As if, we’re that close. We got married two years ago, but that doesn’t mean, we really have a bond.

The night wasn’t that long, we didn’t notice that both of us fall into a deep slumber.

I WOKE UP from a sound of the door bell. I grunt as I tried to stood up, when I notice that there is something on my legs.

I held my breath—it was Grayson’s legs, fuck? I tried to not make any sound nor any reason to wake him up. Who knew what will happen if he wakes up?

I stood up and open the intercom, my brow furrowed, there is a familiar man in front of our gate.

I went on my way and open the gate, he looked both familiar and strikingly different from the last time I saw him. Wait, I already saw him?

His casual attire made him seem approachable, yet there was an air of confidence about him that hadn’t changed. He wore well-fitted jeans and a simple white t-shirt that highlighted his athletic build. A light denim jacket, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, added a touch of style without seeming overly intentional. Clean sneakers completed his laid-back look. His slightly tousled hair was held back by a pair of sunglasses perched on his head, revealing his sharp, familiar features.

He drop his eyes on me, and his sun glasses, and point his accusing fingers on me.

“You!” He exclaimed, “You witch!”

Witch— “You pervert!” I shouted as my eyes widen, “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I’m the one who should be asking you that, this is my cousin’s house! I have the rights to be here!” He said and tried to enter but I didn’t let him, “What the hell?” He looked at me with disbelief.

“I don’t believe with such things, then can I say that I am the prime minister of this country?”

He gave me a confused looked, “What the hell are you saying, woman? Let me in,”

“No,” I firmly said.

He stopped and let an exhilarated sighed, “Fine, just tell Gray that I’m here,”

“How do you know his name?” I muttered, but there is a hint of suspiciousnes on my voice.

He rolled his eyes, like he’s some kind of diva, “I told you, he’s my cousin, of course, the most basic thing you need to know is his name, am I right?”

I sighed and make way for him, “Come in,” I finally said.

He gave me a I-told-you-look, I didn’t budge, and just let him in. He came inside the living room, and was about to call Gray when I stopped him.

“Can you tone down your voice? He’s sleeping, you know,” I said, annoyed.

He looked at me as if I’m telling the funniest joke he could ever hear, “Stop buffing, sleeping will be the last thing that Grayson wants. He will rather die in intoxication than to sleep—” he stopped when we finally reached the sofa. I saw how hie eyes widen, and tiptoe, who eagerly looked at Grayson, who is peacefully sleeping, then get back to me, “What did you do to him? Why is he like that?”

I was both confused and mad, “Aren’t you like that when you’re sleeping? I told you, he was sleeping, Grayson is a human being, that means he need sleep, he won’t function without it,” I said, as it should be.

“Gray was built different. He doesn’t need sleep, all he need was to get mad, and then he’s fresh as the morning,” there is a hint of sarcasm and humor on his voice. He was looking at Grayson like he was some kind of display in the museum.

“Do you want me to wake him up? Do you need something important?” I asked as walk towards the sleeping Grayson.

“No-no, it’s okay, I’ll be back later today, or I will just drop him a call, let him sleep,” He said and grabbed his phone, and for some unknown reason, he took a photo or Grayson then chuckled, “This picture will be famous,” he excitedly said, sounded like a kid, then looked at me, “I’ll go ahead, don’t tell him that I went here, he will go ballistic!” then stormed out the house.

I turned my gaze to Grayson and tilt my head.

What the hell just happen?