Chapter Two: Rectified

The next day soon rolls around, Griffin had stayed the night to help him calm down before seeing his uncle again. He told me he didn’t have any idea when his family were supposed to turn up, but he would come around to my house after to tell me how it went.

I had a day off from work where I would normally, spend the entirety of the day with Griffin, but due to his family that couldn’t happen. This resulted in me pottering around the house trying to fill the time, my father even offered I join him in on his little fishing endeavour. It would be great to get out of the house, but I wanted to be able to support Griffin, I would be next door if something were to happen.

As it was a lovely day, I decide to not stay cooped up in the house and head out to my back garden to get some reading done. I emerge from my back door, book in hand where shouting from Griffin's house soon gets my attention. I turn my head where Griffin's voice stands out but also another male's voice, one I wasn’t familiar with, meaning this must be one of his family members which came to visit.

It did cross my mind for a second to head over to his house to try and help, but I also knew how stupid and ignorant that would be. I’ve never met any of Griffins family apart from his uncle, I also only know the little pieces Griffin has told me throughout the years. Though I do believe Griffin and know he wouldn’t lie to me, there are still two sides to every story and there are probably so many things I don’t know.

With a little sigh, I fully leave my house and head over to the little picnic table we have in my garden. So, it meant if Griffin looks out the window, he’ll see me sat here so he knows I’m still on his side. I take my seat whilst opening my book, I attempted to concentrate on the pages in front of me but the persistent shouting from their house was causing that task to be difficult. As much as I wanted to respect their privacy, their shouts were leaving little to the imagination.

“You do not have any other choice, Griffin; this issue is not going to be rectified until you return home.” The gentleman’s voice shouts, what issue could he be referring to and wait Griffins going to have to leave.

“I do have a choice now I am old enough to make those decisions, this issue of yours has nothing to do with me! You sent me away from that life! I don’t want anything to do with you or the world into which we were born. I’m done!” Griffin’s voice shouts in response, from his tone I could tell he was angry but also concerned at the same moment.

“Whether you like this fact or not, you are still a vital member of this family Griffin. As a result, any issue which the family must face, you will too.” The man says which wasn’t entirely fair, Griffin hasn’t been a part of their family for a few years now.

“You don’t get to pick and choose when I’m a part of the family, you sent me away because I didn’t fit with what you and everyone around us deemed the perfect family! Like I have said, it’s my decision to make and I’m choosing to stay right here and not head back to deal with some issue! I’m not a part of your family anymore, do what you have done for ten years now, ignore my existence.” Griffin says the hurt in his voice evident, I look over to the house again feeling so bad for him.

After a few seconds, the back door of his house opens, and he emerges. He walks into the back garden, his hand running through his hair in a stressed sort of manner. Whatever they were discussing and the issue they kept bringing up, it seems to be weighing heavy on his shoulders. He turns his head to my house where his eyes land on me, I send him a tiny smile as he walks towards the garden gate.

“Look at you looking all pretty.” He smiles as I get up out of my seat and meet him in the middle, I look down at myself with a little smile.

As it was such a lovely day, which in England you don’t get many of them. I thought it would be nice to put on my favourite green summer dress, it had tiny white flowers covering the entire dress, but it was a little on the shorter side.

“How’s it going in there?” I ask pointing towards the house behind him, this does cause the smile to leave his lips as he takes a look down. “I came outside to read but all I could hear was shouting, I bet the whole street could.” I say with a tiny smile, but he shakes his head as a response.

“It’s just how I thought it would be, they didn’t come here to see how I am or apologise for the way in which they treated me. They are just out for their own interests and needs.” He sighs while still looking to the floor, I sigh placing my hand on his arm with a look of sympathy. “They’re so self-absorbed in their own lives, they don’t want me for who I am but who they want me to turn into. They want me to be just like them and not give two shits about anyone, I used to be like that, and it’s taken me years to change but they don’t care.” He mutters attempting to hide how hurt he was with anger, but I could see right through it.

“That’s their loss, they’ve missed out on the incredible person you have turned into since being here. All you need to remember is you have a choice, if you don’t want to go back there and deal with the mess, no one can force you. No one can make you turn into someone you don’t want to be, keep being you and that’s enough, you’re enough.” I smile speaking the truth, he looks up at me letting a tiny laugh out, but I could see the happiness on his face.

“What did I do to deserve you?” He asks pulling me in for a hug, I smile placing my head on his shoulder as we stood with the fence in the middle of us.

I begin to feel eyes watching me from somewhere, I scan my surroundings for a few seconds but couldn’t catch a glimpse of anybody. My eyes than move to Griffin’s kitchen window, a man standing there watching what Griffin and I were doing. He was breathtakingly handsome; I was blown away by his sheer beauty before my eyes fall to his eyes. His bright blue eyes looking deep into mine, the entire world as I knew it began to fade away as I did so.

It was as though my body was telling me to run as fast as I could over to the man, but my mind was doing the smart thing and kept reminding me how that couldn’t happen. His eyes held so many emotions, happiness, lust and also anger.

Before I had time to study him anymore, Griffin pulls away from the hug which snaps me out of my trance. What just happened and who is that man?!

“Thank you Rose, I needed to hear all of that.” Griffin smiles placing his hands to rest on my arms, I smile turning my full attention back to him. “I’m done talking with them, I saw your dad carrying some groceries in yesterday, how about we see what concoction we can create for lunch?” He asks which did cause me to laugh, leave it up to Griffin to turn a sweet moment into a joke.

“Let’s see if we don’t nearly poison ourselves like we did last time.” I joke as he hops over the fence to land in my back garden, his arm being thrown around my shoulders as we both head over to the back door.

“That’s what makes it fun, the danger aspect.” He laughs as we reach the back door and head indoors, where there was an incredibly angry person who had lost sight of us waiting outside.

Griffin refused to go back home for the rest of the day, he told me he didn’t want to head home until his family were gone. But each time I would look outside, the expensive looking cars were still sat in the driveway. If his family are anything like him, they’ll also play the waiting game.

But talking of Griffin’s family, I can’t stop thinking about the man which I saw in the window. He was breathtakingly handsome, I have never saw any other man who looked like that before! But let’s be honest, the type of guys around this town aren’t that much to scream about. I wanted to ask Griffin who he was, but his family seem like a touchy subject at the moment, so I kept my mouth shut.

“If you’re planning on staying, fetch the blow-up mattress from the attic and lay it on your floor Rose.” My dad says once he had finished eating his dinner, Griffin and I sat beside each other on the opposite sofa. “You are free to stay however long you wish Griffin, but remember, you’ll have to face the music at some point. Leaving it to stretch out will only cause more problems.” My dad warns Griffin with a kind smile, but each of us knew the advice he was giving Griffin was true.

Griffin sends my father a little smile before turning his attention to his plate, what my father said marinating in his brain further. I also send him a little smile before getting up and walking into the kitchen, my father washing up his own plate while reaching over to take mine.

“I’m worried about him dad, he might be appearing as though he’s angry due to his family, but I can tell how upset he really is.” I say with a sigh leaning up against the counter, my dad still facing the sink. “I don’t want to get involved with his family business as it has nothing to do with me, but I also don’t want to just stand around while Griffin is going through all of this.” I say which does cause him to stop washing up and turn to me, sending me one of these smiles as he did so.

“All we can do is support Griffin, we of all people know how difficult family matters can be. Sometimes, all you can do is wait it out and hope for the best. There are somethings that only family can iron out, as much as friends want to help and offer support, it’s only within that family who can make it right.” He explains which I knew was correct, I may say the wrong thing and cause the situation to get even bigger. “Griffin knows you care Rose, if there is something you can help him with, he knows he can come to you. Just continue doing what you’re doing.” My dad smiles placing his hand on my shoulder, I nod my head agreeing with him even though it’s going to be hard to witness Griffin go through all of this.

My dad smiles once again placing a kiss on my head before leaving the kitchen, the things he said really resonating in my mind. Griffin soon appears with his empty plate where he washes up himself, neither of us uttering a word. I wanted to ask more about his family so I would have a better understanding, but I also knew what my dad said was correct.

“You’re not really going to force me to sleep on a blow-up mattress, are you?” Griffin asks with a smile as he places his plate on the draining board, I smirk but do roll my eyes at his comment. “Let’s be honest, it won’t be the first time we have slept together.” He smirks winking at me, this once again causes me to roll my eyes at his remarks.

Yes, Griffin and I have done it in the past a few times, not that my father knows about this fact. Each time that we have doesn’t mean anything, we both have a mutual understanding that nothing romantic will ever appear out of it. When we both meet the person, we want to eventually marry, the entire arrangement will come to an end.

“We have to at least make it look like you’ll be sleeping on the blow-up mattress, come on.” I say with a laugh dragging him to go into the attic, but I knew other thoughts would be swirling around his head.