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  GREY:

  The Encounter

  Spectrum Series

  PART ONE

  By Allison White

  Grey: The Encounter

  Copyright © 2018 by Allison White.

  All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: May 2018

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1-64034-366-5

  ISBN-10: 1-64034-366-0

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To my mom, who encouraged me to write my heart out and get it out there. Thanks for believing in me. <3

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Prologue

  The day I received my acceptance letter from Penn State University, I felt the world I knew for eighteen years crumble around me. I’d be thrust into a new, foreign world. Even though there would be more hardships than tranquility, I knew it’d all be worth it in the end, because the end was the part where my real life would kick off. I already had the rest of my life mapped out.

  Once graduated, I would live out my aspiration of helping people; it’s been my dream since I was nine years old, and I was more than prepared to take on any obstacle that dared step in my way.

  Until I arrived at the intimidating school, I felt sure and ready. I had the days planned, my mind prepared for knowledge. I didn’t want my nerves to get to me, so I smiled through everything, through nervous sweating while in orientation, to witnessing weeping parents parting from their children. I just couldn’t shake my grin, even when I was ordinarily standing in the middle of my dorm I’d be residing in for four years, minus holidays. I can still remember the nerves, still feel it wrack through my body.

  Luckily, I managed to lessen my anxiety and began my long journey toward to my goals.

  That is until one night my plans veered straight off the path. One stupid, unexpected night that changed my life as I knew it. It was the night I fell for his manipulation, the boy with charcoal eyes and an even darker soul—Grey Wyler. He was like a knight in shining obsidian. Dressed in black from head to toe, he resembled the Grim Reaper. That night, he not only claimed my soul, but also my heart.

  I didn’t see him coming. He wasn’t in my plans whatsoever. There was no space for him either. He came full-force and jammed himself into my blueprint. Although he was a minor speed bump in a seemingly flat road, he ignited something within me no extinguisher could ever put out. He sparked life in me, and I wasn’t sure if I disliked it or not, because it made me feel different—alive.

  With him came the burning question: would I change anything? I liked to think that he hindered my plans and screwed everything up. It was easy to put the blame on him. But then I’d really think. I’d think about the good times and how he made me feel, then conclude that I just don’t know.

  All I knew was that after Grey, I didn’t just see black and white anymore. I saw him.

  Chapter One

  Blood seizes my lungs before I can suck in oxygen. I can feel them crumbling under my skin with each shaky breath I take. My arms shoot out from under me, and I make contact with a jagged pebble that scrapes against my palm. A shriek of pain escapes my lips, and I toss the pebble away. Trying again, I shoot my hands out and grasp onto the cool, hard gravel. I use it as leverage and begin to claw using both hands, clamping my bare thighs on the cold ground as I start move.

  I try to stand, but the moment I do, a ripping sensation halts me, and another ghastly howl of pain escapes. I’ve broken my ribs, I can feel it. I can feel the shards of bone swimming in my chest like it’s a grand pool; I’ve punctured my lungs. I didn’t pay much attention in Health class, but I know I am dying. My vision is blinking in and out. I can faintly hear an ambulance, but my ears are also damaged and collapsing against my eardrums.

  “Liv,” a strangled, small voice leaps through the air, bouncing before smacking into my ears.

  I try to speak, try to yell, scream—anything. But I cannot use my vocal cords. My tongue feels like lead, and my body limps to the side. The crimson taste of metal dances on my tongue, and I swallow it, biting at the bile rising in my chest.

  I shift my head and come into focus with the overturned car. I spot him, then I’m screaming; I’m crawling over to him, and then I’m tugging at his seatbelt, but I just can’t get it loose.

  I must have been here yanking and screaming out for hours before arms encircle my waist and I am yanked out of the car. I scream more, and I’m put in the back of some vehicle. In the midst of all of this, I spot my parents. They’re being medically checked on by men in navy jackets with blinding flashlights that pierce through the darkness of the night.

  And then I hear an explosion. It’s bright and furious and wholly evil. It’s all too much, and I pass out, his screams haunting me.

  I shoot up in my bed, desperate to escape the nightmare that is unfortunately really a memory. His screams linger in my mind and trap me with a crippling feeling in my chest. I groan and sit back against my bed’s headboard and take a deep breath.

  Even with my eyes closed, I see flashes of that last second. I’m gripping my silk duvet so tightly my knuckles turn white. My heart’s pounding as if it wants to escape. I just want it to stop.

  It takes a while, but when my heart settles and my hands stop shaking, I let out a deep, victorious breath.

  “You’ve got this, Liv,” I tell myself, forcing a smile on my sweaty face. “What is today? Open your eyes. Look around. Spot an item that tells you the answer. Find it,” I
coach myself to settle the anxiety threatening to consume me whole.

  My eyes fly open, and I look around my room. Everything seems to be ordinary—except one thing that stands out among the rest.

  The acceptance letter from my dream school: Penn State University. A strip of fairy lights surround it, making it glow.

  It shines like a beacon, and it lulls me out of my bed to stand in front of it. I stare at the enchanting display I assembled for this exact moment with a mixture of awe and satisfaction.

  I’ve been preparing for college my entire life, but not just any college. Every challenging assignment, all the tiring extracurricular classes were necessary tools in making sure I attend this school in particular.

  My parents attended Penn State, and look where they are now. My father works as a judge in the Supreme Court, while my mother is one of the top surgeons in New York City. I hope to follow in their successful footsteps. I want to make them proud. And by going to this school, I’m on the right path.

  A knock on my door drags me out of my thoughts.

  “Come in,” I say, turning around, my hands oddly in fists. I guess my body is still on edge from the nightmare, but if asked, I could easily blame it on my first day at college.

  The door opens, revealing Louise, the housekeeper, but she is so much more. She watches over me whenever my parents are forced to leave the state for work, although I don’t do anything worthy of having her practically babysit me.

  Most of the time, she finds me in my bedroom with my face either in classic literature or in a school textbook. The only delinquent activity worth her watching over me is when I lie about going to the library to study, when really, I go to the bookstore to take advantage of the surplus money my parents leave for me and buy heaps of books. Besides that, I’m as clean as a whistle.

  “You better start getting dressed,” she tells me in her calming voice. I adore it.

  “Okay.” I nod and let my gaze drift to the floor.

  “I see someone’s been daydreaming again,” she teases as she enters the room.

  I smile and snuggle into her side when she wraps an arm around me. I’ve always loved her hugs. They consume me with warmth and provide comfort that could evaporate any anxiety.

  I never received many hugs like this from my mother, but it wasn’t her fault; she had to build her career to where it is today. And what I lacked in comfort, Louise made up in heart-warming gestures that constantly told me you’re not alone.

  “But you do know that in less than a few hours, you will be living that daydream as reality, right?” she continues.

  I inhale deeply and whisper, “Can you come with me?”

  She chuckles. “You know I can’t come along with you, sweetie. You’ve got to do this on your own.”

  A childish groan ripples through me, and I hug her tighter. “But I don’t want to be away from you. You’re my rock. How am I going to pull through without my rock there making sure I don’t lose my grip and plummet to my death?”

  She laughs a heavenly laugh, causing me to smile. “Oh, honey, you will not plummet to your death. You’re just being dramatic.”

  “But what if I do?” My voice is a whisper.

  “Olivia…” she says, her voice sweet like honey. She pulls back from the hug and gently pats my cheeks with both hands. Her eyes, brown as honey, peer into my blue eyes, on the prowl for the truth.

  I look away before she can find it. I’m nervous about what she’ll say if does, which she most definitely will. She’s Louise; she always finds whatever I push down. She often says my eyes are the door to my soul, and Lord knows she owns the spare key.

  “What’s going on in that mind of yours?” she asks.

  “Nothing,” I tell her.

  She narrows her eyes and nudges her finger under my chin. “Tell me, child, or I’ll have to drag it out of you, and I know you don’t want that.”

  “Fine.” I heave out a sigh and take a step back. I cross my arms and glance at the glowing frame next to us. “I was just thinking—what if I don’t succeed? I could get distracted and completely ruin my chance of living up to my parents’ name. I don’t want to disappoint them.”

  Lines of fine aging crease next to her thin lips as she frowns. “How could you think of such a thing?”

  “I don’t know,” I tell her honestly. “I just—I just don’t want to be a failure. I want them to have something to look up to. I want them to look at me and go, Olivia, we couldn’t have been prouder of you. You’re done all we could’ve asked for, and more. I don’t want them to have their hearts shattered, like when…” I stop myself from talking. Tears line my eyes, and I step back once more, but she takes two steps forward and encases me with her arms.

  “Don’t you ever think that way again, you hear me?” she chastises me, and I nod. She shakes her head. “I’m sorry. Please don’t believe something that could never be true. Your parents would be proud of you however you turn out: successful or not. Their hearts won’t be shattered, so drill that into this brilliant mind of yours, and get ready so you can put it to work and make them proud.”

  I sniffle. “Okay, Louise.”

  “Good.” She hums and pats my back for a bit before pulling back and showing me her teary eyes. “Now get dressed already. I’m sure your planner is fuming with anger because of all this time you’re wasting blubbering about.”

  I glance to the clock hanging above my study desk and gasp before looking back at her with wide eyes. “You’re right! Oh geez, I’m going to be late!” I snap out of my insecure daze and bound into the bathroom next door. Louise’s soft chuckles are cut off abruptly when I close the door to the bathroom.

  After twisting on the faucet, I decide to brush my teeth and strip myself as the water heats. I slip my iron pills for my anemia on my tongue and swallow a glass of water. I begrudgingly analyze the hideous bags that hang under my eyes, all due to my inability to get a good night’s sleep, but this isn’t anything new. Ever since that night, I haven’t been able to truly get any sleep.

  I enter the shower before I can pull myself back into a state of painful nostalgia. The water is hot—it’s just what I need. It pounds on my body and wraps me with a coat of heat. The longer I stand in here, receiving the therapeutic bristles of water massaging my skin, the more I convince myself today will go as planned. I have the details written in my journal, so I don’t have to worry.

  I’ve engraved it all in my brain until I truly believe it.

  After the shower, I get dressed. My clothes don’t scream for attention, but they don’t stay silent, either. I slip into a royal blue floral dress, then slide into a pair of blue flats. Nervously glancing at the clock, I pull my dark brown hair into a low ponytail.

  “Olivia,” Louise calls my name as I check over my planner for the umpteenth time.

  “I’m coming!” I holler back.

  I place the mini-planner into my shoulder bag and take a deep, calming breath. Grabbing the handles of my luggage, I take a step toward the open door but stop to look around. I’ll miss this room. My eyes wander left and right, first landing on my desk where I’d spend the entire night studying, then stopping at the bay window where I’d have my head basically planted inside a novel. I let myself be sucked into a bubble of my old life for a little while.

  After realizing there’s a schedule and how little time I have, I shake my head as if to clear the thoughts and leave my room.

  The front doors are wide open. Outside, a familiar SUV awaits. It saddens me that both of my parents are unable to drop me off and cry their goodbyes like normal parents, but I understand that they’re busy with work. I wish Louise could come with me, but she must stay back and watch over the house until my parents come back home, whenever that is.

  Louise puts a wrinkled hand on my shoulder, and I suddenly realize I’ve been staring outside. She turns her head to me, frowning.

  “Are you ready, honey?” she asks.

  I crease my eyebrows and look back outs
ide. The black steel gate doors are open, the SUV waiting at the foot of it, ready to whisk me away at the hands of a chauffeur.

  I nod in response.

  My going away feels impersonal—almost like I’m just being patted on the behind and shooed away without anyone to hold my hand, but isn’t that what adulthood is like? Accomplishing things without having to look back for a parent figure watching your every move?

  I’ve read that it’s exactly like this, so I nod again, but this time with a smile conquering my face.

  “Yes, I am.”

  Chapter Two

  I’ve never gotten butterflies in my stomach before because I’ve always had plans and itineraries. As a result, there wasn’t really any reason for me to be nervous. I knew exactly what I wanted to happen at every moment.

  But as the truck passes through the intimidating steel gates to the campus, my plans evaporate until there’s nothing but empty words on paper.

  For the last three and a half hours, I’ve been rereading the itinerary for today. I could read off the list with my eyes closed and list the bullet points from the bottom up without any mistake. But I guess it wasn’t enough, because I’m here and I’m frozen. I curse myself for not penciling in a possible gut-wrenching anxiety attack.

  Outside the tinted windows are an abundance of vibrant trees. I roll down the window and look around. The campus is nestled deep in a forest. The scenery is quite beautiful.

  Trevor, the driver, slows the vehicle on the outskirts of the gravel road.

  “We’re here, Ms. Westerfield,” he announces.

  “I think we should go back to the house,” I tell him.

  He looks at me through the rearview mirror; his blue eyes sparkle in the sun. “Oh, really? And why would we do that?” I hear humor in his raspy voice.

  I shrug and nervously look around the truck, fiddling with my fingers in my lap. “I think I left my…phone…yes! My phone.” I smack my palm against my head and let out a whiny laugh. “Silly me. Looks like we really do have to turn back after all.”