𝕸𝖔𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖞 𝕭𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖘

chapter xi

grayson's expression was slightly shy, bashful, but growing in confidence with each step he took towards natalia. his subtle smile was polite, charming. she couldn't bring herself to meet his sweetly intense stare again, however, until he arrived closely in front of her. his circle of friends, temporarily pausing their mediocre game of beach volleyball, halted to observe him silently as they watched him carefully as a group, much like a mothering bird watching her young learn to walk.

"hey," his voice sounded rich and resonant, attractive by nature.

"hi," she batted her lengthy eyelashes as she gazed with depth and locked her eyes with him as she replied in a friendly greeting. blue folded her lips inwards and widened her own expression, away from the pair, in anticipation and excitement. she hugged her knees and returned back with her head resting on her legs, witnessing this new chapter that had just begun. while she wasn't always the best at hiding her emotions appropriately, she really did have the best reactions at the best times.

"sorry, i know this is weird, but i thought you were really cute and i wanted to come and see if you'd get food with me sometime." the handsome brunette man, towering over the two sitting in the sand, smirked as he laid his classic opening line and flushed with scarlet red in sheer embarrassment.

"that's really sweet, i'd like that." nat retaliated his line with eager approval, blushing a bit herself as her ears grew rosy. her strand of soft, sandy hair was tucked behind her ear, as she felt them warm and heat with the crimson on the apples of her cheeks, nat removed the piece, letting it fall to the sides of her face. the certain insecurity of showing her side profile added on to the faint panic that whirled away in her head, wanting to impress. "your name?" for some reason, she acted aloof as if they'd never met before.

"oh, right! sorry, i'm grayson." he hurried, the same kind of panic reflected in his own eyes, shuffling with a response as he had realized he had never told her his name. "i think we went to high school together, actually. aren't you natalia? natalia dreyfus?"

"right! i didn't know you knew me. weren't you a grade up?" she was taken aback by surprise.

"yeah! that's me. i think i saw you at a football game once."

"oh, that's really cool!" his memory was thought-provoking and she thought back to the previous football games she'd attended in high school and couldn't recall ever seeing the man, but was flattered by the fact he had remembered her. "but, um, i actually don't think i can do today, but maybe another time?"

"sounds good. could i get your number?" grayson slid his phone from his back pocket and offered it to her, unlocked. she received it gladly and inputted herself as a new contact on his phone.

"sure, here." her glowing eyes beamed with delight as his phone returned to his pocket.

"thanks. i'll text you then, and we'll make plans?"

"mhm," nat's head nodded, accepting his invitation, and he waved to her a loving goodbye in pure bliss at his succeeded attempt to retrieve the pretty woman's phone number. as he returned to his group, the friends congratulated him in the only way guys knew how.

"damn. new chapter, it is then." blue voiced, catching nat's attention again. she was unable to process what had just occurred.

"that was—" trying to fathom the heart-racing moment herself, nat was left speechless by how quick and ironically change was to come with the proclamation of new beginnings. she would only hope this would be a change for the better, the turnaround. "something else."

"i have nothing to say," blue giggled, already too excited for her own good. "god, i'm telling you, nat. you just attract people, i don't know how you do it."