Shifting Gears

8. Civil Conversations

Since my parents would kill me if I skipped a tutoring lesson, I had to go to the McAllisters. Maybe he'd be gone, at the track or something.

But the world just loves throwing me into the devil.

"Good afternoon, Cory," Greyson said smoothly as he opened the front door for me, his bright green eyes already shimmering with mirth at my appearance.

I muffled a groan. "Why you?"

He smirked, running a hand through his unkempt brown mess of hair atop his head. He had a maroon shirt on. It matched his eyes well, I reluctantly noted.

"My aunt's in town right now, so you get the pleasure of me greeting you—"

An excited voice cut him off. "Miss Cory!" Gabbie appeared under Greyson's arm, half hugging his leg as she grinned toothily up at me. "Come on, come on, you have to see my new stuffed animal!"

I smiled at her.

Greyson huffed. "What—she gets a smile?"

"I like her," I informed him coolly.

He rolled his eyes, right before swooping down and throwing his little cousin over his shoulder. I couldn't keep the smile from forming on my face at her shrieks of delight as she pummeled at his back.

"Gre-ey!" she complained half-heartedly. "Let me down!"

He didn't answer, just took off running up the stairs, tickling her sides as he did so and sending her into a fit of giggles. I shook my head and followed the duo.

When I reached Gabbie's room, I saw Greyson swinging her off his shoulder, setting her down gently on the floor. She instantly crossed her arms, glaring up at him with her bright brown eyes.

He chuckled, poking her nose. "Be nice to Miss Cory."

When he turned to exit the room, he passed me and said lowly, "See you after the lesson, Lawson."

With that, he slipped out of the doorway and closed the door, leaving me with his little cousin.

After about a half hour of being introduced to her new purple teddy bear named "Purple", and a half hour of actually doing the lesson, I said goodbye to my little friend, smiling back at her missing teeth as she grinned.

"'Bye, Miss Cory!" she called, hugging Purple tight to her chest. "See you next week!"

"Goodbye, Gabbie," I sang to her as I walked backwards out the door, grabbing the handle and pulling it shut. I turned around and ran into a wall.

Well, it wasn't a wall. But it was about as hard as a wall.

In other words, I ran right into Greyson's chest.

"Oof!" I exclaimed in surprise, bouncing back. I brought my already-glaring eyes up to see a smirking Greyson. "Really? Again?"

"You just can't help but fall into me, can you, Lawson?"

I rolled my eyes, shouldering my bag and adjusting my direction, walking around him. "You ran into me last time."

He let out a low chuckle, before saying, "My aunt sent me up here to ask if you'll stay for dinner."

"Absolutely not."

He stepped in front of me, blocking me as I tried to sidestep him. "Why so quick to turn it down?"

"Because I'm not eating dinner with you again."

I tried to step to the other side, but he stepped in front of me once more. He was obnoxiously close, and I huffed, crossing my arms to glare stubbornly up at him. A strand of blonde hair that had fallen in front of my face was thrown back at my harsh exhale, and Greyson seemed to find this endearing.