Grey

Chapter 9

After Riel had left last night, I had gone up to Allison and told her everything, everything that had happened with Riel and Grey since I'd met them. I'd told her about the night I was attacked and that Grey had saved me, the party, where Riel had offered to stand up for me. I told her about how Grey sat next to me the following day, refusing to come over to the house for dinner until Makenna had told him I'd be there, and how Riel had done the same thing. I told her about their conversation in the woods yesterday, the odd conversation with Grey in his car, and the strange conversation with Riel in the living room.

"That doesn't make hardly any sense," she had said, "what's with their fascination with you? Grey told you he doesn't like you, yet he won't leave you alone- Riel is actually a decent guy you may not want to leave you alone, but his issue with Grey?"

"I know. That's why I came to you. I need help figuring all of this out. Something else is going on here," I had replied.

And though she'd agreed to help me, we'd come up with nothing. Something in my gut told me something was going on here, and I was going to figure it out.

I paused my music as I walked into my lecture hall, walking up to the seat Makenna and I normally sat at and plopped down. I pulled my laptop out of my bag and set it up, placing my bag underneath my seat and scrolling through Instagram while I waited for Grey to show up. I couldn't explain my sudden change of heart. I couldn't explain why I suddenly wanted to let him tell his side of the story before I decided who I could trust. A week or two ago, I had refused to give Grey a second chance. I based my entire impression on him based on a 15-minute conversation in his car at midnight. And normally, I'd have been fine with that. I couldn't explain why I was doing this now. All I knew is, I couldn't base my opinion of him on someone else's perception.

My breath caught in my throat and I looked up from my phone at the doorway. Grey stood there, heathered tee and all, but minus the usual leather jacket. Odd. He gave me a swoon-worthy smirk and sauntered up the steps towards my row, pushing people aside to sit next to me.

"I half expected you to ditch, mea bellator," he smirked playfully, sliding into the seat next to mine. His pitch-black hair was windswept, curling in dark waves that stretched down past his ears. There was a slight blush to his cheeks from the cold, making him appear somewhat human for the first time ever. I'd decided it was his bone structure that made him appear so inhuman. He looked like he was carved from marble.

"Believe me, I wanted to. But I promised Makenna I'd get the notes for her," I replied, flicking my auburn waves over my shoulder. I could see, out of the corner of my eye, Grey watching the movement. His eyes trailed from my hair to my neck, and then back to my eyes. I'd be lying if I said goosebumps didn't rise on my skin at his intense gaze. It's like he was watching my every move.

"Ah, I get it. Mackenzie is still mad at me for ditching her at the dinner," Grey hummed, drumming his fingers along the side of the desk nonchalantly. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his raven hair. He had to have dyed it or something. Nobody's hair was that dark naturally. There was no brown, no red, no nothing. It was all black, so black it was almost dark blue.

"Makenna," I corrected with a roll of my eyes. I mentally patted myself on the back for making it seem like I didn't just have a 30-second internal monologue about his hair.

"Right. Makayla."

"Makenna," I corrected again and Grey chuckled, lazily swinging his arm across my shoulder. A shiver erupted down my spine and I turned to glare at him.

"Get. Your hand. Off of me. Before I rip it from your body," I said through gritted teeth and a tight smile. Grey winked at me, his hand lingering a second longer than it should've before returning to his side of the desk.