Ginelle's pov
"How is everything at the camp?" Grey's grandma asked after she'd finished her glass of water. Enzo and Reece were seated on her sides while I sat opposite them with Grey beside me.
"We're fine Nana," Reece grinned as he tried to pat her short gray hair though she swatted his arm away while rolling her eyes.
"Enzo, you're doing well?" She turned to her left disregarding Reece who began to whine and Grey chuckled lowly beside me. I nudged his side playfully to stay calm but he was really holding back his laughter.
"I am fine Nana, what about you?" Enzo asked back although his face still remained neutral, half serious half at ease. It reminded me of when I'd first met Grey.
The two were so similar unlike Reece who spoke most of the time and I wondered how they'd become friends.
"Oh boy, I am always doing well." She slapped his arm slightly giving us a brief glance. Enzo seemed to relax as he smiled a bit, I guess his profession made him that way.
Being a doctor was no joke.
"Aren't you going to ask me too Nana?" Reece pouted beside her, childishly stomping his feet and I laughed, making them turn their heads to me.
"Wow, your braids are well done." Grey's grandma came to seat beside me, totally ignoring Reece. He didn't seem to mind though because I saw him laugh at something with Enzo.
"Thank you," I smiled widely as I felt Grey shift beside me. My back was slightly turned away from him so I couldn't read his face.
"I remember forcing him to braid Mayella's hair," she was looking at Reece though I was under the impression that she was talking about Grey.
"I see he learned fast." An irresistible smile formed as I toyed with my fingers shyly averting my eyes. How quick she was to deduce but what other impression could she have when I was wearing her grandson's clothes?
That was making me feel more embarrassed now.
"You up for a game?" Reece stood up all of a sudden, slightly rising his left eyebrow at Grey. I inclined my head to the side not clearly understanding them. Were they going to watch a game or something, I wondered.
"They're not leaving," Grey's grandma whispered beside me and I felt my face heat up. She could easily read people and this wasn't working in my favor.
Grey reluctantly rose from beside me and followed Enzo and Reece to the door where they had disappeared to. He hesitated at the door looking back at me and I passed him a small smile.
"They are going to play basketball," she explained to me after Grey had left the room and I squinted my eyes not clearly understanding, she had said they weren't leaving though.
"There's a court at the back of the house." I hadn't walked around his house but I was surprised that he had a basketball court at his home.
"Really!" So Grey could play basketball too. With him being tall, I guess it could only be natural. Dalton would have been thrilled if he knew, the boy was too fond of sports.
Grey's grandma mumbled about Grey being a rude host for not showing me around but I assured her that it was okay, my stay here hadn't been planned.
It was nearing lunch time and I wanted to make myself useful so I decided to ask for her permission to prepare a meal for them but she bet me to it.
"Would you mind helping me out?" She gestured to the kitchen complaining at the many mouths she had to feed but smiled sweetly at me over her shoulder.
She took out all the ingredients while I stood at the counter on the left. "What can I do?" I meekly asked after having no idea what I was supposed to do.
"Elle, you can call me Nana." She affectionately held my hands and I slowly loosened up, feeling much at ease now. She must have noticed how stiff I had been. Again, she was very observant.
"What can I do, Nana?" Her smile brightened as she turned to look at the table behind her while humming a soft song.
"Help me take out the rice from the upper cabinet." I nodded eagerly, opening the drawers as I stood on my toes. The cabinets were high though my height was better than Nana's, unless I climbed up.
I dropped my heel to the floor sighing after not reaching anything. I couldn't even see what the cabinets contained. Just as I attempted again, I felt a presence behind me and surely it wasn't Nana.
"The packets?" My forehead bumped into the person's chest and by the sweet yet intoxicating scent, I knew it was Grey. Stupid enough, I nuzzled into him as I held onto his arm.
My eyes jerked back to him when I felt his skin instead and it was then I noticed that he had changed into a sleeveless black shirt.
His arms were open for my eyes that wandered over his huge and rigid biceps. The arm muscles flexed as he pointed above me and that made him appear much stronger.
"Tulip," I had been staring and a massive blush spread over my face as I averted his gaze. He spared me no mercy as his thumb traced my left cheek enhancing my blush making me look back at him.
"How many rice packets?" His stubble had slightly grown and I smiled to myself liking how perfect he looked with the facial hair. I had a thing for sideburns.
"What has you smiling this much?" He lowered his head to my ear where he whispered huskily, shaking me to the core that I grabbed the sides of his shirt.
"Two packets!" I squeaked out while looking behind me to where Nana had been watching us. She turned around to busy herself when I caught her eyes.
"Uh-" Grey didn't seem to mind our proximity as he moved impossibly closer, sandwiching me further to the counter behind me. His eyes were darker now as he stared down at me, his thumb still over my face.
"Aah, the water will evaporate at this rate." I pushed him back at Nana's voice though he didn't move a bit. He blinked then shook his head as if trying to clear his head and took out two rice packets.
"You are distracting our cooking," Nana shooed him out as I washed the rice in a large glass bowl. Grey grumbled that he was only coming for a glass of water.
"He's stubborn isn't he?" Nana asked as she dried her hands and I shook my head in protest. Grey was anything but stubborn though he was too much distracting. I tended to block out everything else when I was around him.
"I have never seen him so carefree in years," I wasn't sure but her voice wavered and I could feel sadness in her tone. She seemed faraway in her thoughts even as she looked at me.
"Is everything okay?" The passive look disappeared as she replaced it with her witty smiles. She turned to stir the stew she'd been preparing and I pondered over her words. Had something happened to Grey when he was younger?
"Can I make a salad?" I was used to having one before meals so I figured everyone would like one. Nana happily told me to pick what I needed from the fridge.
I prepared the salad fast enough after asking Nana if the boys were allergic to anything. She laughed at my question as if absurd then told me that they ate everything.
"Though I wonder when did Grey develop a sweet tooth," she pointed out the ice cream tubs in his fridge shaking her head to herself and I was glad her back was turned to me.
If she saw my face, she would know.
We stayed in peaceful silence as I let the rice cook and she finalized preparing the side dishes. She mumbled again and I turned to see that Grey was back in the kitchen.
"You can't stay away, can you?" He smiled at me then circled at Nana to check what she was making. She pushed his head away, smacking his back, unleashing the playful side of Grey I had seen a few times.
"Elle, just go join them." I looked back at the salad and the rice that was still cooking though Nana told me she would take care of everything.
"He'll end up having a tank of water in his stomach." She called after us as we left attempting to whistle though Grey denied her claims saying he wasn't there to get water.
"Your home is wonderful," the lawn at the back was well tended to and trimmed perfectly though there were no any flowers. Maybe he didn't like them or have the time for them.
"I feel happy to know you like it here," I smiled as he reached for my hand even when his words gave out a different meaning. I tried not to let my imagination heighten.
"There are no flowers though, you don't like them?" I didn't know how to keep some thoughts to myself so I eventually found myself asking.
"Flowers?" He stopped abruptly then glanced down at me as I nodded. It was common for one to have flowers in their yard right? There was a small flower garden back home.
"Like tulips?" His tone could have been teasing though his expressions were serious as he suggested and I could tell he was putting much thought to my words.
"Any flowers, roses and lilies are common." I was surprised that he never thought of them before. After all they were the most basic decorations at one's home.
"I love tulips better." Even while knowing he was talking about the flowers, I turned scarlet as I shyly played with his fingers, tracing irregular shapes on each one of them.
We took a turn behind the house to a large pitch where Enzo and Reece were playing. They had changed into outfits similar to Grey's making them appear as professional players.
"Wanna join?" He gently pulled me back though I bumped my head his chest rather harshly and I frantically apologized, turning around to face him.
He smirked as I continued to softly rub his chest up and down in a soothing manner over the thin fabric. It was after almost a minute that I realized he was feigning injury and I smacked him back with greater force.
He didn't wince a bit though the ball came bouncing our way till it came to our feet. Enzo and Reece had stopped playing and they were now standing outside the pitch watching us.
"Are you now rubbing it on our faces?" Reece tapped the ball to the ring after Grey had thrown it back. Reece almost sounded upset but I knew he was the most lively of the trio.
I detached myself from Grey and excitedly rushed to play with the two of them. It had been so long since I played though the only rule I remember was throwing the ball to the ring and not kicking the ball.
"Reece, let's team up?" He smugly looked behind me then grinned telling Enzo to team up with Grey. We took our sides, with Reece easily scoring for us since he was quite tall.
Enzo was quite good too countering most of the attacks and scoring half the number of goals while Grey scored the rest. Unfortunately for me, I had scored nothing.
"Reece would you pass me the ball?" The game had started to get intense with Grey getting the ball most of the time. The three men were getting rougher that I barely got near the ball.
I followed around, now out of breath though they didn't appear to sweat anywhere. I stood at the middle of the pitch to catch my breath with my hands on my knees as I watched them run after each other.
I needed a break. With one tired sigh, I began to walk away though the ball got drilled to where I was standing and I enthusiastically dribbled to our ring, giving myself a score.
"Reece, I scored!" It was some achievement for me to get the ball into such a high ring. I hadn't been counting our scores but I knew Enzo and Grey were ahead.
"Yeah yeah, he just had to pass you the ball." Reece smiled mischievously as I rejoiced but I saw him roll his eyes. Why was he so sour even when I'd proven my worth?
Enzo and Grey smiled as they approached me and it was then I realized none them had been in defense whilst I scored. So they had just let me win.
"Why did you pass me the ball?" I shook Grey's arm when Reece continued to mumble about him helping a rival. Grey shrugged his shoulders still smiling.
"You wanted to score," I tried to reprimand him for his carelessness telling him not to repeat that since we were on different teams.
"Your efforts have been wasted Enzo," Reece attempted to swing his arm over his shoulder though Enzo shrugged it away while giving him a dirty look.
I apologized to him for Grey's intentional mistake though he shook his head telling me that it was expected.
We played a couple of times and this time I teamed up with Grey. I scored a number of times though he had to block Reece and Enzo while I tried to.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be though I was glad they let me win for some time. We found ourselves laughing most of the time even as Reece complained we weren't following any rules.
"The salads are ready," Nana came with one round bowl and she laughed when Enzo accidentally hit Reece's face with the ball.
I watched them devour the fruits first and the bowl was emptied in a flash. Luckily Nana had reserved ours in the kitchen.
"Those were really tasty." Enzo stared at the now empty plate and I felt my smile pick up. It always felt nice when someone complimented about something you had done.
"Elle made all these," Nana beamed at me as all their heads turned towards me and I smiled at all of them.
"At least you shared with us on time, Nana." Reece pretended to look at the sky. "Someone here wouldn't have."
"True." Enzo seemed to agree and I turned to Grey who had been watching me the whole time. I whispered to his side, trying to prove to the rest that they were wrong.
"You would have, yes?" I moved back to watch his face and to my utter dismay, he gave me one firm shake of the head.
A selfish Grey was something else.
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Always tulip just got to 3k reads and I'm so so happy. Thank you everyone for your support, I really appreciate you all. Love ya!
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