Grandpa and Grayson are back.
Hale and my mom are on their way to the airport to get them. Meanwhile, Iris is in my room getting ready for her date with Baker later.
"A little bird told me Ty Bennet is going to ask you out the next time he sees you."
"I'm not interested in Ty like that," I say, surfing through the movies on Netflix from my bed. I'm in the mood for an action movie tonight.
Iris turns around from my vanity, staring at me. "Okay, seriously, what's going on with you?"
"I kissed Grayson," I blurt out before I even have the chance to think about it. There. I've said it. It's out there.
"What?"
"Yeah. I kissed him. I mean, we kissed. Two times. Unless you count that time in the kitchen, it would be three times. But ... it's not a big deal ... right?
Iris's jaw is on the floor, and her eyes are wide open, but she recovers quickly. "I knew it. You can just feel something going on between you two when you're both in the same room. No way that guy has been living in this house with you, and he hasn't seen your chonies yet. I don't blame you, Layla. It's hard to resist when he looks like that."
"Oh my god, Iris!" I laugh. "No. We just kissed. That's it. Nothing else."
A genuine smile passes over her lips. "So ... Grayson, huh? How do you think your mom will feel about that?"
It feels relieving to talk about all of this with someone finally.
"I don't know," I shrug. "I told him I'd be his friend, and that's it. But ... these past few days ... I've missed him."
I've missed him a lot. He's been gone two days and three nights, and I've felt every second of his absence. And I've tried to fight it. I've tried not to feel it, but it's hopeless.
"You know I will tell you to go for it if that's what your heart wants."
"I know. But ... it's just all ... confusing."
She gives me a knowing look and turns around to continue doing her makeup. "I can't believe you kissed him. That's not like you at all."
I cover my face with my hands. "I know."
We both hear the door shut downstairs.
"Well," Iris smiles, getting up from my vanity. "That's probably them. Keep me updated, okay? I want all the details."
"There will be no details."
She looks at me suspiciously. "Yeah. Okay."
We make our way downstairs. Iris hugs Grandpa in the foyer and slips out of the house. Grayson isn't here. Grandpa sets the bags down and then notices me.
"Laylabug."
I smile and cross the foyer. He welcomes me in his arms.
"Grandma wanted to show everyone the new flowers she planted," Grandpa explains, opening the front door. "They're all outside."
When I step outside behind Grandpa, the sun is setting, dipping below the horizon. Pink and yellow gleams paint the sky, and a slight breeze drifts through my hair, warm, kissing my skin as it passes.
Grayson stands at the edge of the porch, resting his forearms on the wooden railing. His eyes meet mine, and his mouth curves slightly. My body relaxes when I see him, and I realize it's a feeling of relief.
"I made your favorite for dinner, Dave," Grandma smiles from below the porch stairs. "We should eat before it gets cold."
I stand on the other side of the porch, waiting for everyone to head inside. Mom clicks the door shut behind her, and I walk across the creaking wood and throw my arms around him.
He sweeps me up in those strong arms I like so much. I clutch onto him tightly, arms wrapped around his neck. I never want to let him go.
Without him near, my heart aches.
"I missed you," I say, burying my face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent.
"I missed you too," he whispers.
We stay like that for some time while Grayson's hands roam over my back. But ultimately, we break away.
"How was your trip?" I ask, stepping back.
"Awful."
His face looks much better than it did the last time I saw him, the cut is healing, scabbed over, and the bruise is starting to fade away. I almost reach out and touch his face, but I know what that leads to, so I don't.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He shakes his head. "No."
"Do you want to eat dinner? You must be hungry."
He smiles. "Sure, Layla."
That damn smile. It's enough to make any girl swoon.
— — —
Grayson came to my room sometime earlier this evening. After dinner last night, he went out with Kade to hang out, and I have no idea when he came home. And today, he was MIA the whole day until he slipped into my room while I watched Mission: Impossible.
Now he's asleep, sleeping peacefully beside me as I watch my movie. I look at him. He's on his back with his arms crossed, his breathing slow and deep, and I know I have to wake him, but I don't really want to.
I leave him sleeping and head downstairs to refill my water bottle. Grandma's in the kitchen prepping her cheesecake for tomorrow. Nate is sitting at the table, working away on his laptop.
"Hey, Grandma," I smile, refilling my water from the fridge. "Need any help?"
She shakes her head, whipping something up in a bowl. "I'll be okay, Layla. I've made this cheesecake hundreds of times."
I laugh on the inside. One thing about Grandma is that she will have absolutely no one messing up her cooking or baking by interfering. It's entirely a solo hobby for her.
I join Nate at the table, sitting across from him. "When are you going back to Uganda?"
He looks up at me from his screen. "After the wedding, obviously. Why are you asking?"
"I don't know," I shrug. "It didn't seem like you wanted to stay. You love your life in Africa so much you barely think about me and Mom."
"Come on, Layla. You know that's not true."
He goes back to typing away on his computer as if this conversation isn't happening right now. I scoff and step out of my chair. Typical Nate. The avoider. So much for trying to have a conversation with him.
I find Grandpa in the family room upstairs, working on a five-hundred-piece puzzle of a truck in a scenic background.
Grandpa loves trucks.
"So ... this is what retirement has done to you?"
Grandpa laughs. "It seems so. You want to help?"
I sit down beside him. "Not really."
"How's my girl doing? Are you excited for college?"
"A little."
"Only a little?"
I shrug. "I just don't think it's going to be as special as everyone is making it out to be."
"Well," Grandpa says, fitting two pieces together. "At least you'll have Grayson around. And his friend Kade. They're good guys, and they'll look after you. Isn't it great that you got the chance to get close to Grayson? Now you'll have a friend and a familiar face around. Things won't be as scary."
Friend. What if I wanted him to be more than that?
"Can I tell you something?" I ask.
"Of course, you can."
"But you promise you won't tell anyone just yet? Not even Grandma?"
He pretends to seal his lips, all his attention on me now.
"Liam and I broke up because he cheated on me. A little while before graduation."
I guess I'm being truthful today.
Grandpa clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "I knew there was a reason I never liked him. I'm so sorry, Laylabug. What a huge let-down."
"Tell me about it," I agree.
Grandpa wraps an arm around me and kisses me on the forehead. "I promise there are good guys out there, and in my heart, I know you will find only the best for yourself. One who will never make you question what you're worth to them."
I smile at that. "I hope so."
"Thank you for telling me. My days in therapy might be over, but I hope you know you can always talk to me."
I nod, hugging him back. "I love you."
"I love you too, Laylabug. Go on and get some sleep now."
I feel lighter on my feet, walking back to my room, but I stop at the sound of Grayson's name. My mom's room door is slightly ajar, and hushed voices float out into the hallway. I know I shouldn't stop and listen. I mean, I really shouldn't. But I can't move.
"Are you sure, Hale?" Mom's voice. But it sounds different. Worried.
"Yes. It was here before we left for the airport yesterday, and now it's gone. Who else would have taken it?"
Taken what?
"Are you sure you didn't just misplace it?"
"Macy, it's a goddamn gun. No, I didn't misplace it. It was here, hidden, and now it's gone, and I know Grayson is behind this."
A gun?!
"Okay, what are you going to do?"
I can hear the stress in Hale's voice. "I don't know. I'll ask him about it, I guess."
"How well do you know your nephew?" Mom asks.
"What are you asking me, Macy?"
"Hale, my daughter lives here. My nephews and nieces are just next door. Is he ... dangerous?"
I close my eyes, letting out a sigh.
"I don't know, Mace. Sometimes it feels like I barely know him."
"And if he has it? Then what?"
"Then he's gone," Hale says as if the decision is final. "I won't ever have him near you or your family ever again. Hell, I'll call the police myself."
Oh, Grayson. What have you done?
-
(hope you enjoyed it! next chap coming soon ☺️ thanks for reading 💖)