Chapter 17: You Belong With Me
Greyson's Point of View
I strode into the school building as confident as could be. I could do this. She’s going to say yes. Then I saw her.
She was leaning into her locker, her golden hair hiding her face from my view. But it didn’t matter that I couldn’t see all of her; my heart started beating faster, my palms grew sweaty. For the first time in my life, I was nervous and uncomfortable around her and she didn’t even realize I was there yet.
I’m not sure what made me take that first step towards her, but one step led to two and two to three until I reached her side.
“Grey!” Bren greeted, throwing her slender arms around me. “Two more days and we’re not grounded anymore!”
I somehow managed to wrap my arms around her as well and returned the hug. “Yeah, I know.”
She let go of me and grabbed the rest of the things from her locker before slamming it shut. I stood there awkwardly, knowing I should say something, but I didn’t know how to start. My mind was buzzing with random words but nothing was the least bit coherent.
“Well, we should probably head up to my class,” Bren suggested, much calmer now.
I nodded in agreement because words seemed to still be just out of reach. We strolled through the hallway for a moment before anything was said.
“You know, I’m not pleased with Carson being my future stepbrother, but my dad is happier than I’ve ever seen him. So, I’m simply gonna have to suck it up and be the bigger person, I guess,” Bren confided in me, a slight smile on her face.
The mention of Carson caused me to switch gears entirely. Words were suddenly at my disposal once again. “That’s a great way to think about it, but remember what I said. If he tries anything again, let me know.”
Her smile grew. “You know I will, Grey. I tell you, like, everything.”
“Good.”
I made the mistake of looking at her again. My heart raced, and I couldn’t think straight. I was like a prepubescent boy who was crushing on a girl for the first time.
“I’ll see you in a while.” Bren’s voice sounded, causing me to focus on my surroundings. We had already reached her classroom.
“Uh, yeah,” I managed to stammer. “I’ll see you later.”
I turned around quickly, almost tripping over my own two feet, but I kept walking as if nothing had happened. I mentally cursed myself the whole way to English. What the hell was wrong with me? I couldn’t even talk to my best friend, the girl I told everything to. All I had to do was ask her a simple question. It shouldn’t be this bloody difficult.
I sat down in my normal spot, but I was one of the only people in the room. Mr. Johnson was already seated at his desk clicking away at his computer. I didn’t have to wait long before Nate joined me.
“How’d it go?” He wore a cheesy grin.
I didn’t answer right away, and the smile slowly slipped off his face. Who wants to say they chickened out? “I, uh, didn’t ask her yet.”
Nate reached over and smacked me in the back of the head. “Dude, seriously?”
“You’re one to talk,” I scoffed.
“We aren’t talking about me. We’re talking about you. Besides, you already know she’ll say yes. She told you she liked you. It doesn’t get any easier than that.” Nate shook his head.
“It isn’t that simple,” I protested.
“You sound like a thirteen year old school girl. Grow some balls—since you obviously don’t have any—and ask her. You are going to do it at lunch. No backing out this time, Grey.”
I didn’t bother responding and turned my attention to the other side of the room. A small smile spread across my lips as I noticed Grace was there, completely zoned into a book as usual.
The bell rang and I focused on the front of the class, not wanting to restart my conversation with Nate. I wasn’t going to chicken out again. He couldn’t talk anyhow. He had yet to do anything about Lilah. At least I’ve been attempting to make a move. It isn’t my fault we get interrupted every time. I may have wussed out when I actually tried to ask her, but I still had gotten farther than him.
My next few classes went by slowly. The longer the time dragged out, the more I could feel my nervousness build. It really shouldn’t affect me this much. I knew she would say yes, but I couldn’t stop the endless stream of doubts slowly accumulating in my mind. What if I waited too long and she didn’t still feel that way about me anymore? What if she never actually liked me like that and I misunderstood somehow? What if she still had feelings for my brother?
I shook my head, trying to dislodge the doubts from my mind. I was simply being ridiculous now. She told me she liked me, and she would never go back with Sterling. He tore her apart. She wasn’t stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. Not to mention, she’d tell me something like that.
I finally made it to the lunch room, and I was surprisingly calm. I took a seat opposite of Nate and began going over the plan in my head.
Nate grinned at me. “You ready for this?”
“I’ve never been more ready for something in my life.” I smirked.
Nate’s grin grew wider. “Good because here she comes.”
I swiveled into the direction he was looking and my mouth immediately went dry. Why did she have to pick today of all days to wear that shirt, those pants? Even with the boot around her leg she was unbelievably hot.
Bren sat next to me, and I couldn’t even mutter a simple “hey”.
“You alright today, Grey?” She asked me. “You’ve been pretty quiet.”
I nodded and sent her a smile. Words were still unavailable for my usage. She gave me an odd look, but didn’t question me further. Bren turned her attention to Lilah and they talked about some chick flick that was coming out and they wanted to see. You couldn’t pay me enough to see one of those.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up my leg. I glared across the table at Nate. His eyes were wide and he was gesturing his head at Bren. I held up my hands in defeat. There was no way I could ask her right now. I couldn’t even talk to her, let alone ask her. This was downright pathetic.
He shook his head and focused on his food. This was definitely not working out the way I had planned for so long. The more I tried to form the words to ask her, the more difficult it became to speak and the faster time seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, the bell rang and lunch was over. I had lost yet another chance.
I trudged through the rest of the day. It was depressing to know I couldn’t even ask out the girl of my dreams. I had asked out other girls before. Why should this be any different? If anything, it should be easier. I knew she was going to say yes, I simply had to get the words out to ask her.
The end of the day came, and I waited for Bren by her locker as usual. I stood there for a few minutes and she still hadn’t come. If she didn’t come soon, I’d have to leave without talking to her. I glanced at my phone, intending to check the time, and discovered I had a missed text from her.
I won’t be there after school. Drs appointment. –B
I sighed and walked out to the car, my hands in my pockets. What was I supposed to do now? I wasn’t going to be able to see or talk to her until Sunday. This was absolutely great.
I climbed in my brother’s truck, slamming the door in the process.
Sterling raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing it didn’t go well?”
“I didn’t ask her,” I admitted, my eyes firmly directed at the window.
“Grey, Grey, Grey. You’re ruining the reputation I worked so hard to build. What do you think it looks like for me if my own brother fails at asking a girl out? You are a Hayes! Grow a pair and ask her already,” Sterling said as he drove out of the parking lot.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” I spat.
Sterling remained silent for a moment and only the music played in the background.
“What happened, bro? You’ve never had a problem like this before.” He paused and with a smirk added, “I like to think you take after me that way.”
“I don’t know.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I completely froze up every time I tried to ask her. I thought I was finally ready to do it after school and she wasn’t there. She had a doctor’s appointment.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“Well, I’m not going to see her again until Sunday when I’m ungrounded. I guess I’ll just have to wait until then.”
Sterling chuckled. “I take it back; you aren’t like me at all. Do you think I’d let that get in the way of asking out the girl of my dreams?”
“What do you propose I do?” I questioned, my brows furrowed.
“Sneak out after Mom and Dad go to bed. It isn’t that hard,” Sterling explained.
“That’s all fine and dandy, but it isn’t like I can stride up to her front door and demand for Mr. Shaw to let me in. I really don’t think he’ll go for that.” I rolled my eyes.
“How the hell are we related?” Sterling muttered and ran a hand through his hair. “Climb up the tree and sneak in through her window. It’s forbidden like Romeo and Juliet or whatever. Girls think that kind of stuff is romantic.”
“I didn’t know you knew anything about Shakespeare.” I laughed. “That seems creepy, just chilling outside her window.”
He shrugged. “I’ve done it plenty of times.”
I simply stared at him. What was I supposed to say to that?
“She let me in, moron. Are you going to have the guts to actually ask her this time?” Sterling asked as we pulled into the driveway.
“Yeah,” I responded, but I wasn’t really so sure.
“Don’t screw it—dude, I have a great idea, so we can be sure you don’t choke.” Sterling grinned and explained his plan in detail as we walked up to our house.
“Are sure she’ll go for that?” I asked, not confident it would work.
“Of course. That’s one of her favorite singers, and it’s that whole romantic thing girls love. Besides, this way you don’t actually have to say it.”
“True,” I agreed.
***
It was ten at night and my parents were finally asleep. I pulled on my shoes and sprayed some cologne before throwing everything I’d need in a backpack. I quietly slipped out my door and over to Sterling’s room.
He grabbed his keys of the night stand and strode over to me. “Don’t screw this up because I’m not helping you out again.” He held out the keys for me to take. “And don’t you dare do a thing to hurt Scarlet. Remember to keep the headlights off until you get out of the driveway.”
I smiled and ignored the fact he named his truck. “Thanks, Sterling. I really do appreciate it. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“If you’re lucky, you won’t.” He smirked.
I softly shut his door and shuffled down the stairs and out of the house. I kept waiting for one of my parents to barge out their bedroom door and stop me, but it didn’t happen. Maybe I really would have some luck on my side tonight.
I tossed my backpack into the seat next to me and hopped into the driver’s seat. I couldn’t believe that Sterling was letting me drive his truck. It may be a bit old and rusty, but he treated it like it was a one of a kind Ferrari. I kept the headlights off like he instructed and backed into the road.
I turned on the radio and sang along to every song. I was in a great mood. I was finally, finally going to ask out Bren. Something I had wanted to do for what seemed like an eternity. I couldn’t be sure when exactly my feelings for her changed into something more than friendship. It just sort of progressed until one day I realized I was completely smitten with her.
The drive to her house seemed to take eons but merely seconds. It felt like forever on the drive there, but I arrived before I knew it. I parked down the street from her house, so her dad wouldn’t get suspicious. A pissed off Mr. Shaw was not what I wanted to deal with.
I walked up to her house and around to her backyard where her bedroom window was. I thought I would be as stealthy as a ninja, but it did not go that way at all. I had scrapes and bruises in places I never thought I would.
I finally made it to the branch right outside of her window. I pulled out the teddy bear and the piece of paper that read “You’re unbearably cute…go out with me?” I lightly tapped on her window and quietly called out, “Bren, it’s Grey.”
I heard the patter of the footsteps before the window opened and she stuck her head out. “Grey, what are—oh my God!”
Her blues eyes met with mine, the shock in apparent in them. Before she could utter a word, another voice called out.
“Brennan, are you okay in there?”
She quickly closed the curtains and yelled, “Yeah, I just saw a really big spider.” I heard a bang. “Got it!”
“Alright, let me know if you need anything, sweetie.”
Bren opened the curtains and gestured for me to climb in. I handed her the sign and bear before scrambling over the ledge and into her room. She stood there for a moment, the bear tucked under her arm, her eyes glued to the sign.
“Bren,” I whispered, tenderly grasping her arm.
Those sapphire eyes met mine once more. “This is incredibly sweet, Grey. I don’t even know what to say. I’m at a complete loss for words right now.”
“How about yes?” I suggested, a hopeful smile on my lips.
She giggled. “Yes, Grey. I’d love to go out with you.”
I wrapped my arms around her slim waist and rested my forehead on hers. “You just made me the happiest guy in the world, Brennan Rosemary Shaw.”
Bren laughed once again. “That is so cliché. You couldn’t do any better than that, Hayes?”
“Hey, I already came up with a pun for today. What more do you expect?” I grinned.
“That was a pretty good pun, huh?” Bren sighed, but her eyes were twinkling. “I guess it’ll work.”
I glanced at her alarm clock and saw it was already ten to eleven. “As much as I hate to say this, I really need to get going. My parents would kill me if they found out I was here.” I turned my gaze back to her. “How about I pick you up at five on Sunday for our date?”
Bren smiled, her eyes bright. “I’d love that.”
I pulled her closer into a hug. We remained that way for a moment, her head on my chest before I moved my mouth to her ear. “I’ll see you then.” I brushed my mouth along her jaw and planted a light kiss on her cheek. I gave her hand a final squeeze before striding to the window.
I twisted and gave her once last glance before climbing back onto the tree branch. She was staring at me, one hand placed on her pink cheek. I sent her a small wave and started my descent down the tree.
I pulled into the driveway of my home and sat in the truck for a minute practically begging God that my parents didn’t wake up for some reason. If they did, I was royally screwed. I slipped through my front door and upstairs with no problem. I stopped by my brother’s room to drop off his keys and he immediately sat upright once he saw me.
“How’d it go?”
I grinned. “Perfectly. Thanks again, Sterling. I really couldn’t have done it without you.”
“No problem. I’m just glad my little bro finally scored a girl.” He clapped me on the back.
I rolled my eyes. “You act like I haven’t had girls before.”
“Not like her, you haven’t,” he informed me with a wink.
“I know. She’s really something.” I tossed him the keys. “I’m going to bed. Night.”
“Night.”
***
I spent all day Saturday racking my brains for something to do for the date. There were so many possibilities, but now it was limited due to Bren’s broken ankle. Any remotely good idea was cancelled out because I didn’t want to do anything that’d involve a lot of moving. I had to do something special to signify it was a date and not us hanging out like usual. Nothing I could think of would work; it was either too ordinary or too active.
I was lying in my bed Saturday night, freaking out because I still hadn’t an inkling of what we would do. As my eyes started to droop from sleepiness, the perfect idea came to me. It was something I wouldn’t normally do, but it’d be worth it for her. I shut my eyes and slept better than I had in ages.
***
I woke up to my mother standing over me, her short, blonde hair tucked behind her left ear. I bit back the scream that had almost escaped my lips and sat up. “Yes, mom?”
“I just wanted to give you your phone before I go to work. You’re officially ungrounded now,” she said and held out my phone in her palm.
I grinned. “Thanks, mom. “
“Do you have any plans for today?” my mom asked me.
“Yeah.” My smile grew wider. “Bren and I are doing something tonight.”
“I figured that much.” She laughed and glanced at her slim watch. “I have to be going. Have fun, Grey.”
“I’m sure I will. Bye, mom,” I told her with a wink.
I hopped out of bed and pulled on running shorts and tennis shoes. I went for a short run to burn off some of the nervous energy I was feeling in anticipation for tonight. I couldn’t be sure if it helped at all or got me more pumped.
I poured myself a heaping bowl of cereal before jumping in the shower. I made sure to shave since Bren wasn’t fond of facial hair. I plopped down onto the couch and watched TV to pass some time. Three episodes of MythBusters reruns later and it was only half past two. I was bored out of my mind. I suffered through the rest of that episode and another before turning the TV off.
It was finally four. I took the stairs two at a time and bounded into the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and fixed my hair. I sprayed some cologne, grabbed my wallet and keys and headed out the door.
I hopped into Sterling’s truck—he was nice enough to let me use it again—and pulled out into the street. I stopped by the local florist and picked out a single rose for her. I climbed back into the truck and glanced at the time. It was quarter to five, perfect.
I pulled into Brennan’s driveway with six minutes to spare. I placed the truck into park and strode to her door. I rapped my knuckles against the door a few times. It opened to reveal Mr. Shaw.
“Hello, Greyson. Come on in,” he told me, a large smile plastered across his face.
I did what he instructed and walked into the spacious living room. I couldn’t help but wonder if she had told her dad we were going on a date.
“Why don’t you sit down while we wait? You know how girls are. Besides, we can have a little talk,” Mr. Shaw suggested.
I shuffled to a black, leather recliner and sat down. I tried not to appear nervous while I waited for him to speak.
“I’m not thrilled with the idea of my only daughter dating—it’s a scary thing for a father—but I’m glad that if it’s anyone, it is you. You’ve always been a good friend to her,” he told me.
I felt the blood rush out of my face. She apparently did tell him. “Thanks, sir.”
He leaned forward and gripped my shoulder. “That being said, do anything to hurt her, and there will be hell to pay. Understand?”
I nodded quickly and he backed away.
“So, where are you guys going?” he asked, once again grinning.
I cleared my throat. “To dinner and a movie.”
“You’re bringing my daughter to a dark movie theater for your first date? What kind of a girl do you think she is?” Mr. Shaw said, the smile gone from his face.
“I didn’t mean it like that, sir, honest. She was talking about this movie she wanted to go see and there wasn’t a whole lot more we could do with her leg,” I explained hastily.
Before he could respond, footsteps were heard and Bren appeared in the room. Her blonde hair cascaded in curls over the curves of her body. Her fitted pink shirt scooped, teasing me, leaving me wanting more. The dark wash jeans hugged her hips and accentuated her slim legs.
I cleared my throat. “You look amazing, Bren.”
“Thanks.” Her cheeks flushed. She removed her coat from the closet and pulled it on. “I’ll see you later, Dad.”
“Be home by ten, no later.” He told us sternly, his dark eyes focused solely on me.
“I’ll make sure she is, Mr. Shaw.” I assured. He may a few inches smaller than I was, but I was terrified of what he’d do to me if I didn’t do what he asked. He could be a scary man.
I placed a hand lightly on Bren’s lower back and guided her out the front door and to the truck. I held the door open for her while she got in. I shut it gently and climbed in my side.
I picked up the rose from the seat next to me and held it to her. “This is for you. I didn’t know what your dad was going to do if I brought it in.”
She smiled and her eyes shone as she grasped it from my outstretched hand. “Thank you, Grey. It’s beautiful. I’m sorry about my dad. He wasn’t too bad, was he?”
“No, I expected much worse to be honest.” I laughed, pulling out of the driveway.
“Good. Where are we going anyhow?” Bren asked, a smile still on her lips.
“That’s a surprise.” I winked. “You’ll see shortly.”
We talked a bit on the short ride to the restaurant, Shirley’s. It was a local diner and ice cream parlor with amazing food. It was the place Bren and I went for every special occasion, so I thought it was only fitting to start our first date here as well. I looked over to see her reaction as we pulled up and her eyes were lit up as bright as the stars that would soon be streaking the night sky. I knew I made the perfect choice.
I leapt out of the truck and quickly opened her door for her. She jumped out and we strolled to the entrance of the quaint, little restaurant. The faded red brick contrasted starkly with the brightly colored awnings, but it was a design I grew to love.
As we walked up the familiar path, I brushed my arm with hers before grasping her petite hand in my own. I glanced down at her to see her already looking up at me, her lips curved. I gave her hand a small squeeze and we entered into the restaurant. I slid into one side of the booth and she slid into the other.
A waitress immediately came to our table. Her white hair was pulled into a neat bun and her kind, brown eyes were covered with large spectacles. She introduced herself as Ruth and placed a menu in front of each of us.
“Can I get you two something to drink?” Ruth asked, pen and pad in hand.
I looked at Bren and waited for her to order first and she hesitated before saying, “Uh, I’ll have a Sprite, please.”
“Same for me.”
Ruth jotted it down and wandered back to the kitchen.
“I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, Bren. It’s polite to let the girl go first, you know?” I explained, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.
She blushed slightly. “That’s really sweet, Grey. I appreciate it.”
“Do we even need these menus?” I asked as I grazed my eyes over it. I already had the thing practically memorized.
Bren chuckled. “No, not at all.”
We ordered our food and talked about all sorts of things. I never thought we would have that much to talk about. I thought I knew all there was to know, but Bren never ceased to surprise me.
Our food came and we dug in. I loved how Brennan was never self-conscious about how she ate in front of guys. She didn’t order the salad when she wanted a burger and she didn’t eat two bites and say she was full. Of course, she didn’t eat like a pig attacking a trough either. That’s downright unattractive no matter what a girl looks like.
We finished our dinner and ordered a banana split to share. It was another tradition we had been doing for as long as I could remember. It was the cherry on top of the sundae for this half of the date.
We devoured the sundae and I placed my hand over Bren’s as we sat at the table waiting for the ticket to arrive.
Ruth cleared the plates before returning and eying our hands. “You guys are such a sweet couple. How long have you to been dating?”
Bren blushed. “This is actually our first date.”
The waitress’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Well, isn’t that something. You seem completely comfortable with each other, like you’ve been dating for ages.”
“We’ve been friends for ages,” I explained.
“I see. Well, have a nice night you two!” Ruth smiled, the lines around her mouth becoming more pronounced and left behind the bill.
I dug out the money I needed from my wallet and left a decent tip. She really was a sweet, old lady, after all. Bren and I walked back out to the truck, her hand intertwined with my own.
“That was a lot of fun,” Bren said. “We haven’t gone there inforever.”
“Well, we aren’t done yet.”
Her eyes widened. “What else are we doing?”
“You’ll see.”
Fifteen minutes later we were in the concession line at the theatre—I had purchased the tickets ahead of time, wanting it to remain a surprise. I handed over the money for the large popcorn and sodas and we made our way to the movie.
Bren kept pestering me, asking me what we were going to see, but I’d simply smile and refuse to surrender. We approached the entrance to the movie and she grinned like the Cheshire cat and grabbed my arm.
“We’re really going to see this? I’ve been wanting to see this movie!” Bren squealed.
I nodded and held open the door for her to walk through. I followed her as she chose a seat towards the top.
“I can’t believe that you, Greyson Hayes, are going to watch a chick flick in public.” Bren shook her head. “I don’t know how many times I’ve begged you to go see one with me and you never would.”
“Well, things change.” I rubbed the back of my neck.
The theater quickly filled up with couples and groups of giggling girls. Apparently, movies like this were more popular than I thought. The lights dimmed and I felt my body immediately fill with anticipation. The moment I had been waiting for oh so long, had finally arrived.
As the previews started, I casually draped my arm around her shoulders. She turned to look at me. “Really, Grey? That’s like the oldest move in the book.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “I can move it if you want.”
I slowly slid my arm back towards me and she gripped my hand and positioned back onto her shoulder.
“I like it.” Her blue eyes met mine and I smirked.
The movie started playing and a hush fell over the crowd. I honestly couldn’t tell you what it was about. I found myself paying more attention to Brennan instead. She didn’t notice at first; her eyes were glued to the ginormous movie screen in front of us.About a half hour into the film, she caught one of my glances.
“What are you looking at?” she whispered.
“You.”
“Obviously.” She rolled her eyes. “Why?”
“I just can’t believe this is actually happening, I guess.” I admitted.
Her lips curved. “You’re so cute, Grey.” She placed her head on my shoulder and turned her attention back to the movie.
The couple finally had the “big kiss” that was so popular in these movies, and I knew it was nearing the end, so I didn’t want to move my now completely numb arm. I loved sitting there like that with her.
Bren turned her head to look up at me. “Grey?”
“Mhm?” I looked down at her as well.
“This was a lot of fun,” she told me quietly.
I shifted slightly to view her face better. I noticed her eyes were much darker than normal. “I’m glad.”
Neither of us spoke for a moment. I moved my free hand to gently cup her face. I felt my heart race as I leaned forward and her eyes fluttered closed. I brushed my lips against hers once, twice, and then a third before pulling back.
I had imagined that my first kiss with Bren would be like no other. As corny and girly as it sounds, I expected fireworks, for my lips to tingle and my insides to burst. I always thought it would mark the best day of my life, the point of no return. I thought nothing would ever be the same again. I definitely did not expect what I felt at that moment.
Bren glanced down and I didn’t really know what to say.
I cleared my throat. “I’m not saying you’re a bad kisser or anything, but—”
“It felt like you were kissing your sister?” Bren finished for me.
“Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck again.
She laughed. “Okay, good. It wasn’t just me then.”
A girl with bright red hair in front of us whipped around in her seat. “Will you two shut up? Some people are trying to watch a movie.”
I covered up my snicker with a smile. “I’m sorry.”
The girl sent me a death glare and turned back around.
I looked at Bren and could tell she was about to burst from the laughter she was holding in. “Do you want to just get out of here?”
She nodded. We swiftly shuffled past the people in the crowded theater—they weren’t too happy about it—and headed towards the door.
“So, we’re definitely just friends then?” I asked her after a moment.
“Yeah. That’s apparently all we’re meant to be. I’m happy with that though.” Bren smiled.
“Me too.”