Chapter 26 #2
“Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars plays as I bob my head to the song by one of my favorite musicians and start singing it while I wait for Grayson to get into the driver’s seat.
I don’t stop singing when he gets in. I’m not someone who’s shy about singing in front of others, and if a song I love is playing, I don’t hesitate to do what I enjoy in my free time.
The car doesn’t move when I set my purse down by my feet, and I look over to Grayson, who’s staring at me with an expression I’ve never seen.
“What is it? Do I have something on my face?”
His Adam’s apple bobs, and his hair sways when he shakes his head. “Why aren’t you a music major?” I laugh softly. That isn’t the first time someone has asked me that. In fact, Stevie, who’s a theater major, has asked me the same thing multiple times. “I’m serious, Emma. Your voice is beautiful.”
I feel the sudden urge to clear my throat. “Thank you, but journalism and writing are where my heart lies. Singing is something I do for fun whenever I get the chance.”
Grayson turns away and scoffs. “If you ever decide to switch career paths, may I suggest becoming a professional singer, specifically a pop star? You have the look and voice, Princess.”
The car starts moving, and we’re on the road in two minutes. I squirm in my seat and rub my hands up and down my thighs, before asking, “Where are we going, and when are you going to give me a proper hello?”
We reach a stoplight, and Grayson takes one hand off the wheel, rubbing his chin while smirking. “Galway Girl” by Ed Sheeran plays, and he turns up the volume, bobbing his head to the song. That’s when my eyes widen to where the music app lies.
“This is your playlist?”
“Yes.”
“But I thought you only listened to the radio.”
“Fuck no.” He cringes. “My account got deleted, and I kept forgetting to make a new one because I play music from somewhere else at home.”
Thank the Lord he has decent taste in music. “Are we going to your house?”
“No.”
That’s something.
“Are—”
I’m cut off when Grayson pulls into a dark, empty block full of houses that probably belong to locals rather than students.
“Why did you stop?”
Grayson leaves the car on as he grabs the back of my head and crashes his lips to mine.
My reaction isn’t one of surprise, I knew something along the lines of this was going to be the proper hello he told me about. What surprises me is the passion and slowness of it all.
We both sigh at the tentative kiss, opening our mouths at the same time until our tongues intertwine slowly.
He swallows my moan. This kiss feels different from our others.
It’s more passionate and tender, yet sensual.
Fireworks, like the ones I felt the night we met, go off, and the feeling makes me grip his sweater to pull him closer.
Grayson grunts and bites my lip, tugging it through his teeth. Our eyes lock on his action, and for a moment, the air shifts as both of us breathe harder, as if we’ve just run a marathon.
“Hi,” he whispers.
“Hi.” I smile, and something foreign fills my stomach. A feeling that shouldn’t be there, not yet. Deciding to be the first to stop this from going any further, I back up and sit up straight, looking forward.
“We should get to where you’re taking me,” I say as casually as possible.
“Right.” Grayson coughs and makes a U-turn.
There’s tension in the air. Whether it’s purely sexual or emotional, I’m not sure, but I tune it out and focus on the new song that’s playing. This time, I don’t sing, even though I know all the words.
After twenty minutes of driving through the back roads and only seeing one familiar spot that Kami and Levi have taken me to, I don’t bother asking Grayson where we’re headed. He won’t tell me, and I’m still trying not to think about the way he looked at me earlier.
He turns the wheel as we reach a dark road that eventually opens onto a small rocky area, causing the car to shake slightly.
Squinting my eyes, I try to identify where we are and am met with darkness for another minute when he stops in front of a small lake that’s only lit up by a couple of house lights far away, the few car lights on a distant mountain, and the moon.
A surprised laugh leaves me. “Grayson, this is…just wow.”
I don’t bother to look his way, I’m still leaning forward, taking in the lake and how empty and quiet it is around these parts.
“Lie back in the chair for a minute.”
Pouting, I do as he says, and I’m glad I did. The car backs up, makes a one-eighty, then stops with the large trunk facing the water.
Grayson unbuckles his seat belt and hops out of the car. Both of my eyebrows rise.
“Um, hello?”
What is going on?
The sound of the back door opening catches my attention.
“What are you doing?” Grayson disappears again to the back of the truck. “It’s like I’m talking to myself.” He reappears, and I attempt to speak to him again. “Can you tell me what’s happening, please?”
A sigh leaves him as he slides his arm under the back seat, lifting a basket and cooler I hadn’t noticed before. My head tilts, and he motions his head to the side.
“Come on.”
I don’t question him. Instead, I hop out of the car and lose my balance for a moment because of the rocks scattered around. Okay, this is going to be a challenge. I stand on my tiptoes and walk ever so slowly to the trunk of the car, where Grayson has the back latch open.
“Over here,” he says, and points to the latch.
“I’m coming. It’s not very easy in these heels.” Grayson rolls his lips inward, trying not to laugh. “Don’t you laugh at me and my heels, Hayes. They were here long before you were.”
A hearty chuckle escapes him, making me smile.
I let out a deep breath as I reach the spot next to him and gasp at the sight in front of me.
There in the back of the pickup truck is a blown-up mattress, two blankets, four pillows, a picnic basket, and a cooler, all illuminated only by four light yellow lights installed around the trunk and two on the top that are only slightly turned up.
I hadn’t seen everything in the back when he’d picked me up due to the cover he usually leaves over the trunk.
“Grayson, what is this?” My mind is racing a hundred miles per hour, trying to figure out what all of this means.
“Do you not like it?” he asks, worry etching his voice.
I turn to him. “No, it’s perfect, I’m just confused. Are we on a date?” I ask hesitantly.
The slight crease in his brow tells me I’m wrong, and I immediately regret killing the mood. I cast my eyes downward, but Grayson grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him, and his eyes bore into mine.
“This is me showing you that you deserve more than what we’ve been doing.
” His face turns serious. “I’m not ready for everything we spoke about yet, considering how much it could cost us, but that doesn’t mean I only plan to use you as a sex toy.
I wasn’t raised that way, and you certainly don’t deserve that.
” My throat tightens at his words. “I never want you to feel used, Emma. So, no. Technically, this isn’t a girlfriend-boyfriend date, but more of a ‘let’s get to know each other, far away from the real world and the problems waiting for us back home. ’ Can you do that?”
Color me shocked. This man wants to get to know me in a romantic setting, but isn’t ready to put a label on it? There’s something off here.
“Are you doing this to make yourself feel better about only wanting sex with me? Because I don’t want your pity.
I’m a big girl.” My heart pounds in my chest, frustrated at the idea of being pitied.
He obviously put a lot of thought into this, but I need to know he means what he’s saying—that he’s doing this to show me I’m not just his to use when he wants.
“You stubborn little thing,” he sighs. “I meant every word I said. This is for both of us to feel more comfortable with one another before having sex, for neither one of us to feel as if we’re using the other like people who have no feelings of any kind.
To avoid feeling like we’re being taken advantage of.
” His breathing intensifies. “Would it be so wrong to do things this way first? To communicate like friends?”
“Friends?” I ask. “I think we’re far past friends, Professor.”
His nostrils flare. “I understand if you don’t want to do this, if you don’t express your thoughts the same way I do. We can leave and forget all about it.” Grayson’s shoulders relax, disappointment clear on his face.
He goes to close the latch, but I stop him by putting my hand on his forearm.
“I’m sorry. I’m being a bitch. I’m just…just…” I stutter, afraid to admit what I’m feeling.
“Just what, Emma?”
I look into his eyes and let out a shaky breath.
“Don’t break my heart, Grayson.” His mouth opens, and his brow furrows as he’s about to say something, but I raise my hand to stop him.
“You said you needed time, and it’s true we both have a lot to lose, I get it, but please do not go back on your word.
Don’t pretend we’re anything more than people trying to figure out what we want, and if you’re serious—which I believe you are—do not make me wait long because I’ve never been the kind of girl to wait around for a man. ”
Grayson slips his hands into his pockets before staring at me. “I promise to never lie to you. I promise to never lead you on, and I promise that I will never purposely hurt you. But you need to promise me something too.”
“And what’s that?” I lean against the car.
“If you can no longer wait for me, then tell me so we can either end this or go down another path.”
The romantic path. The dating, typical boyfriend-girlfriend route…or at least that’s what I think he’s implying.
“I promise.” I extend my pinkie finger, and his lips twitch before he takes it into his. We both nod, and he gestures toward the car.
“Now that we’re done with all of that, we can continue with the night.”
Smiling, I think about how to maneuver myself getting onto the back of this truck.