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“I needed to see you. You’re like a drug to me.”
I told myself last night—before I passed out drunk—that I wouldn’t give up, that I’d keep coming to the library, inching my way into her life.
“I told you to leave me alone, Greyson. You shouldn’t be here,” Lainey whispers, looking to see if anyone else is around. The confusion in her eyes tells me she’s unsure of whether shewantsthem to be around or not.
“Lainey,” I murmur as I slowly lift my hand. My fingers are itching to move the little piece of hair hanging across her face. Her eyes follow my movement and she shifts to the side before I can reach the brown strands I was going for.
“Stop,” she hisses.
“I still can’t believe you’re really here in front of me,” I say in awe. “You’re the most beautiful girl in the world.”
Her face twists into a scowl at my comment.God, I wish I knew what was going on in that head.She moves to escape, but I bring my arms up either side of her, boxing her in against the bookshelf. Her breathing quickens and her eyes widen, as she slowly turns her gaze back to me.
“Let me go.” The quiver of uncertainty in her voice breaks my heart. She’s afraid, even though I know she’s trying to be strong. Fuck, I didn’t even think about how approaching her quickly and cornering her like this might affect her.
Before I passed out last night, one of the ways I thought about making my way back into her heart was to kiss her. To remind her of how good and sweet our first kiss was nine years ago. Maybe that’d help her to realize that I’m not out to hurt her.
It’s beena month since I first laid eyes on the beautiful girl with the brown hair and golden eyes. My father brought me here because he thinks I’m old enough to be a part of his world. He showed me the ropes, and how to take care of the girls—how to train them—and now I’m on my own. I don’t know why he’d trust a thirteen-year-old to do this work. I hate that he’s making me do this. It’s not like I actually do what he told me to do when he’s not around. I can’t bring myself to hurt these girls like he does. They all look so terrified and sad; they mostly sit in their cells and cry.
Except one girl. The golden-eyed girl.
Lainey, I learned—when she finally trusted me enough to tell me.
“You’re a lifesaver, Greyson,” Lainey squeals when I give her an extra roll from the kitchen. I can feel the glares of the other girls every time I do something for her. I know it makes me a terrible person helping her and not the others, but something about her draws me in.
My father has made it so they all get one scoop of scrambled eggs, a banana, and a biscuit for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and for dinner, it’s one serving of whatever meat, usually chicken, with a roll. That’s it.
One day when I was with Lainey, helping her wash up with a rag, I heard her stomach growl. The sound tore me up inside, and I couldn’t go on, knowing she was starving. That was when I started sneaking her food. I can’t sneak much because someone might notice, but at least it’s something.
A smile pulls at my lips. “Anything for you, angel.” I just sit back and watch as she devours the roll I brought her. She eats it like she doesn’t give a shit that I’m watching. That’s one thing I love about her, she doesn’t care what others think.
I shut the gate behind me, and sit down on her hard mattress on the floor. When she’s done eating, she comes and sits down beside me.
“Will I ever get out of here?” she asks quietly.
“You’ll get out of here, I promise.”
“Free, though? Will I get out of here and be free?”
Her question feels like a knife right through my heart. I want to tell her yes, but the reality is I don’t know. I’m trying to find a way to get her out, but I’m only thirteen... I’m not sure how.
“I can’t answer that, angel.”
Her head falls, and tears run down her flawless face.
Fuck, I’ve made her cry! The worst pain in the world is seeing her hurting.
“I can’t answer that,” I whisper, as I turn and caress her cheek with my hand, “but I can promise you that I’ll do everything in my power to get you out of here, to get you free of my father. I’ll try to find a way.” My thumb wipes away her warm tears.
Lainey lays her hands gently on my chest before running them up behind my neck. “Okay, I trust you.”
Her words pull out the knife that she stabbed into my heart a minute ago. She trusts me to help her, and I can’t let her down.
I move my face closer to hers, to where I can feel her breath on my lips. “Lainey…”
Before I can get the rest of my sentence out, she slams her mouth against mine. I’ve never kissed a girl before, but it feels so natural with her. Her lips are soft and warm, and they cause my whole body to tingle. I take control of the kiss, not stopping until I hear my father calling my name, telling me that it’s time to go home.
We may have been young and it may have been sloppy, but it was the best kiss of my life. I bet it would be even better if I kissed her right now. I want her to remember how good it felt.
