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“That steamy fox is back again to see you, honey,” Ms. Mabel calls the moment I walk in the door. She’s made a few comments about how handsome Greyson is, and how she’d like to take a bite out of him. I’m almost at the point of telling her to go for it, just to see what she does.
Rolling my eyes, I give her a small grin. “Ms. Mabel, were you checking him out? What would Arnold have to say about this behavior?” I place my hand over my heart, pretending to be shocked.
“Darling, you can look at the menu all you want, as long as you don’t order. If you know what I mean.” She gives me a mischievous smile and wink.
“You little player, Ms. Mabel! I didn’t realize you had so much game. How are things with Arnold going?”
“Oh you know, that man is ready to settle down with me, but I’m not quite done playing the field. I’ve got to keep my options open for now, but I could see it turning into something more. We have another date this weekend.” For a woman pushing maybe her seventies, she sure gets more action than most people my age. Who knew Ms. Mabel would be the wild one out of the two of us?
“I’m sure you’ll be falling faster than you can even realize. I can’t wait to meet this Arnold guy, if he’s lucky enough to warrant another date with you.”
“Mmhmm, honey. Maybe we can double date sometime, once you finally give that devilishly handsome man a chance.” Her eyes are sparkling with hope for me. Even though I haven’t known Ms. Mabel long, she already has a special place in my heart.
Wait. How does she know I won’t give him a chance?
“Have you been spying on me?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
She reaches out, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “Lainey, I might be old, but I’m not blind, nor deaf. That boy has stars in his eyes every time he looks at you. I think he’ll come back every day until his last, just in the hopes of getting a chance with you.”
Her comment makes me stop and think.Will Greyson keep showing up if I don’t give in soon? How long would he wait for me to be ready?
Instead of replying, I just shake my head, giving her a tight smile. Part of me wants to rush back to Greyson so we can pick up our conversation from yesterday, but the other part of me wants to put as much distance between us as possible. The closer we get, the more I feel like it’s going to destroy me when we’re inevitably ripped apart. It’s also making me feel worse and worse about keeping this huge secret from Lya.
I’ve been able to get to know more about Greyson and all the things I missed out on over the last nine years. Our conversations started out pretty simple, telling each other our favorite foods, favorite weather, and favorite colors, but it’s gotten deeper these last couple of days.
Making my way toward the back of the library, I see Greyson sitting at the small wooden table he’s always at. He’s leaning over a book with his elbow propped up on the table, holding his head up. His soft brown hair is swept back from his face, and his facial hair is trimmed, only leaving a little stubble left behind, making him look more mature and put together. He has a plain white t-shirt on, which hugs his biceps and shoulders like glue, and he’s wearing black jeans that are clinging to every muscle in his legs.
He looks better today than he has the entire time he’s been coming here. Like he actually tried to look good. Not that he doesn’t always look delicious, but there’s something different about the way he looks today. It’s like he woke up and decided to show the world the real Adonis he is.
He slowly lifts his head, meeting my lingering gaze. His eyes burn with fire as he takes me in, roaming down my body then back up. It feels like they’re reaching deep into my soul trying to pierce my heart. He’s looking at me so intensely, it suddenly feels like I’m standing in front of him naked.
“I was beginning to think you were avoiding me. I was just about to go back up to the front desk to talk to my new best friend, Ms. Mabel.” He stands and approaches me slowly, trying to gauge my reaction today. Seeing that I’m letting him get closer to me, he wraps his arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. I should push him away, but I don’t.
My body relaxes in his embrace as my head leans against his chest. I wrap my arms around him the same way he’s doing to me, squeezing him like he’s the key to keeping me alive. I take a deep breath, inhaling his delicious scent of fresh linen and mint.
God, his body is so firm. I slowly pull back, and he releases me from his hold.
A frown crosses his face at my withdrawal, but this distance between us is what I need to keep myself sane. Only pain and agony will come if I let myself fall too fast. This is the first time I've let him actually touch me since the day he was in here begging on his knees for forgiveness.
“I’m going to have to keep you and Ms. Mabel apart. I have a feeling you two would be dangerous together,” I murmur in his direction.
“I won’t allow it. She’s kind of a fiesty one, and I think she likes me so there’s no way you’ll keep us apart. She’s my new best friend.” He gives me an award-winning smile that melts my heart. From what I can tell, it’s rare for him to smile like this, so any time he does, I take a mental picture of it to cherish. I’m never sure when it’ll be the last time I get to see it.
“If you say so, but no making secret plans behind my back. I’m sure you’ve already got something in the works.” I take a seat and glance at the book he’s probably been pretending to read today. He usually keeps a book in front of him, but spends most of the time watching me.
I see it’s To Kill a Mockingbird.Interesting.I wouldn’t have pegged him as a fan of the classics.
“Ah, so you do know how to read?” I say teasingly, getting closer to him. I’m not sure why I’m even joking around with him when I should be running away instead.
“I thought it was going to be a picture book. Turns out I was wrong.” He gives me another charming smile that makes my heart skip a beat.
“You looked pretty into it. Have you read it before?” I sit down at the table across from him as he closes the book.
“Uh yeah, I have. It was one of my mother’s favorites. She had a copy of it that I used to read growing up.” Sadness seems to fill his eyes at the mention of his mother, but it quickly disappears.
“Well, she had good taste. It’s also one of my favorites.” I reach out for the book and he slides it in my direction. Looking at it, the cover is worn and some of the pages are torn. This book has lived a good life. I hope these pages have sparked joy for others the way they have for me.
Greyson clears his throat, drawing me back from my daze. His eyes are heated as he stares at me. “Can I ask you something?”
