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ONE OF THE BENEFITS to Grayson working tirelessly to win back my affection is that Kinsley has yet to say a word to me since Monday morning. I don’t know what he threatened her with, but having been on the wrong side of his madness before, I can only assume it scared her into silence.
I’m sitting at the lunch table, doing some homework I missed last week, when someone places a bottle in front of me. I put my pen down and take it in my hands. When I realize what it is, there isn’t anything I can do to hold in my laughter.
Blackberry Snapple.
“What’s that?” Jace questions. I slide the bottle toward him, and he grabs it to read the label. “Isn’t this the drink you sent Kinsley on that wild goose chase for?”
I nod, and out of the corner of my eye, I can see Grayson trying to conceal his smile. No, not happening. While the gesture is sweet, he doesn’t get to win me back with a drink. He’ll have to try harder than that.
Standing up, I keep my attention on Jace. “You can have it. I don’t even like the stuff.”
It takes everything in me to ignore the feeling of Grayson’s stare as I exit the cafeteria.
BY THE END OF the day, I can see his patience is starting to weaken. With every attempt being thrown back in his face, it’s obvious he wasn’t expecting it to be this difficult.
I’m standing at my locker when I can sense him behind m
e. His hand grazes down my back as his voice meets my ears.
“When are you going to forgive me?”
I turn around, using every muscle in my body to resist falling right back into his arms. “I told you, I’m not.”
Our friends, and everyone around for that matter, watch us curiously. Grayson doesn’t seem to mind, though, as he moves just a little bit closer.
“But I miss you, and I know you miss me, too.”
“The you that I miss doesn’t exist. Not anymore, at least. I’m not sure I even know you.”
He sighs, resting his forehead on my shoulder. “That’s not true. You know me better than anyone.”
“Well then, it’s just that I can’t trust you anymore.”
With a gentle push against his chest, he backs up, and I close my locker before walking down the hallway. Everyone keeps their eyes on me, and those who don’t, start to when Grayson calls my name.
“Savannah, wait. Please.”
I turn around, feeling completely defeated. “What Grayson? What could you possibly want now?”
“What I’ve always wanted—you.” He comes closer and only stops when he’s a couple feet away. “The last few weeks, the last eight years even, have been nothing but hell. Between getting ripped away from each other when we were just kids, and being reunited under the most fucked-up circumstances known to man—it’s all taught me one thing for sure: my life is better with you in it.”
We’ve attracted an audience, but I don’t think he cares, because his attention is solely on me.
“Since I got here, we’ve been at war over the two things neither of us can live without—power and control. Now, I’ve already lost you once, and you’d have to be out of your mind if you think I’m going to let that happen again, so screw it.”
He drops to his knees in front of me, and everyone around gasps.
“You can have it. Christ, I’d pull my heart out and hand it to you if I thought it would do me any good. The only thing I want is you, because I’m in love with you. I knew it when I was fucking nine years old, and I damn well know it now. You’re it for me, Savannah. There’s no one else, and I don’t want to live a life without you by my side.”
My stomach is in my throat as I gawk at Grayson, having heard everything I’ve always dreamed of him saying. The headstrong, punch-throwing, bigshot quarterback is on his knees in front of me, and all I see staring back at me is the little boy I swore I was going to spend the rest of my life with.
“Get up.”
“Not until you forgive me,” he argues.
“Gray.” The nickname alone is enough to spark hope in his eyes. “Get off the floor and fucking kiss me.”
Not needing to be told twice, he jumps up and pulls me in to cover my mouth with his own. He takes everything he can while still giving me all of him. It’s needy, and passionate, and has the ability to restart my heart all on its own.
