School had ended and I made a point of going to the mall after school since there was an hour and a half to spare before picking up Amelia. I dragged Verina with me while Juliette stayed behind at a random
bookstore.
“What are we exactly doing here?” Verina questions as I give her a look.
“You’re seriously questioning why we’re here?” She glared at me.
Her eyes widen, “Well, not that I’m complaining about shopping, but there has to be a reason.” She mutters placing her hand on her lips like she was on to me.
I smile, walking into Victoria Secret, her eyes widen as I hide my blushed face, “I only have so little of lingerie and since I am finally with someone that isn’t ashamed of being with me, I want to make it special.”
“Did he ask for you to do this?” She questions while walking over to the mannequin with a beautiful black lingerie set.
“No, of course not,” I defended him while walking around casually touching some of the fabrics like silk and cotton.
“Grayson claims he knows me inside and out, and I want him to not expect something from me, while I might not be sexually experienced as he is…” I take a breath.
“I want to wow him.” I nod with confidence as she tilts her head with wonder.
Verina picks up a black thong, my eyes narrow to it, “So you want to seduce him is what you’re saying.”
“Yes.” I sigh, “I don’t want to look needy for sex, I just want him to want me.”
She laughs, “No offense Anna, but that’s the most absurd thing I have ever heard in my life, men are either gay or blind to look at you and not want you.”
She looks at me, “My brother is gay, and he still thinks you’re hotter than the Sahara Desert!”
My eyes settle on red, sheer stockings that clip to a set of a nice thong and laced see-through bras, my face heating as I envisioned it on my body.
I picked it up, wondering if it was in white as well. I planned on wowing Grayson the next time we have sex, that’s if I was good enough the last time and he wasn’t repelled away from me.
But he’s made it clear that there was nothing I could possibly do to repel him away from me.
Verina winks, “That’s definitely it.” She eyes up the beautiful red lingerie that I was holding up.
She pauses for a moment, “What does he call you again?” I roll my eyes, “Dove.”
The burden of a nickname that I was sick of hearing, and yet I wouldn’t wish it away.
She sighs looking round and tossing me a bra that was laced and had black stitches, “Oh, Dove you sure will have the ride of your life.”
I laugh at the odd sureness of her jokes. Looking at the bra and placed it in my shopping bag along with a couple of different pieces that I decided that I wanted on my father’s card.
As we arrive at the checkout, my eyes lay on Verina.
Verina yawns right before her eyes catch a glimpse of what seemed like none other than Christopher Florence working.
He was working at a cute restaurant across from the store, Verina’s eyes shine as I laugh, “You actually like him, don’t you?” I ask while the employee takes my items and scans them.
Verina groans, “He’s so different.” “Different.” I repeat slowly as she nods.
“He doesn’t throw himself at me, damn it! No one has seen him with any type of girl!”
I smile, “Maybe he’s playing the field, if you know what I mean.”
Verina looks at Chris, “Trust me he’s not gay.” Her eyes were practically glued on him, “Anna if you see the way he looks at me, I know he wants me. I just don’t know why he’s shoving down his feelings!”
I pondered for a moment before letting out a small giggle, “Well, like you said, he’s different.”
I swipe my card looking back at Verina, “But in all seriousness V, I don’t think that Chris is in a good state.” I informed her.
She nods with a look of disappointment, “I just want him to know that he can rely on others.” She pauses with a look of continuation of her sentence.
“That he can rely on me .” She whines.
I pick up the bag being handed to me, walking out as Chris ends his shift running out then spotting us, his face contorting while he pauses, “Girls.”
“Chris.”
Verina looked concerned and maybe I was looking too into this, but Verina was never concerned for anyone else other than herself and occasionally her friends.
She had never given a second thought to anyone else but as she looked at Chris it looked like she was ready to drop everything in the world for him.
I wasn’t going to lie and not think about how Chris looked like a complete mess.
But I wasn’t about to tell him that I thought he looked like he hadn’t had sleep in weeks, but it was true. He looked downright depressed and tired.
I felt bad, but I don’t know what he was obviously going through, I knew it was something serious if he was losing sleep over it.
“Working?” Verina asks.
He looks at us plainly, “I was.”
“Fired?” She asked without hesitation.
Chris’ face contorted into a smile only meant for her before saying, “Nah, I have hockey.”
I nod, “We are on our way over there!” Verina shoots out.
“We actually supposed to pick up Amelia in a couple of minutes,” She informs as he nods.
He pauses before answering, “Yeah, Finn wouldn’t shut up about her,” He grins.
Before a moment of realization his eyes widen, “Shit!” He knocks his head back in annoyance, “I have to pick him up, if I’m late could you tell Grayson?”
Verina halts, “Nonsense! I’ll take Finn, he goes to the same school as Amelia, right? Since we are on our way there to pick her up.”
Chris looked hesitant, looking like he genuinely was thinking about it. Verina smiled warmly, “I promise he’ll be in great hands!”
Chris takes a breath of acceptance, “Yeah, okay I can’t afford being late to the game against Blackwell University anyways.”
“Finn isn’t that talkative. He’s very quiet. Please ask him if he has taken his medicine at the school nurse’s office.” He rambles.
And right before I think he’s done he continues, “And with the math, tell him that I’m going to teach him tonight. I can’t afford to lose play time. I might lose my spot on the team.”
My brows furrow when he mentions Finn, he had never talked about his little brother, at least to me… I was a bit taken back.
Chris was someone that I never talked to unless I really needed to, it wasn’t because I didn’t like him, or that I didn’t think he was worth talking to, I was always just so hesitant to speak to him.
He was known to be very quiet and kept to himself, Verina never really noticed him before which is partially why he is so hesitant to believe she has good intentions.
There was a spirit in him that I never was brave enough to look into. He always had a certain darkness in his eyes, and it wasn’t the darkness that I would see in Grayson’s.
Verina places her hand on his shoulder, “I’ve got this. I promise he’ll be safe with me, and I can teach him the math.” Chris’s face expressed relief as he let out a breath, with a warm smile.
“Thanks, I appreciate this, I promise I’ll repay you somehow—” “—No repaying me!” She exclaims as he simpers.
“I will.”
“If you really want to repay me, then I want you to play well during the game and get some good sleep.” She suggests.
Chris laughs, shaking his head, “Verina—”
“If you don’t get going, you might actually be late.” She swats him aways as he stays still.
“Verina. Really, I appreciate this.” He looks at her warmly for a moment.
All she could do was smile at him, “I know.” Without another word, he fled, running off to his car. I look at Verina with a serious expression, “Ver—” “I know.” She interrupts.
“Do you really?”
Verina looks at me with a look I hadn’t really seen on her before, “Anna, did you see his tired face?” She said thinly, “I want to help, and I can… I would do anything just to see him smile.”
“I’ve only seen him smile maybe once or twice.” She continues, “But when I do see him smile, I’m addicted, and I want to be the reason he does.”
I was cautious of my friends; I didn’t want them to get hurt. But I knew there was no stopping Verina from her pursuing him.
I always knew people’s layers to be either black or white. The saying that “there is no gray” was wrong.
Chris was more gray than black. He had moments when he thought no one was watching and he truly looked at Verina.
Longingly. Like he thinks that having her was straight out of a dream and that there was a pull from him taking her. The worst part was that she wanted to be taken.
She was never a girl that fell easily, men would throw themselves at her, but she wouldn’t bat an eye. The moment she realized that Chris couldn’t care less, she dug her claws into him.
She craved that attention from men that didn’t notice her, but did she notice for one second that maybe Chris couldn’t afford to give his attention anywhere else?
I often wonder how much it would take for him to be selfish just this once. He looked like he was going to do whatever it took to fight it.
It was only a matter of time before she realized she loved him. Well, before he would ever let himself start to fall was the most exquisite way of self-destruction.
 |
I picked up Amelia from her school.
Verina and I had separated since she took on the responsibility of taking Finn to the game.
Amelia sat in front, at the passenger seat next to me, staring closely
when I finally addressed her staring, “You know your eyes might fall out if you keep staring at me like that.” I gave her a very aware expression.
She smiles broadly, “I can’t help it, you’re so stinking pretty.” I smile to myself, admiring her words to me.
She sure is Grayson Prince’s sister, isn’t she? “Then I should be staring at you.” I counter.
She looks away, “I want to look pretty like you.”
“You are pretty like me, even prettier!” I accelerate on the gas; her eyes widen at the sudden speed.
She folds her arms together, “Well, how come the boy I like doesn’t notice me?”
“I’m sure they do.”
She looked joyful yet again, “I think you’re right! I mean you and Grayson absolutely hated each other before falling in love.”
I roll my eyes, “We are not in love.”
“I said falling in love!” She exaggerates as I look at her with a playful expression.
“Grayson and I are a different type of situation, Amelia.” I look away, “It wasn’t always there,” I pause as she leans closer for a better understanding.
“But?” She pleaded for an answer.
I laughed at her hopeless romantic face, “You are so nosey you know that?”
Her full attention to me, “You are the best thing that ever happened to Grayson. I never understood him. He was always grumpy, always out of the house, and hated being around us.”
“Grayson loves you guys!” I smile genuinely.
She frowns, looking away “Maybe he doesn’t feel like he’s a part of the family.” I pondered on the statement, Amelia looked bothered, “Since he’s our half-brother and all.”
My eyes widen as I hit the brakes quickly. I shot eye contact with her as her seatbelt locks to keep her on the seat, “Sorry, I thought there was a squirrel on the road.” I say with a shaky voice.
She nods, my face obviously pale as I just swallowed.
Grayson never mentioned— I mean why would he? He didn’t owe me an explanation. He looked way too much like his father to have a different one. Then again, he looked similar to his mother, or I guess, stepmother.
I don’t know they all had blonde hair, blue eyes, and somehow very gifted genetics.
I exhale slowly. “You know Grayson isn’t great with emotions, sweetheart.” I try to defend him as she gives me a warm smile.
“But he’s different with you. He actually cares, and I know you care about him too,” she says as I nod, pulling into my driveway.
“You know, I think you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him.” She crosses her arms, giving me a knowing look.
I completely choose to ignore her comment.
Amelia grins as I unbuckle her seatbelt. “Want me to do your hair before we go to the game?”
She leaps out of the car. “Heck yeah!”
I smile as she looks back at me with a playful challenge in her eyes. We race up to my bedroom, and I playfully push her onto the bed as she laughs.
As we get ready, I think about what Amelia said about Grayson being her half-brother. His family never treated him differently, I realize. If Amelia hadn’t mentioned it, I would’ve never guessed.
He’s never talked about his biological mother. Is she dead? Was she ever in his life? I’m curious and puzzled.
I put on Grayson’s jersey to show my support, and I dress Amelia in a Hawthorne hockey shirt. I style her hair in French braids, and we both have school colors painted on our cheeks. She even helped make a poster with his jersey number, #22, to cheer him on.
Amelia sits in front of me as I gather the poster and my bag. “I have a question.”
I turn to her, giving her my full attention. “What is it?”
“You and Grayson used to hate each other. How did you end up together?”
I smile and pull her closer. “You and your questions.” She giggles. “Come on!” She turns just to look at me.
I sigh, kneeling to meet her gaze. “Have you ever seen a painting?”
She nods, and I smile. “Well, I love to paint. Every insult your brother ever threw at me, I bottled up and poured into canvases I’ve hidden away. But I ripped them up into tiny pieces. I wish I’d been honest with myself because deep down, I knew everything your brother said was true.”
I swallow, “He ripped my heart apart every time he told the truth. He hurt me, and I smiled through it, I pushed him back, and the recoil hit me like a hurricane. He was there to put me back together.” I said thinly.
“Your brother might be a reason for my broken pieces, but he took his time to put me back together every single time, even when he wasn’t the reason anymore.”
She looked at me longingly, she was enthralled.
“I want someone like that.” She makes a point as I squeezed her cheeks. “You’ll find someone when you’re older but he’s going to have to go
through me.”
She laughs, wrapping her arms around me.
I picked her up spinning around my room, she whispers in my ear, “You are the most beautiful art piece I’ve ever seen.”
Amelia was precious and I loved her like my sister, nothing was going to change that, I just hoped she would forgive me when I left.
I sigh.
“Let’s get to the game.”
