My chest tightens and swells it feels like I'm having a heart attack. And it's all I can do not to throw my hands around his neck and kiss the bejeezus out of him. But I also want to smack him silly for putting me through unnecessary pain.
Because, seriously, why didn't he say anything?
This boy. It's not going to be a smooth ride with him. We'll be arguing endlessly, and he's going to piss me off a lot, but I also know that he'll win me over again and again.
Because he's Grayson. And he has my heart, too.
"Indie? What are you thinking? Say something. Am I too late?" His eyes are wide with panic it makes me want to laugh.
I shake my head. And with a suppressed smile, I say, "I'm thinking that that had to be the corniest line I've ever heard." When his shoulders sag, I quickly add, "But also the sweetest."
His face brightens at that. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"
"Yeah."
He mutters a dramatic "thank God" before slipping his arm around my waist to pull me into him.
But my hands shoot out and push against his chest.
Staggering back, he gives me a confused look. "What the hell? I thought we're okay now."
"We are. But I deserve a little groveling, don't you think?" I let out a loud sigh, as if it's an inconvenience to explain myself. "I'm not an easy girl, Grayson. You have to prove your feelings for me first."
When he gapes comically, I almost lose it.
But I have to be firm about this. It's the least he can do after making me cry. It's not that I plan to make him sweat or anything. I just need him to woo me a little and make me feel that he's really serious about us.
Biting back a laugh, I pat his chest. "I still have a batch of cupcakes waiting to get frosted, so I'll see you later, okay?"
"W-w-wait—"
But I'm already inside and closing the door, a huge smile on my face and a spring in my step as I make my way back to the kitchen.
EPILOGUE
"You seriously need to stop doing that."
I smile against Gray's lips before detaching myself from his lap and sliding back to the seat next to him, giving Allie an apologetic grin. "Sorry, Al."
My best friend has been bitching about my and her brother's constant PDA ever since we arrived at Heather Nielsen's party. But, really, ever since we got together weeks ago.
Specifically, the day after Gray went over to our house to apologize. Like I said, I had no intention of making him work for it for a long time. So when he came knocking on my front door the following night with a bouquet of roses in his hands, I literally jumped into his arms and kissed him stupid.
We were inseparable since.
To Allison’s constant annoyance and frustration.
Which amuses her brother to no end and makes me feel a little guilty. Before Grayson and I got together, I only went over to their house to hang out with Allie. Now, I go there to hang out with the two of them. I usually seek out Allie first and be with her for an hour or two before spending the rest of my time with Gray. Because even though I’m completely head over heels with her brother, I don’t ever want her to feel left out. I always make sure to remind her that her best friend—me—is always there for her.
I’m not the only one though. Gray also makes her feel the same.
Which is why, sometimes, the three of us hang out together to play some board games or watch movies in their living room. At least Allie stays with us until she can no longer handle our PDA.
But it doesn’t mean that we don’t gang up on Gray anymore. The two of us still band together to either make fun of or argue with him. Of course, he retaliates afterward—by torturing me with kisses. Which I shamelessly love every minute of.
Being with him is like that—hot and exhilaratingly fun. And I was right, there are arguments and silly fights. But they never last long. Once he or I cave in, we’re back to being the awesome couple that we always are.
“Who would have thought they’d last this long?” Allie muses over the rim of her red Solo cup, her eyes trained across the large pool in Heather’s backyard.
And then I see them. Brad and Daphne. He’s whispering something in her ear, making her blush and playfully smack his arm. He grins then kisses the side of her head.
“Yeah, who would’ve thought?” I say.
But I did. Brad and I had another serious talk weeks ago. I was right in my assumption that he had hooked up with Daphne after Duane’s party to make me jealous. After I told him point-blank that we were truly over, I encouraged him to take his relationship with her seriously. I pointed out that she seemed to have strong feelings for him, and he dumped me for her for a reason.
He protested at first, insisting that I was the only girl he wanted. But seeing that I’m currently staring at the two loved-up couple, Brad ended up heeding my advice.
Funny how things worked out between the two of us. I wouldn’t call us friends, but we’re all good now. No more lingering resentment between us.
That revenge plan honestly feels like a long time ago. And, despite all the drama that took place, it brought me here. So how can I regret it?
“Should I be jealous?” Gray’s voice filters through my thoughts. When I glance at him, there’s no hint of jealousy or suspicion on his face, just plain amusement.
Because he knows I’m completely his, just as I’m confident that he’s completely mine. We’re each other’s and no one else’s. And no other guy or girl can change that.
“Hmm. What do you think?” I murmur, planting a chaste kiss on his lips.
In true Gray fashion, he chases my lips when I pull back and capture them in a hot, lingering one. “I say, let him try,” he murmurs with a low chuckle, stealing another kiss before leaning back on his chair.
“You guys are unbearable, you know that, right?” Allie groans. “Can’t you, like, spend an hour without mauling each other’s faces?”
I exchange a heated look with Gray, knowing that the answer to that is a resounding no. What can I say? We can’t keep our hands off each other for long.
Allie throws her hands up. “You know what? I’ll just head inside and dance. You two can stay here and make out until your lips fall off.” She downs the rest of her beer and saunters off. Only to stop dead a few steps away, her face white as a sheet as she stares across the pool.
Frowning, I follow her gaze and find Duane sitting in one of the lounge chairs—and making out with Heather. When I turn back to Allie, she’s no longer on the same spot. But I catch sight of her long brown hair before it disappears through the crowd.
What the hell was that about? Is there something going on between her and Duane?
Wanting answers, I turn to Gray, keeping my voice as casual as possible. “Hey, babe. What’s the deal between Duane and Heather?”
He shrugs. “They’re hooking up, what else?”
“So, it’s not serious?”
His brows pinch together. “I don’t really know. They’ve been spending a lot of time together lately, and I think they went on a few dates.”
“That doesn’t sound like hooking up to me.”
“Who cares?”
I scowl at him. “He’s your best friend.”
“So? We’re not girls. We’re not like you and Allie. We don’t do relationship talks.”
“Are you being serious right now?” I scowl harder. Didn’t he talk to Duane about our fake relationship?
“I’m just kidding, Red,” he says, pinching my cheeks playfully, chuckling when I glower at him. “I’ll ask him tomorrow if you really want to know.” Then he waggles his brows, mischief crossing his features. “Now to a more important matter, how about we blow off this boring party and go head out to my Jeep and make out? It’ll be a more productive use of our time, don’t you think?”
I roll my eyes. “Geez, you are such a romantic.”
But who am I kidding? Of course, I’ll go with him. He’s right, anyway. This party is boring.
With a sigh, I get up f
rom my chair and hold out a hand to Gray. “Come on, my prince. Take me to your castle.”
He takes my hand and in one swift move, rises from his seat and snakes an arm around my waist. “Now, who’s the romantic one?” he growls, sending delicious shivers down my spine.
God, this guy. He never fails to make me feel things. Never fails to steal my breath and make my toes curl. And definitely never fails to make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
Honestly, what more can I ask?
THE END
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Turn the page for a sneak peek of Say Anything, a standalone young adult romantic comedy.
SNEAK PEEK: SAY ANYTHING
“Ohmigod, have you seen this? Laura Ackerman just broke up with Noah Pritchett!” Sabrina exclaims as she scrolls through Facebook, practically bouncing on her heels in excitement.
“Yeah, I heard,” I mumble distractedly, not bothering to lift my eyes away from what I’m doing.
I already know the details, anyway. Their breakup was a hot topic in at least two of my classes today. According to West Shores High gossip central, Laura got tired of Noah for not taking their relationship seriously. And bailing on her cousin’s wedding last weekend was apparently the last straw. Laura saw it as a disrespect to her family, so she dumped him.
Never mind that he apparently had a valid reason for his absence. And that it was also family-related.
I sense an irony there somewhere.
Whatever.
I really don’t care. I have more important matters to attend to at the moment—namely, doodle a particular name in my pink journal for the millionth time.
And, okay, I also need to accommodate customers. But seeing that Happy Serenity is currently lacking those, I’m doing something equally valuable with my time.
Sabrina and I had just gotten off school when Mom called and asked me to look after the shop so she could run some errands. Sabrina had nothing else to do so she came along to keep me company.
Now, she’s entertaining herself by finding gossip on our classmates on Facebook. She keeps filling me in even though I’m not interested to hear any of it.
I’d rather daydream about my future boyfriend.
“Oh, crap.”
What now?
“Don’t freak out. But the love of your life is coming over here right now.”
“What?” I snap my head up to follow her gaze.
And there he is—right outside the shop. Lincoln Evans. A.k.a. my future boyfriend. A.k.a. the cutest boy to ever grace the halls of West Shores High.
Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod! He’s here!
My heart pounds like crazy as I watch him push open the door of the shop, making the wind chimes go off. Two other boys are with him, but I can’t tear my eyes away to look them over. My attention is on Lincoln alone. He’s laughing, his gorgeous teeth in full display, as he walks through the door.
I literally feel my knees go weak when he runs a hand through his thick blond hair. And when those pale green eyes suddenly find mine, I just about slip into a catatonic state.
I swear, this boy never fails to turn me into a walking cliché of the lead female character in teen movies.
“Hey, guys, what can we do for you?” Sabrina greets them in a cheerful voice, elbowing me discreetly.
But I don’t budge. I just continue staring at Lincoln mutely.
Honestly, it’s all I can ever do whenever I’m around him. No matter how hard I try not to, I always end up freezing on the spot. Like I said, a walking cliché.
It’s annoyingly frustrating, but what can I do?
“You can date me.” One of the boys, Julian Murray, grins at my bestie. It’s no secret that he has the biggest crush on her.
No surprise there. Sabrina Lopez—or Bree as she likes to be called—is very pretty. She has the most beautiful jet black hair, thick and long, almost reaching her waist. Her dark almond eyes are just as striking, and her rich olive skin—courtesy of her Filipino-American genes—only adds to her appeal.
Bree flashes him a sweet smile. “How about never?”
Someone snickers. It’s Noah Pritchett—yes, the very same Noah Bree was just talking about.
Well, Noah happens to be Lincoln’s best friend. He starts to rag on Julian, who’s not even the slightest bit humiliated by Bree’s rejection. He’s used to it by now.
And because he’s the nicest, Lincoln just shakes his head, refusing to join in on the childish bickering of his friends.
Sigh. So mature. I know I’m in love with him for a reason.
“I’m actually looking for a specialty mug for my mom.”
“Oh, it’s her birthday?” Bree asks.
“No, I just want to buy one for her. She collects mugs.” He smiles shyly, as if embarrassed.
I don't know why he would be. He's giving his mom a present, and it's not even her birthday. It's the most thoughtful thing ever.
“Ri, want to show him where the mugs are?” Bree turns to me, her eyes widening a little, urging me to speak.
I swallow hard, my palms starting to sweat. What if I freeze up again? No, I can do this. I have to. It’s my golden opportunity to have an alone moment with Lincoln.
But when I open my mouth to speak, no sound comes out. Cheeks flaming, I clear my throat and try to do it again. Still nothing.
“Are you okay?” Lincoln asks, sounding a little concerned.
Ohmigod. Kill me now!
“Oh, sorry. I just remembered.” Bree slaps her forehead, faking a laugh. “Riley has a bad sore throat. She can’t talk right now. That’s why I’m here. So, uh, let me show you the mugs, okay?” She leads the way while Lincoln and Julian follow after her.
I let out a groan and cover my face with my hands. What an epic fail. I had the perfect chance, and I freaking blew it. Why am I such a dork?
“I gotta say, that was extremely painful to watch,” an amused voice suddenly speaks up, making me stiffen.
I lower my hands to see Noah’s smirking face. He’s still here? Ugh. And he totally saw my embarrassing display, as if acting like a moron in front of his best friend wasn’t bad enough.
“Listen—” I start, but then my flailing hand accidentally sends my journal flying. Mouth open in a soundless squeak, I watch as it lands on Noah’s feet, propped open.
For a heart-stopping moment, we both stare at it.
Then I’m moving, dashing to the floor and falling to my knees to grab the journal.
But it’s too late. Noah is faster than me. He snatches it before I can even get my hands on it.
“What’s this?” A little frown creases his forehead as he looks it over. Then his eyes widen as he reads the dreaded words. “I heart Lincoln Evans?”
I close my eyes. No, no, no, no, no. This can’t be happening. It’s all a dream. It has to be!
“Riley? What are you doing?”
Do you know what’s worse than having your crush’s best friend find out about your real feelings for him? Having said crush find you kneeling in front of said best friend and your feelings in serious danger of being exposed.
“Dude”—Julian is staring wide-eyed between me and Noah—“what’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Noah closes my notebook, making me blow out a sigh of relief. But instead of handing it over to me, he slips it into his bag.
What. The. Heck. That has me scrambling to stand up. “What are you doing?” I whisper-yell. “Give it to me.”
His eyes sparkle with mischief as he leans forward to whisper. "I think I'll hold on to it for a while."
“You can’t do that!”
“I just did.” He shrugs.
“Then give it back!”
“Um, guys?” Bree interrupts our bickering.
“Bree, uh, w
hy don’t you ring them up?” I tell her, not even attempting to look in Lincoln’s direction. “We just have something to discuss.”
I don’t wait for Noah to say something. I grab his arm and drag him a few aisles down where I know they won’t be able to hear us.
Stopping, I whirl around to face him. He’s almost half a head taller than me, so I have to crane my neck up a little bit. “You’re giving back my journal. Now!”
But instead of doing what I told him to do, he gives me a thoughtful look. “You know, I’ve always noticed the way you stare at Linc. You always have this dreamy look on your face whenever he’s around. But I never gave it any thought. Now, seeing your notebook?” His eyes go round. “Whoa.” Then, leaning closer, he drops his voice to a whisper. “So, you’re in love with him or something?”
“No. Of course not!” I deny, crossing my arms over my chest, ignoring the fact that my cheeks are burning hot.
“Then why is your journal full of Linc’s name?”
“Er, maybe someone else wrote it there? I mean, who’s to say that it doesn’t belong to Bree?”
He laughs lightly. “Nice try, Ellison. But you’re already busted.”
“Fine,” I concede, blowing out a defeated breath. “But please don’t tell him.”
“Oh, wow. It’s really true.” He looks amazed now, staring at me like he’s seeing me for the first time.
Ugh. This is so humiliating. Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be Noah Pritchett who found out about my feelings for Lincoln?
I’m screwed. So, so screwed.
He will never keep my secret. They’re best friends, for crying out loud. Noah will probably run his mouth the moment they step outside the shop. And how will I be able to face Lincoln after this?
“My life is ruined,” I whisper in horror.
“Aren’t you being dramatic?” Noah’s amused voice once again cuts to my train of thoughts.
I scowl at him. “That’s because you don’t understand.”
Noah is one of the most popular boys in school. He’s a football player and has been hailed as homecoming prince both sophomore and junior year. Heck, he’ll probably win homecoming king next year, too.
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