His father raises a brow, his gaze darting back and forth between us. “I’m going to start dinner. Will you be joining us, Isabelle?”
“Oh, um…”
“I can cook, Dad. You know you’re not supposed to be using your hand.” Grayson stands and holds his hand out for me. I take it, and he pulls me to my feet. “Want to help? It will be good practice for when we have to cook for our project.”
I know I should go home and check on Mom, but I really don’t want to. I don’t want to spend another night alone, cooking for myself and cleaning up, wondering when or if my father will come home. For just one night, I want to have a normal family dinner.
“Yeah, okay,” I say with a nod.
“Really, Grays? She’s your guest. Don’t make her cook.” Mr. Alexander shakes his head, a frown marring his otherwise stoic face.
“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” I say.
“I’ll just order something.” His father disappears into the kitchen and returns a moment later with a stack of take-out menus. He hands them to me. “What do you like?”
“Oh.” I take the menus and flip through them until I find one for the local Chinese restaurant. I hold it up. “They have the best sesame chicken.”
“Chinese it is.” Mr. Alexander takes the menus back from me. “Want your usual?” he asks Grayson.
“Yeah, thanks.”
When his father returns to the kitchen to call in our order, I ask, “What’s your usual?”
“General Tso’s chicken.”
Seeing him interact with his dad warms my heart. If only I still had that kind of close relationship with my parents, but all of that died with Brandon. Grayson grabs the remote from the coffee table and sits back down. I do the same, and within a moment, his arm is around me again, and I’m cuddled up to him.
He scrolls through the channel guide. “See anything you want to watch?”
Instead of answering, I place my palm against his cheek, turn his face toward mine, and kiss him.
24
GRAYSON
I LET THE REMOTE DROP, not caring that it tumbles to the floor, and thread my fingers in Belle’s long, soft locks. I tilt my head and deepen the kiss, savoring her soft sigh and the way her breath catches.
“Hmm.” I reluctantly break the kiss and lick my lips. My chest heaves with each breath I take. “Okay.” I nod. “You proved it.”
“What?”
“That everything I said at the beach was wrong. You proved it. Finally.”
She rolls her eyes, and I pull her closer. “That’s not why I kissed you,” she says.
“No? Then why did you?”
Her hand slips from my face, and she pats my chest. “Do I need a reason?” Her eyes sparkle with mischief, and my heart nearly explodes at the realization that she’s my girlfriend. I can’t thank Cam enough for screwing up.
“Nope. You can kiss me whenever you want,” I say, grinning.
“Good.” She shifts her body up so we’re even closer, and then she kisses me again.
“I think that’s about enough,” Dad says, clearing his throat.
Shoot. I didn’t even hear him come into the living room. I pluck my lips away from Belle’s. Her face is bright red, which only makes her more beautiful. She slinks into the couch, doing everything in her power to avoid looking at me or my father.
Dad scoops the remote from the floor and sits in his recliner. “Food will be here in about twenty minutes. You should clean up the table so we can sit there.”
“Sure.” I rise and offer my hand to Belle. Without taking my hand, she stands and follows me into the kitchen. “You okay?” I ask.
“Uh, yeah, just a little embarrassed.” She tucks her hands into her pockets and glances around. “Your dad will probably never let me come over again.”
“We were just kissing, Belle. It’s fine.” I put my finger under her chin and gently lift her head. “That’s not the first time he’s caught me kissing a girl. Trust me.”
She frowns. “Yeah, not really making me feel better, Grayson.”
“Sorry.” I rub my hands down her arms until I can lace my fingers with hers. “If you want to go home, I’ll understand.” I don’t want her to go, but I also don’t want her to stick around if she’s uncomfortable.
“No, I’ll stay.” She gives me a small smile.
We clean up the table, and dinner arrives minutes later. I set out forks and pour glasses of soda for everyone while Dad un-bags the food. We all sit, and Dad says a blessing. From the look on Belle’s face, I think she’s both surprised and pleased that we say grace before a meal.
“That was really nice, Mr. Alexander,” she says.
“Thank you, Isabelle.”
I dig into my General Tso’s chicken. Conversation flows easily—mostly about school, our Spanish project, Dad’s job, and college plans—I can’t help but smile at how well they seem to be getting along. Dad wasn’t very fond of my last girlfriend, so I’m thrilled he likes Isabelle so much.
“Thank you for dinner,” Belle says when we’re finished eating. “I really should be getting home, though.” She looks at me with an apologetic shrug.
“I hope we’ll see you again soon, Isabelle,” Dad says.
“Well, if Grayson here doesn’t mess things up, you’ll see a lot of me.” She winks at me.
Dad laughs, hand clasped over his chest. “I like this girl, Grays.”
Despite my smile, I roll my eyes. “C’mon, I’ll walk you to your car.”
Belle grabs her backpack and flings it over her shoulder. Hand on her back, I escort her outside. She opens the back door of her car and tosses her bag inside before turning to face me. “Thanks for tonight. It was fun.”
“I wish you could stay longer.”
“Me too, but I’m sure my parents won’t be happy if I don’t come home tonight. Besides, we’ll see each other in school tomorrow.” Stepping forward, she slides her arms around my back, and I wrap mine around her, too.
“Tomorrow's way too far away,” I say with a chuckle.
“You’ll survive.” She tightens her hold on me.
“I doubt it.” I lean down and capture her lips in a gentle goodbye kiss.
Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, Belle lowers her head. “I really need to go.”
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.” I release her, take a step back, and shove my hands into my pockets so I won’t be tempted to touch her again. “Text me later?”
She nods and opens the driver’s door. “Grayson?”
There’s something about the way she says my name that melts my insides. “Yeah?”
She hesitates, and I wait for her to say whatever is on her mind. But after a long moment, she shakes her head. “Never mind.”
“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” I say.
“It’s nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she gets in her car and leaves.
That’s strange. I tilt my head and watch her drive away. What did she want to say? I shake the question from my mind. This evening went so much better than I could have dreamed. With a huge smile, I head back inside. Dad’s in the kitchen, filling the sink with soapy water. I sigh with frustration. “Dad, you know you’re not supposed to get your hand wet.” I nudge him out of the way and take over at the sink.
He doesn’t leave, though. Instead, he rinses the dishes with his good hand and stacks them in the drainer. “So, Isabelle seems nice.”
“She’s great,” I say a little too enthusiastically. “I like her. A lot.”
“I’ve noticed.” He stacks the last plate as I drain the dishwater. Drying his hand, he drapes the towel over the cabinet door. “Look, Grays, I know we’ve had the talk already, and I know we’ve talked about waiting to have sex.”
I groan. “Dad.”
“Just listen,” he says, and I refrain from saying anything else. “It’s easy to say you’re going to wait, but it’s something entirely different to actually wait, especially when you meet s
omeone you like so much.”
Heat creeps up my neck, but I remain silent.
“I hope you’ll stick to your convictions on this, Grayson, but no matter what happens, do not disrespect that girl, you understand me?” He lifts his brow, his hard expression communicating everything he doesn’t say.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.” He pats my arm and then leaves the kitchen.
I blow out a breath and slump against the counter. I’ve always been able to talk to my dad about girls and other important stuff. He’s always listened and offered advice, but I never expected that. Then again, I’ve never wanted anyone like I want Isabelle. These feelings and urges scare me, in all honesty. I’m just going to have to be really careful when I’m with her.
#
“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” I ask Dad as I adjust my tie again.
“I appreciate the invitation, but we’ve had this talk, Grays. I’m not going to church.” He gives a firm shake of his head and laces up his work boots. “Besides, I have a ton of work to catch up on.”
“You’re not supposed to be working yet,” I say, staring at his bandaged hand.
“I’ll be fine.”
I sigh, knowing I can’t argue with him about this. “When will you be home?”
“Around two or three. Bryan’s closing the garage early because Sarah has some work thing she’s dragging him to.” Dad stands and slips on his coat.
“Sounds fun,” I say.
We walk out of the house together. He climbs into the work truck, and I climb into his truck. The weather is progressively getting cooler, and it’s been raining a lot, so I haven’t been riding my bike as much. And considering I’m heading over to pick up Belle so we can check out a new church, taking the motorcycle isn’t a good idea.
When I get to Belle’s house, I get out of the truck, intent on going to the door to get her. But she steps onto the porch before I make it halfway there. She’s wearing a dark purple dress with a black cardigan and matching shoes. Her hair is held back with a headband.
“Hey.” She smiles. “Ready?”
I nod. “You know, I don’t mind knocking on your door and meeting your parents.” I open the truck’s passenger side door and wait for her to get in.
“My parents aren’t home,” she says.
“Oh.” I glance over my shoulder. There are two cars parked in the driveway, and only one of them is hers.
Once I’m in the truck and we’re headed out of town, I say, “So, do you want to hang out at my house after church? Or we can go to your house. I’m good either way.”
“We can go to your house. Will your dad be home?”
“Yeah.” I get the feeling she doesn’t want me to meet her parents. Why?
“Great.” She beams a smile, and I push my doubts away.
Maybe her parents really aren’t home, and she doesn’t want to be alone in her house with me. I can’t blame her for that. I know how dangerous it is for us to be alone.
The drive across town is filled with silence. Is she as nervous as I am? It’s been six years since I went to church, and within the last couple of weeks, I’ll have been to two. Hopefully, this one is better than the last.
I park, and we get out of the truck. “Do you know anyone who goes here?” I take her hand.
“I don’t think so. But Lakewood Valley isn’t that big, so it’s possible I’ll know someone.” She shrugs. “But it’s not Cam or his family, and that’s all that matters.”
I squeeze her hand.
As soon as we enter the building, a middle-aged woman with dyed gray hair greets us and hands us each a folded sheet of paper. “Welcome to the Elmwood Street Christian Church.” Then, she tilts her head. “I don’t think I know you two.”
“No, ma’am. Today is our first service here,” Isabelle says.
The woman’s eyes widen with excitement. “Well, welcome. I’m Faye. It’s nice to meet you.”
“I’m Isabelle, and this is Grayson. We’re seniors at Lakewood Valley High.”
“We’re so glad to have you join us.” Faye puts her hand on Isabelle’s arm and glances around. “Pastor Rick!” she calls.
A moment later, a gentleman dressed in a dark blue suit joins us. “Pastor Rick, we have two new people joining us today.” Faye introduces us to Pastor Rick, who eagerly shakes our hands and welcomes us as enthusiastically as Faye did.
“We have a fantastic youth group,” Pastor Rick says. “My daughter helps lead it. I do hope you’ll both check it out.”
I look to Isabelle, waiting for her reaction. She smiles, and I nod. “That would be great.”
“Wonderful.” Pastor Rick claps. “Service is about to start, but come find me after, and I’ll introduce you to Zoe.” He excuses himself and heads to the front of the church.
Isabelle and I find a place to sit and settle in for the service. The hour passes quickly with lively singing, an insightful sermon, and lots of laughs. It’s the polar opposite of Isabelle’s old church, and I like this place immensely.
Once the service is over, it’s a cacophony of happy voices. Young kids chase each other through the pews while adults talk animatedly. A group of teens converge near the back of the church, and I nudge Isabelle.
“Want to go say hi?” I ask.
She scrunches up her face, and I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean. But before I can ask, Pastor Rick approaches. A slender, petite young woman with his same dark hair and fair complexion follows.
“Isabelle. Grayson,” he says, his voice boisterous. “I’m glad you’re still here. What did you think of the service?”
“It was amazing,” Isabelle says before I can.
I inch closer. “Yeah, it was great.”
“I’m so glad you enjoyed it.” Pastor Rick turns to the young woman behind him and ushers her forward. “This is my daughter, Zoe. She helps run the youth group. Zoe, this is Grayson and Isabelle. Today is their first time here.”
“Welcome.” Zoe smiles, her teeth covered in braces. “Will you be staying for brunch?”
“Oh, um…” I glance at Isabelle.
She gives a small shake of her head. “Oh, I don’t think we can today. I’m sorry.” She looks to me, panic flashing in her eyes. What’s that all about?
“No worries.” Zoe flashes another smile. “Youth group meets on Tuesdays. Please say you’ll come.” Her gaze darts between me and Isabelle.
“We’ll be here,” I say. And I mean it. I only hope Isabelle will come, too.
#
It’s been almost a month since Belle and I started dating, and every day is better than the last. I can’t get enough of her—of her smile and her laugh and her snarky remarks and her kisses. Our visit to the Elmwood Street Christian Church a couple weeks ago was such a great experience for both of us that it’s become our normal Sunday routine: church in the morning, brunch in the church basement with some of the youth group kids, and then to my house to watch TV, do homework, and have dinner.
Despite my hints, she hasn’t invited me to her house at all. Nor has she introduced me to her parents, other than the night at Parker’s when I met her dad. I sometimes worry she’s embarrassed to let me meet them because I’m definitely not Cam. Still, I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so happy.
“Grayson!” Vick shouts my name.
I stop outside the cafeteria entrance and wait for him.
“You’re taking physics, right?” he asks.
“Yeah, why?”
“I’m never going to pass this midterm.” He frowns. “So, I’m forming a study group. Want in?”
“Um… who else is in the group?”
He rambles off a list of people, none of whom are in my class, which also means no Brittany. I breathe a sigh of relief. “Count me in.”
I open the cafeteria door and motion for him to go in first. My gaze immediately searches for Belle. She’s at our table, engrossed in a conversation with Hannah. Her face is flushed, but she’s sm
iling and laughing. Man, she’s beautiful.
“Dude, you got it bad.” Vick slaps me on the back.
“Huh?”
“Isabelle.” He nods in her direction. “You’re in deep with that one.”
I shrug, unable to argue. He’s right. I am in deep, but I don’t care. I’ll do anything for that girl. “Like you have any room to talk. You’re in just as deep with Hannah.”
He flings his head back and laughs. “Guilty.”
I weave around tables and chairs until I reach Belle. Leaning over, I place a quick kiss on her cheek and then sit next to her. She turns to me with a vibrant smile before returning to her conversation with Hannah—something about dresses. I assume they’re talking about homecoming, which is only a week away.
“What do you think?” Belle asks me.
“About what?” I ask, snapping out of my thoughts. I really need to focus better when I’m around her.
She sighs with exasperation, but her smile gives away her true feelings. “Doubling with Vick and Hannah for homecoming. Vick’s dad is letting him take the sports car.”
“Oh. Well, I figured we’d just take my bike,” I say, fighting to keep my face neutral.
Belle glares at me. I can’t stop myself from laughing. She smacks me. “You’re a jerk.”
I wink and take her hand in mine. “We can do whatever you want.”
She leans forward and kisses me. “Thank you.”
From across the table, I hear Cam make some sort of disgusted grunting noise. I resist the urge to give him a dirty look.
“Why can’t you be as sweet as Grayson?” Hannah asks Vick.
He groans. “C’mon, man, you’re making me look bad.” He tosses a potato chip at me.
I pick it up and throw it back at him. “Watch and learn.” I give Belle another kiss.
Cam stands with a huff and storms away.
“What’s his problem?” I say. He can’t be upset that I’m with Belle, not when he’s the one who dumped her. And it’s not like this is new information—we’ve been together for weeks now, sitting at this table, holding hands and kissing.
“Andrea broke up with him,” Hannah says.
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