Page 20 of Eleanor & Grey

I was a lucky daughter.

“Plus, it sounds like you caught his attention with your looks and your mind,” she commented. “That’s the most important part.”

“Can we just not tell Dad? He’s a bit dramatic about things like this.”

“Your father has never shot a gun in his life, but I feel like you having your first crush would be enough to push him over the edge, so I’ll keep it between you and me.”

“Thanks.”

She started to reply but broke out into a coughing fit instead. She couldn’t catch her breath for a while and my gut filled with worry. When she stopped, she shook her head. “I’m fine, Ellie.”

I heard her words, but sometimes I felt like they were lies just to keep me from hurting. I had a feeling moms would do anything to keep their children from feeling any form of pain.

I rested my head on her shoulder as we stared out at the water and watched as three dragonflies flew by. “He read Harry Potter, all five books, because I told him we had nothing in common, and he wanted to make sure we did.”

Mom’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. “He read your favorite series?”

“Yup.”

“Eleanor?”

“Yes?”

“Marry this boy.”

5

Eleanor

I wore my dragonfly cardigan when I headed over to Greyson’s on Tuesday. It was what I’d been wearing the first time we talked, and I figured maybe it was a good luck charm. I went with no makeup, because that didn’t matter, and also I was tired of poking myself in the eye with the mascara wand.

As I walked down Weston Street, I tried my best to tame my nerves. It was just us hanging out, anyway, not a wedding.

There was no need for me to be overthinking things.

I walked up Greyson’s front porch and rang his doorbell.

Fiddling with my fingers and tapping my shoes, I waited a few seconds for him to come to the door. It was the longest time it had ever taken for anyone to answer the door, but then again, with the size of Greyson’s house, it made sense.

When he opened it, he was holding a big, fluffy black cat in his arms.

My eyes widened with excitement. “Oh, my gosh, who is this?”

“This is Meow, my best friend,” Greyson explained, allowing me to pet him. “He’s an old fart, but he’s the coolest dude out there.”

I smiled at the feline. “Hey there, Meow. I’m Ellie.”

Meow meowed before leaping out of Greyson’s arms and walking back into the house, completely uninterested in me. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“He’s sweet,” I said.

“Yeah, he is. So, are you ready to go?” Greyson asked, grabbing a hoodie from his foyer.

“I am, but where exactly are we going?”

“I figured I learned about something you like by reading those books, so I wanted to show you something I like. We’re going to the movies.”

“Oh? Which one?” I asked as we walked down the porch steps.

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