Page 28 of Eleanor & Grey

He looked up to me, shocked, which was shocking to me. The Harry Potter-loving, cardigan-wearer was a virgin?

No way!

“Really?” he asked, clearly feeling hopeful that he wasn’t the only one of us left on the planet.

“Really, really. It’s not shocking. I’ve never even been kissed.”

“You’re wrong,” he disagreed. “That is shocking.”

I shrugged. “I think people our age make it out to be a bigger deal than it is.”

“Which is exactly what Stacey did. She laughed in my face, and mocked me, saying that the most popular guy in school couldn’t even get her off. So, I broke up with her. She didn’t take that too well and threatened to tell everyone about my, um…performance issues. I told Landon, and he handled it. He had some dirt on Stacey that she didn’t want to get out, so she shut up about it, which led to me owing Landon.”

“I see.”

“Yeah. He’s a dick, but he’s my best friend, so at least he’s a loyal dick.”

“Wow. That’s actually really nice of him…you know, until he forced you to talk to a weird girl at a party by blackmailing you.”

“I don’t regret that,” he said matter-of-factly.

Sigh. “Me either.”

“I owe you thanks, Ellie.”

“For what?”

He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. “The past few weeks since my grandpa passed away, I’ve been really lonely and sad, even when I’m around other people at parties and stuff, it’s been hard. But, when I’m with you, I’m not lonely anymore. When I’m with you, I feel like I belong. So, I owe you for that. I almost forgot what it felt like.”

“You almost forgot what what felt like?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “Being happy.”

8

Eleanor

“What’s our grand adventure today?” I asked Greyson as he walked up to my house one Saturday afternoon. I really needed the break from reality, because Mom had a rough night. She was currently resting while Dad looked after her.

I asked if she wanted me to stay home, but she told me to go off with Greyson and have fun. She’d rather me be having a good time instead of worrying too much.

Greyson smiled as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I was thinking I’d win you a stuffed animal down at the county fair.”

Sounded good enough to me.

There were so many things I loved about being around Greyson. I loved how when he talked about things, he expressed himself with massive hand gestures. I loved how he hummed tunes whenever he was happy. Sometimes we’d just be walking down the street, and he’d start tapping his foot as he hummed some random song.

I loved how when he looked at me, he really stared my way, as if I were the only girl he would ever look at again. I loved how when I spoke, he listened and responded with questions to deepen the conversation. I loved how he had a small dimple in his left cheek that showed whenever he smiled.

I loved how his hand accidentally slid across mine as we held the bar on the Tilt-A-Whirl ride at the fair. I loved how he could eat three corn dogs and then crave cotton candy. I loved his laugh.

Gosh, I loved his laugh.

I also loved his determination to win me a freaking stuffed animal.

“It’s really okay, Grey.” I laughed as we stood in front of a carnival booth where he’d been trying his hardest to hit a bullseye with a baseball in order to win me a stuffed animal.

“No! I can do this.” He huffed, seemingly more resolute than ever, even though he’d already missed the target fourteen times. He picked up the baseball, took a step backward, rounded up his arm, and threw it with all his might.

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