Page 41 of Property of Grifter
I love Griffin and now, I belong to him, and he belongs to me.
Forever.
22GEORGIA
The diner humswith energy and life—the hiss of the griddle, the clatter of forks, the syrupy drawl of Naomi calling out orders behind the counter.They are all sounds that I’ve become accustomed to and are as much home as my house with Nana.Despite how some people in town have treated me, I love it here and really never want to move.I stir my coffee, smiling across the table at Tony and Lara.
Lara sits pressed up against the vinyl booth, her elbows tucked in like she’s afraid to take up too much space.Her copper-red curls are pulled back in a loose braid, but a few tendrils escape to frame her freckled face.Her eyes are sharp—green, bright, and curious.She has that fragile look of someone who’s learning to trust the world again.Tony’s her opposite—lean and restless, dark hair falling over his eyes as he demolishes a plate of fries.He’s always moving, even when he’s sitting still.His fingers tap against his leg, his body held tight like he’s expecting someone to tell him he doesn’t belong at any moment.Neither one has had it easy.I hate what they’ve gone through.I wish I could do something to help, but I’m kind of useless.
I mean, I love all my students, every last one of them.But these two are special to me.I think back to the day they wandered into my art class.I could tell right away that they didn’t come for the class.No, it was because they were starved to death and were hoping we served food.Their faces were pale, their worn and ragged clothes all but falling off of them and their eyes sunken with no hope shining out of them.It looked like they hadn’t eaten in weeks.I’d made a point of checking on them throughout the class and bragging on their sketches—which were surprisingly good for never having attended a class or even have art as a hobby.Then, I’d invited them to dinner here, at Naomi’s Diner.They hadn’t hesitated.
That was three years ago now.Since then, they’ve gone from my students to my assistants, my little family.After a year of lessons, I started paying them to help with murals that I was commissioned for.They’ve been placed in a better foster home now—thank God—but I still take them out to eat every week.Nana jokes that besides her, they’re my closest friends.She’s definitely right.
“I still can’t believe you’re dating a biker,” Lara exclaims in a mixture of half-scandal and half-delight.“I think it’s cool,” Tony mutters around a mouthful of fries.
I grin at him.“You would.”
They’ll both graduate out of foster care in a couple years, and that thought ties my stomach in knots.Nana and I have spoken about it often.There’s not much in Dreary for kids like them.Lara’s applying to colleges, and I’ve been helping her with essays.Tony, though … hehatesschool.He’s good with his hands—very talented actually—but he doesn’t know what he wants.I worry about what will happen when there’s no one looking out for him.
“Griffin’s been really good to me,” I tell Lara, smiling.
Tony leans back, smirking.“We can tell.At least he doesn’t treat you like you’re going to steal his blood and curse his whole family line.”I can’t help but laugh, even though the truth of it stings.It hurts him — the way people still whisper about me, about Nana.
“Actually,” I say softly, “he’s been helping me stand up for myself.”
Tony grins, pride lighting up his whole face.“Good.”
Lara smiles shyly.“So… are you two going to get married?”
The sip of Coke I just took goes down the wrong pipe, and I cough, choking.“What?”I squeak.Before Lara can ask the question again, someone clears his throat beside me.
“Hey, Brushes,” Alex says, using the name the club has given me as he shoves his hands into his pockets—obviously nervous.“Can we talk for a minute?”
I frown.“I’m kind of busy, Alex.”
“Please.It’ll just take a minute.”
I should say no.I know I should, but I’ve never seen this side of Alex.There’s no cocky swagger, no anger or coldness about him.Instead, he’s oddly nervous and that gets my interest.I glance at Tony and Lara.“Order us some of Naomi’s pie, okay?I saw apple’s the pie of the day.”
Tony nods, already grinning.“Sure thing.”
“Don’t forget the ice cream!”I call as I stand, then walk with Alex.
“You know it!”I hear Tony call out and Lara’s laughter rings through the noise, too.
Alex gestures toward a table near the door.I roll my eyes but follow him anyway.“I don’t have long,” I mutter, sitting across from him.“I’m not letting my ice cream melt, and my pie go cold all because you want to insult me.”
He looks uncomfortable, shifting in his seat.“I’m not here to insult you, Brushes.I’m here to apologize.I shouldn’t have done what I did.I don’t even know why I did it.”
“That’s easy,” I say, voice cold.“You did it to make money off a bet about how soon you could take my virginity.”
He flinches before exhaling a sigh that sounds sad and forlorn.“It was stupid.The worst part is that I really liked you.But when my buddies found out I’d asked you out, they started in on me.Laughing and talking shit.I brought up the bet to shut them up.It felt like they were mocking me.”
I laugh bitterly.“So, you thought it was better if they mocked me instead?”
“Yeah,” he says quietly.“I was an asshole, Brushes.”I puff out air so hard that my bangs move.He’s frustrating me.Something about Alex using my club nickname softens me a little.Well, that combined with the fact he doesn’t even seem like the same person who hurt me.“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.I hope, with time, you’ll forgive me.But if you can’t—if you want me gone from the club — I’ll leave.”
I frown.“You want to leave the club?”
