Page 77
Story: Before & After You
“I sure hope you’re not planning on following Jessica into a career of painting. That canvas looks like a sad, smashed blueberry pie.”
“It’s the beach,” Greyson laughed.
“Tomato, tom-ah-toh.”
I snorted. “What?” That shit didn’t even make sense. And I finally understood what all thatDad Jokebusiness was about after these last few weeks. My dad thought he was hilarious. Unfortunately for me, I was starting to see where I’d gotten my personality from. Or fortunately, maybe.
“Don’t listen to him, you’re doing awesome,” I told Greyson.
“Love is blind,” Dad quipped. “And on that note, I’ll see you kids later,” he said as he walked out the door.
“He’s a mean one,” Greyson said with a smile and turned back to his painting. “Blueberry pie.” He chuckled.
I swiped the envelope off my dresser and opened it, pulling out the letter folded inside.
Congratulations,it read, and the rest of the words were completely lost on me. Except for:$10,000 scholarship.
No fucking way.I read the whole thing again, hands shaking. “No fucking way.”
“What?” Greyson turned to face me.
“I won.I won!” I shouted.
“Won what?” He smiled in confusion.
I laid it all out for him, telling him about my pictures, and Ms. Greenburg, and the form she’d had me fill out, and the contest, and that somehow,somehow—by some miracle—I’d actually freaking won it.
“What?!” He stood up, eyes wide and as excited as mine, and walked towards me.
I matched his quick pace and jumped up into his arms as we collided. “Holy shit! I won!”
“Holy shit,” he reiterated.
“Holy shit,” the words came out on a breath as I looked over at my wall of photos. It was surreal, that moment where I realized my pictures were actually good.Not just to me, but to somebody else in this world who mattered.
I never, not in a million years, would’ve thought they were worthy of something like this. But there I was, holding that letter in my arms as Greyson held me in his. And,holy shit.
“You deserve it,” he said quietly, forcing my eyes back to his.
“Thank you,” I whispered, and I got lost in his gaze like I had a thousand times. I swallowed thickly as his eyes bore into mine.
And just like that, our excitement shifted into something else. Something that threw a fire into our eyes and coiled deep down inside of me. Our breaths matched, heavy and fast.
I looked down at his mouth, and he looked down at mine as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth.
And that was it; I couldn’t take it anymore. I closed the distance between us faster than I could count to one, had my mouth on his before I could’ve ever have gotten to two.
My hands quickly caught up to the speed of my lips and slid around his neck, desperately pulling him closer to me even though I was already in his arms.
It didn’t matter. There was no way I could ever get close enough. But also…this was so much more than enough—his arms around me, his lips sliding over mine, tongue teasing, teeth biting.
I lost myself in that kiss, in Greyson, before he pulled away, breathing hard. I could see it in his eyes then, how this time was wholly different from all of the others. More intense, consuming. Entirely unstoppable.
I think he could see it in my eyes, too. He sucked in a deep breath before walking us over to my bed and laying me down, climbing on top of me and settling his body in between my legs.
I could hardly breathe. My entire body hummed with awareness. Hands tingling, heart soaring. I’d never felt this way—so alive, so aware of the way my body cried out for someone else’s. For his.
And then his lips sunk down and slowly pressed back into mine, heightening the buzz that traveled through me. He kissed me.He kissed me, and he kissed me, and he kissed me, shifting between light brushes of his mouth over mine and deep, lingering kisses that ignited a fire deep down in my soul.
“It’s the beach,” Greyson laughed.
“Tomato, tom-ah-toh.”
I snorted. “What?” That shit didn’t even make sense. And I finally understood what all thatDad Jokebusiness was about after these last few weeks. My dad thought he was hilarious. Unfortunately for me, I was starting to see where I’d gotten my personality from. Or fortunately, maybe.
“Don’t listen to him, you’re doing awesome,” I told Greyson.
“Love is blind,” Dad quipped. “And on that note, I’ll see you kids later,” he said as he walked out the door.
“He’s a mean one,” Greyson said with a smile and turned back to his painting. “Blueberry pie.” He chuckled.
I swiped the envelope off my dresser and opened it, pulling out the letter folded inside.
Congratulations,it read, and the rest of the words were completely lost on me. Except for:$10,000 scholarship.
No fucking way.I read the whole thing again, hands shaking. “No fucking way.”
“What?” Greyson turned to face me.
“I won.I won!” I shouted.
“Won what?” He smiled in confusion.
I laid it all out for him, telling him about my pictures, and Ms. Greenburg, and the form she’d had me fill out, and the contest, and that somehow,somehow—by some miracle—I’d actually freaking won it.
“What?!” He stood up, eyes wide and as excited as mine, and walked towards me.
I matched his quick pace and jumped up into his arms as we collided. “Holy shit! I won!”
“Holy shit,” he reiterated.
“Holy shit,” the words came out on a breath as I looked over at my wall of photos. It was surreal, that moment where I realized my pictures were actually good.Not just to me, but to somebody else in this world who mattered.
I never, not in a million years, would’ve thought they were worthy of something like this. But there I was, holding that letter in my arms as Greyson held me in his. And,holy shit.
“You deserve it,” he said quietly, forcing my eyes back to his.
“Thank you,” I whispered, and I got lost in his gaze like I had a thousand times. I swallowed thickly as his eyes bore into mine.
And just like that, our excitement shifted into something else. Something that threw a fire into our eyes and coiled deep down inside of me. Our breaths matched, heavy and fast.
I looked down at his mouth, and he looked down at mine as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth.
And that was it; I couldn’t take it anymore. I closed the distance between us faster than I could count to one, had my mouth on his before I could’ve ever have gotten to two.
My hands quickly caught up to the speed of my lips and slid around his neck, desperately pulling him closer to me even though I was already in his arms.
It didn’t matter. There was no way I could ever get close enough. But also…this was so much more than enough—his arms around me, his lips sliding over mine, tongue teasing, teeth biting.
I lost myself in that kiss, in Greyson, before he pulled away, breathing hard. I could see it in his eyes then, how this time was wholly different from all of the others. More intense, consuming. Entirely unstoppable.
I think he could see it in my eyes, too. He sucked in a deep breath before walking us over to my bed and laying me down, climbing on top of me and settling his body in between my legs.
I could hardly breathe. My entire body hummed with awareness. Hands tingling, heart soaring. I’d never felt this way—so alive, so aware of the way my body cried out for someone else’s. For his.
And then his lips sunk down and slowly pressed back into mine, heightening the buzz that traveled through me. He kissed me.He kissed me, and he kissed me, and he kissed me, shifting between light brushes of his mouth over mine and deep, lingering kisses that ignited a fire deep down in my soul.
Table of Contents
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