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Greyson

Laying with my arms tucked under my head, I stare up at the ceiling and purse my lips.

Strumming my fingers against my phone, I wait impatiently for the text that’s due to come through any second.

And once my phone pings, a smile spreads across my lips as I sit up and look down at it.

I’m expecting it to be a text from Lilly letting me know she’s on her way because she always texts me to let me know, and it always makes me sweat with anticipation.

And it is her, but what she says makes my chest tighten, and my heart sinks.

Lil-Bug: Gonna have to cancel.

Me: You’re not coming?

Lil-Bug: No, sorry. Something came up.

Me: Something came up?

Standing up, I pace around my room and look down at our text thread with furrowed brows as I wait for her reply…but it doesn’t come.

She’s never cancelled before, ever .

Was she unwell?

I replayed the last few days on a loop in my mind, she’d become distant, almost distracted and it didn’t sit right with me.

Lilly always wore her heart on her sleeve, she’d always tell me if there was something wrong. She thought I didn’t notice that she’s been trying to create distance between us, but I noticed everything about her—including this little attitude change.

And I know it’s got nothing to do with Callie walking in on us kissing the other day, it’s something deeper.

What’s changed?

Why was she pulling away?

She handed in her article to her Professor the other day which means she hasn’t been coming to practice, but why am I sad over that? I’m so used to seeing her practically every day, and now she’s nowhere to be seen.

It’s almost like she’s deliberately ignoring me, but why?

Have I done something wrong?

Sighing, I sit down at my desk and run my fingers along Albert. Everything in my room reminds me of her now. From the carpet where she had worn a path, walking back and forth along it the night we agreed to start “fake” dating. To the bed where I’d woken up with her hand on my dick, and finger fuck ed her for the first time

The same bed we’ve both slept in numerous times. The pillow beside mine smells like her—strawberries and something uniquely her.

I’m addicted to everything about her.

And I hate to admit this, but whenever she’s not there, I cuddle the pillow envisioning it’s her I’m cuddling. It’s stupid, I know. What we have wasn’t going to last, I knew that. We both knew it. But every time I’m around her, I can’t help but wish it was real.

I wanted more than to be her “fake” boyfriend. I wanted her . All of her. No pretending. No faking. I wanted the real thing.

I wasn’t lying when I told her I knew how to follow rules, I’d just forgotten to mention the part about knowing how to break them too.

And I’d broken the rule.

But rules were meant to be broken.

She was stupid for including the “no falling in love” rule in the first place.

I don’t exactly know when the lines began to blur, but they had, and now I’m fucked.

***

I don’t know what I’m doing here.

I shouldn’t be here.

I should leave her alone and let her come to me in her own time, but I’m selfish. I wanted to see her now. I needed to see her.

Lifting my hand, I knock on the door and shift on my feet.

What if she doesn’t want to see me?

Welp, too late for that now.

The door swings open and Payton stands there with a huge grin on her face. “Hey, Greyson.”

“Hey,” I smile, shifting my feet again. “Is Lilly here?”

I knew she was here.

She shared her location with me just after Thanksgiving so I could know she got back to campus safe. She jokingly told me not to stalk her, but I did. Numerous times. Hence why I knew she was here.

She chuckles, pulling the door open more and invites me in. “Yep, she’s here. And she’s been in a sour mood all day.”

Okay, so it’s not just me she’s been off with…that makes me feel slightly better.

“She’s in her bedroom, be prepared for her to tell you to fuck off when you knock though.” She laughs.

I sigh, giving her a tight smile before walking down the hallway toward her bedroom. Lifting my hand, I knock gently, praying she’s awake.

“Fuck off!” She grumbles.

I chuckle, exactly what Payton told me to expect.

Ignoring her command, I instead twist the handle and walk in. Music plays lowly from the speaker on her desk, the room is dark except for the fairy lights on her headboard, and a light in the corner that’s glowing the room a soft purple.

She’s tucked up in her bed, turned away from the door, the duvet all the way up to her neck with her hand in a bag of popcorn while she scrolls through her phone.

She was deliberately ignoring my text?

“Hey.” I say, gaining her attention.

She jumps, c learly not expecting me to be here. “Greyson?” She looks at me with wide eyes. “What are you doing here?”

Stepping into her room, I close the door softly behind me. “I thought maybe you weren’t feeling well, so I came with some stuff.” Holding the bag up to show her, I take a step forward.

The plan was to come straight here to see her, but when I got into my car I made a detour toward the local store and picked up a bunch of snacks and other things.

I don’t know how to take care of someone, I’d never done it before. But I wanted to take care of her, to let her know that I was there. That I’m always going to be there.

Sitting up, she leans against the headboard and tilts her head to the side. “You got me snacks?” She asks, shock evident in her voice.

“Tampons and pads too,” I nod. “Why are there so many different kinds of both? I had to ask the woman who worked there what type I should be getting and—” I nervously chuckle. “I’m getting off track.”

Walking closer, I place the bag down onto the bed and look up to see tears glistening in her eyes. “You got me tampons?”

“Yeah,” I nod, scratching the nape of my neck. “I uh, I didn’t know if you started your period or something…I got snacks too.”

Opening the bag, she gasps when she pulls out the numerous bags of popcorn—buttery, salty, sweet, cinnamon, salted caramel, toffee, and even a cookies and cream flavor. I couldn’t leave the store with just one packet, I had to get every flavor they had because she deserved them all.

“Greyson…” Her voice cracks as her lip quivers.

Droplets of tears fall from her eyes. “Lil-Bug,” I say, sitting on the edge of her bed, and bringing her to my chest. “Why are you crying, baby?”

She sniffles. “Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before.”

“Never?”

“No.” She shakes her head, wiping her tears away.

I stop breathing for a moment because what the fuck.

Then I remember her telling me that when that useless piece of shit would buy her something, he’d send an invoice to her a few days after, and that’s why the first time I asked her to grab coffee with me she was persistent on paying her way.

She thought I didn’t notice the five dollar bill she put in my bag, but I noticed it, and I slipped it into her bag a few days later.

“I’m sorry.” She suddenly sniffles, exhaling sharply.

“Hey,” I capture her cheeks in the palm of my hands. “Don’t apologize to me, okay? There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

She hiccups. “I’m not on my period, but that’s very thoughtful of you,” she wipes her tears. “I’ve just been getting in my head lately.”

“You can talk to me,” I grab her hand and kiss her knuckles. “I’m always here for you, you know that?”

I don’t think she fully realizes the effect she has on me.

I’d do absolutely anything for this girl.

She pouts, blinking away her tears. “Has anyone ever told you how perfect you are?”

“Someone might’ve a couple times before.” I smirk.

“Well, you are,” she squeezes at my hand. “The most perfect guy I’ve ever met.”

My chest tightens again, and all I want to do is kiss her .

“Well, Lil-Bug,” my thumb caresses her cheek. “You’re pretty perfect too.”

She’s more than perfect.

She scoffs. “Yeah right, I’m a total mess.”

I smile, leaning in and planting a kiss to her temple. “If you’re a mess, then I’m a disaster.”

She laughs, tilting her head back, her eyes crinkling in the corner. “I guess we can both be messy disasters together.”

“That we can.” I respond with a smile.

If it meant being together, I’d be anything with her.