I turn my head towards him. “It is?”
He nods. His eyes don’t leave mine as we stare at each other, lying on our sides on this thin blanket, feeling the gravelly ground beneath us.
“How?” I ask.
He smirks. “Because it makes me want to corrupt you.”
Heat rises to my cheeks, feeling them redden, and I look down at the space between us.
His hand lifts, reaching out and swiping his thumb across my cheek. I suck in a breath, and he smiles. “You blush so easily,” he says, laughing under his breath.
“It’s embarrassing,” I say, feeling my cheeks get hotter under his touch.
He shakes his head. “It’s cute.”
His eyes drift to my lips, making me do the same. His lips are parted as he breathes heavily. This is heading somewhere we both know is out of bounds. This wasn’t what we agreed on, but it seems like he doesn’t remember the deal we made, but I do.
I swallow as I back away from him slightly, putting some distance between us. “So, tell me about your family,” I say.
He sighs and falls on his back, head tilted up, looking at the night sky above us. “Not much to tell, really.”
I wonder if the rumors I heard about him are true at all. He doesn’t seem like the guy they all said he was, but I guess I’ll never know unless I ask him. “Is it true?”
He turns to face me. “Is what true?”
“The rumors about you selling drugs,” I say, swallowing.
He turns his whole body to face me. “What do you think?” he asks. “Do you believe them?”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so.” I’ve known Grayson Carter a lot less time than some of the people who have told me these things about him but having spent today with him, I don’t think that is true.
“That’s good to know.”
We stay quiet for a moment, hearing the wind crash against the trees and the sound of crickets. But other than that, it’s silent. Peaceful.
He gets up and walks over to his car. He jumps on the hood of his car and sits on top of it. I look back at him, and he’s looking back at me. He smirks and taps the hood next to him. “Join me.”
I smile, get off the ground, and walk over towards him. He reaches his hand out, and I take it, pulling me up until I’m seated next to him on the hood of his car.
I look up, seeing the sky pitch black with only a handful of stars filling the sky. “What time is it?”
He laughs. “Want to escape from me already?”
“No.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Just wondering how long we’re going to stay here.”
I know there will be fallout for disobeying my mother today, and I want to be at the apartment when she ultimately comes to reprimand me for not going to New York like I told her I would.
“Well,” he says, “Do you want to stay and watch the sunrise with me?” he asks before clearing his throat. “I can drive you back if you want.”
I should go back and wait for my mother to call or fly here. But right now, it doesn't seem to matter. All I want to do is stay here with him. I nod. “I love watching the sunrise,” I tell him, remembering how I used to wake up early and sit on my balcony to watch the sunrise. “Even more than the sunset.”
He smiles. “Well, that’s good because the sunset’s long gone, angel.”
10
Number 1: Get drunk
Rosalie
