Grey

Twelve

[RORY]

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, silently begging whatever higher power was out there to bless me with shameless confidence for just one night.

I'd left Finn in my bedroom, letting him quietly explore so I could change into something more comfortable. What he was blissfully unaware of was what that meant for a girl who had an attractive boy in her room for the first time in years. I'd quickly shaved the important parts, run a brush through my hair, brushed my teeth, put on tinted chapstick and slipped on his white t-shirt I'd acquired on the night we painted.

I had been questioning whether or not braless was too much, but came to the quick realization that luckily for me, it didn't matter - I wasn't that blessed in that area. I groaned quietly, holding the shirt tighter around my waist so as to try and show more up top with no success. I'd been on the fence about just wearing underwear, but figured that could make up for the less-than-impressive view above.

While I knew it was stupid, all I could hear were Max's words echoing in my brain from the very last time we were intimate. I felt ashamed thinking back on it, remembering how I was pathetically trying to use sex as a persuasive tool. I knew he was already so far gone, but something about the annoyance in his tone when he said you're trying too hard stuck with me like glue.

I exhaled, willing all of my nerves to exit my body with the forced breath before turning off the light and heading back down the hallway.

I pushed my cracked door open, peeking in as quietly as possible. Finn had taken off his shoes and the button-up, leaving him just in his jeans, black socks and t-shirt. His back was to me as he eyed my cork board, taking careful interest in one of the polaroids. From the angle I was standing at, I couldn't see which.

He reached up, taking it between his fingers and gently pulling it off so he could examine closer. I was able to get a glimpse, immediately losing any ability to stay silent any longer.

"Oh god, not that one."

He didn't turn around and wasn't startled, laughing under his breath. "This is incredible. You had quite big ears as a child."

"Rude," I muttered, climbing onto the bed and tucking my legs under me. "I know."

"Must be why you have such a keen ear for good music," he teased, glancing over his shoulder. His smile dropped, lips slightly agape. On the outside, I was steady, but on the inside, I was squirming. I watched his eyes rake up and down my body with absolutely no subtlety.

"You're testing my willpower."

"I would never."

I chewed my cheek, watching his eyes continue their slow assault while simultaneously feeling empowered and insanely nervous. He eventually turned away, reaching up and pinning the photo back where he'd gotten it from.

I watched him curiously as he raked his fingers through his hair casually, pushing it off his forehead. I didn't have to see his face to know that, like always, the pieces fell right back into place. He stepped over towards my bookshelf, seemingly content to continue exploring as my hopes began to dwindle.

It felt like minutes had passed before he glanced over his shoulder, the right side of his lip quirking up into a devilish smirk.

"You win."

Before I had time to react, Finn was gently pushing me onto my back and climbing on top of me. I was overwhelmed as his mouth met mine, the same feeling from before engulfing my senses. All I tasted, smelled, felt was him as he kissed me roughly, my hands blindly finding their way to his shoulders.