Kal
Grey and I stayed with Anabelle for a full three hours, one of the rehab employees coming and checking in on us every fifteen minutes. Anabelle and I had come to an understanding of sorts while Greyson was out of the room and after a few minutes of shouting and accusations from Anabelle and a calm, rather lengthy, monologue from me, it could be said we were, while not friends, allies of sorts. Greyson, upon entering her room again, just looked confused.
"I'll come again as soon as I can make it," Grey told Anabelle as we were leaving. "We're going back to Vermont tomorrow." My heartbeat increased at that, and not in a good way. More in a painful, frightened way. My throat closed up and my chest tightened and I couldn't breathe.
"Okay," Anabelle answered, her voice sounded distant from the roaring in my ears. She came over to me and wrapped her too thin arms around my neck in a hug. My arms went automatically around her waist.
"You'll be okay," she whispered soothingly in my ear. "Take care of Grey for me." I nodded woodenly. I would take care of him, but I had a feeling I was the one who was going to need taken care of.
"Are you okay, Kal?" Grey asked me as we sat, twenty minutes later, in an empty corner of a crowded Starbucks. I nodded, but he didn't seem to buy it, because he leaned in, one hand on each arm of my chair.
"You're not," he accused. "I can tell." I gave a small shrug.
"I don't want to go back," I told him. "Can't I just move here and live with my dad?" He picked me up then sat in the chair and sat me on his lap.
"After we go back and get Kariana you can do whatever you want."
"Okay," I whispered and tucked my face into his neck as Grey held me and stroked soothing circles on my back. I didn't really know exactly what I was so scared of, but I just had a bad feeling about going back to Vermont. Something about it didn't feel quite right. I shrugged it off, feeling ridiculous, and sat up. Grey didn't let go of me when I tried to stand up, instead he grinned at me and tightened his grip on my waist.
"I've never really had a girlfriend I've like before," he told me in a laughing voice. "I had a girl I liked, I guess I thought I loved her at the time, but she didn't like me back, so she doesn't count. So, really you're the first girl I've ever had feelings for. Don't you feel lucky?" I felt shocked. Speechless. Did he really just say he had feelings for me? When did this happen?!
"Um," was all I could say to his sudden revelation.
"Kalshan Dunham, shocked speechless," he laughed. "I think I deserve an award." I rolled my eyes and hit him lightly on the chest, then tried to shove myself from his arms. I was not ready to deal with Grey having feelings for me. Or, feelings that didn't involve lust, indifferent admiration of my looks, and slight camaraderie. But he wasn't describing those feelings. What he was describing sounded a little too close to love for my comfort. My attempts to extract myself just made Greyson laugh again and pull me even tighter.
"Come on Buttercup," he whispered. "You know you like me too." He did not just call me Buttercup again. I'd thought we were over that. Grey shifted me so I had a knee on each side of his waist. We were starting to get weird looks. The college students in the shop looked amused, a couple older people gave us looks that clearly said to get a room, and a table of mothers who had their children in tow gave us glares. I tried again to shove myself from Greyson.
"You're making a fucking scene," I hissed. He just continued grinning.
"Admit you like me, and I'll let you go," he told me back.
"No," I snapped obstinately.
"No you don't like me, or no you won't tell me?"
"No I won't tell you," I answered. Okay, I'd fully been intending on telling him no, I didn't like him, but it was hard to think clearly with my hips pressed right up against Greyson's, and his hands holding my butt, pressing me closer to him.
"I knew you liked me back," he laughed. He gave me a swift kiss, then let me go. I scrambled quickly off him, grabbed my white mocha, and stomped towards the door ignoring the laughs of the college boys behind me.
"Kal!" Grey called out from the other side of the coffee shop. He jingled the keys. Of course, I couldn't really leave without a car. Dammit, what did he want now.
"What?" I snapped.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" Um, I thought I already was... "For real," he said. I raised my eyebrows. Greyson settled back into the plush chair.
"I'm not getting up until you answer me, and I'm your ride back to the hotel." I knew I should have brought money. The shop had gone quiet and all eyes were on me.
"Come on, Buttercup," Grey cooed. "Say yes." I knew I was bright red. This was so damn embarrassing. And he called me Buttercup again! Everyone was still watching me. Someone walked in behind me, and paused, watching me with a confused expression. Jesus Christ!
"Fine," I consented in an annoyed voice. Greyson got up, strode over to me, and kissed my full on the mouth. The coffee shop erupted in applause.
"I'm going to kill you," I growled into Grey's mouth. He just laughed and hugged me, his eyes shining.
Grey
Having found out together that our parents were both in the prostitution business, nearly being killed and arrested together, asking Kalshan to be my real girlfriend seemed like a silly and anticlimactic step, but a necessary one. Our lives had been so messed up and turned around the last week, I felt like they had to have some normalcy. And she looked really cute when she got all red and flustered. I really did feel the way about Kalshan I told her I did. I wanted her know. Now she did, and she was my official girlfriend. I laughed a little as we drove down the street and Kalshan gave me an annoyed look.
"I can't believe you're still calling me Buttercup," she complained. Wow, I had just asked her to be my girlfriend and all she could do was complain about her nickname. I turned and looked at her since we were at a red light.
"Can't you just, I don't know, be happy for a minute?" I asked. "After all, you did just become my girlfriend." She rolled her eyes. Again. The light turned green, so I pressed on the gas and the car rolled forward.
"I was already your girlfriend."
"No, you were a bet." I grinned, as something occurred to me. "Since I'm officially your boyfriend, does this mean I have to wait six weeks?" I asked.
"I offered this morning," Kalshan reminded me.
"Yes, and I feel you're much more emotionally stable this evening."
"Didn't you just tell my father you're intentions were honorable?" Kalshan asked.
"How much more honorable could I get then pleasing his daughter?" I winked at her.
"I'd be more pleased if we just stayed in LA," Kalshan grumbled. She was acting angry, but I knew she was just scared. I grabbed her hand and rubbed circles in her palm with my thumb. After a few minutes I felt her hand become less tense and relax in mine. I looked over at Kalshan's profile against the setting sun.
"You're so beautiful," I told her. Kalshan just blushed and the rest of the ride was silent, both of us lost to our own thoughts.
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It occurred to me today while I was out taking some pictures what a classic artist i am. The teenager who wears too much black, is too thin because I always forget to eat, and bums around all weekend around town on my bike and at coffee shops with an old film camera and my laptop, drinking WAY too much caffeine. It made me laugh. ;D
