Chapter 11

Once again, Cooper laughs at me. I don't think Cooper can go more than a minute without laughing at something. Grayson shakes his head at me and then very suddenly grabs my hips and slides me so I'm basically sitting in his lap on the bench. I squeal at the sudden movement and my hands immediately move to his chest to steady myself. I can feel the muscles in his chest tighten slightly at my touch. Our faces are so close that I can see each individual eyelash and the different shade of blues and grays in his eyes. Our noses are touching ever so slightly. "What am I going to do with you?" he mumbles. I've never been in a position like this with a guy- ever. I so badly want to kiss him, but I know I'll never have the guts to do it. Grayson shakes his head at me and then very suddenly grabs my hips and slides me so I'm basically sitting in his lap on the bench. I squeal at the sudden movement and my hands immediately move to his chest to steady myself. I can feel the muscles in his chest tighten slightly at my touch. Our faces are so close that I can see each individual eyelash and the different shade of blues and grays in his eyes. Our noses are touching ever so slightly. "What am I going to do with you?" he mumbles. I've never been in a position like this with a guy- ever. I so badly want to kiss him, but I know I'll never have the guts to do it. If we ever do kiss, it's got to be him making the first move. I know I'm way too shy to do anything. The longer we stare at each other and remain close, the more buildup there is. If he only tipped his head up slightly then- "Have you guys decided on a dessert this evening?" the waiter asks, oblivious to our moment. I jump in surprise and then immediately remember where I am. I'm in a crowded restaurant, across the table from another couple, and I was about to kiss someone! What is wrong with me? I quickly and ungracefully moved off of Grayson's lap and move back on the bench to get some space from Grayson. His jaw immediately clenches and he glares at the waiter who begins shaking in his boots at the anger directed at him. "We're still thinking," Axel says, but he doesn't seem to take his eyes off of Grayson. The waiter scurries away to give us more time, and our table goes quiet again. Cooper seems amused by the situation, Axel seems focused on Grayson and making sure he doesn't attack our waiter, and Grayson seems downright livid... which doesn't make any sense to me. Why is he so angry? I guess my nickname 'Grumpy' wasn't too far off. I jump in surprise for the second time in the past ten seconds when my phone rings. I see it's my mom calling. "I'm sorry guys I have to take this, it's my mom," I alert them as I answer the phone. "Hey, mom, I'm still out at dinner. Is everything okay?" "Hey, honey. I'm sorry for calling you but I thought you might be on your way home soon," she said. While speaking, I can hear Evie crying loudly in the background which makes me immediately tense up. "Oh my god, Mom. Is Evie okay? Why is she crying? Is she hurt?" I begin panicking. What if she's seriously injured? She's only six years old! The guys are all focused on me, alert to my sudden panic. “No, sweetie she's physically fine. Look, just enjoy your dinner and hopefully, Evie will have calmed down by then." I sigh in relief, but my calmness doesn't last long because Evie's cries only seem to get more intense as time goes on. "Mom, tell me what the hell's going on. Evie doesn't usually freak out like this," I say. My mom sighs on the phone as she gives in and tells me the problem. "I was playing dolls with Evie before bed and since the dolls were in your room last we were playing in there. While holding one of the dolls, Evie backed into your dresser and accidentally knocked over one of your snow globes. It shattered on the floor. Evie is fine, but she thinks you'll be mad at her. I've tried to calm her down, but she's been crying for thirty minutes straight." "I'm on my way, okay? Tell her that I'm coming and that I'm not mad at her, okay?" "Okay, honey. I'm sorry to ruin your dinner. I didn't realize-" "Mom, it's totally fine," I interrupt her. "We were finishing up anyway. I'll see you soon." After I hang up with my mom, I turn to Grayson. "Hey, I'm sorry but I need to go home. Evie needs me right now." I turn to Cooper. "Is it okay if you drop me off at my house now? I'll make it up to you-" "I'll drop you off," Grayson says as he attempts to scoot out of the booth. However, I'm still in his way. "Oh," I say in surprise. "Are you sure? I don't want to ruin your night." "I'm positive." Grayson reaches into his pocket and places two hundred dollar bills on the table and then motions for me to stand. My eyes widen slightly at the amount, but nonetheless, I scoot out of the booth and stand. Grayson stands up beside me, which only reminds me once more how tall he is. My head only reaches up to his chest! We say goodbye to Cooper and Axel, and then I head over to Grayson's Tesla. He opens the car door for me, gets in the car, and then heads in the direction of my house. Hopefully, Grayson won't be too scared by the state Evie's in...