A frazzled third grade teacher comes from the direction of the gym, her head swiveling until she sees Grey. Relief washes over her. "Oh, thank god, Grey--they're losing it in there."
He stands, nods at her, then looks at me, but I can't make out what he's thinking. And then, he's wearing a little smirk. "Nothing, peaches. I'll see you Saturday at noon."
"Okay." I answer as he rushes off, wishing he could stay, not wanting to wait until Saturday to ask him what, exactly, he's too old for.
Because it couldn't be me.
Could it?
CHAPTER 14
SURPRISE!
MOLLY
Beyond my kitchen window, the sun sinks toward the horizon, casting golden orange light across Grey.
He's intent on his task, his dark brows flexed just enough to make a little crease between them instead of the brackets that are there so often. The sound of the drill buzzing has been our companion as we've gone around and checked all the cabinet doors. Most of them were loose or partially busted in some way or another, so we've been replacing hardware and whatnot. By we, I mean mostly me, until my arms got tired. Currently, I am being extremely helpful by holding the door still from my perch on the counter.
Grey takes it from me to test his work, and pleased, he steps back and takes a look around.
He's been here since this morning, and we've done everything on the list, even crawled around under the house. Thankfully, there were no possums, but there were so many spiderwebs and definitely some little bones. The worst part waswhen a mouse ran over my leg. Grey speculated it was something else, but I cut him off. It was a mouse. And if it wasn't, yes it was.
When we crawled out, I was so heebed out, I danced around the yard trying to get the spiderwebs off me. The shudder I shuddered lasted at least one solid minute. It just kept running up and down my spine until Grey promised they were all gone. I'd have been mad he looked amused if I didn't enjoy that amusement so much. I'd even crawl back under the house if it would make him belly laugh. Probably.
All day, I've been begging him to tell me what the surprise is, but he's made me wait and wait and wait. As he inspects the kitchen one last time, I am so excited, I'm crawling out of my skin, my lips pursed to keep me from grinning or busting out--
"Oh my god, is it time yet?" I clap a hand over my mouth and laugh. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry. I was really trying to be cool, Grey, I swear, but I am so tragically uncool that I couldn't stand it anymore."
But again, he's amused, and the sound and sight of him fills my chest up with something warm and glittery.
"It's time."
I'm celebrating, and he's coming closer, his hand diving into his pocket. I watch him, sobering as the image of him spreading my thighs so he can stand between them flies into my brain.
He looks like he's done something wicked, with a sly, tilted smile. With the flick of his wrist, he unrolls a little plastic baggy, and inside are a handful of gummy treats.
"We're ordering Chinese," he says.
My mouth and eyes must be big ol' zeros as I gape at the baggy. "Is that weed?" I breathe. "Are we gonna do the weed?"
A chuckle. "If you want to."
I snatch it from him and tear open the bag, putting one of the sacred candies in my palm. "This smells terrible," I say with a grin.
"Doesn't taste too bad."
"I've never done anything illegal before."
"You won't after tonight either--. This is legal in Tennessee."
My brows gather. "No. Weed's not legal here."
"This strain is, and it willdefinitelyget you high. Got it legit at a head shop and everything."
I hold it up to the light. "Huh. And you're doing it too, right?"
"If you want."
