His Sweet Revenge

Chapter 29.

The boardwalk is too jam-packed, so Grayson and I head over to the fair, which is also pretty crowded, but at least there's more to do.

"You said I could ask for anything, right?" I smile mischievously as Grayson and I work our way through the crowds.

He looks at me suspiciously. "I said that, yes."

I point to one of the giant bears hanging from almost every carnival game. "I've always wanted a guy to win me one of those."

Grayson smiles at that. "Liam never had any luck?"

I roll my eyes at the mention of his name. "No. Liam's ideal date was a movie in his basement with all his boys with us."

"Oh? So, this is a date?" Grayson smirks.

"It can be whatever we want it to be. As long as you don't try to feel me up."

Grayson throws an arm over my shoulder, chuckling. "I can't make any promises," he jokes.

— — —

It's night now, the air slightly colder and the sky clear of clouds. Grayson and I have spent pretty much the entire day at the fair.

We're walking back to the boardwalk, side by side, through the crowds. I'm carrying the big plush bear he won me, and my feet feel tired from walking all day.

Today has been ... fun. Special. Grayson and I played so many games, ate fries, went on almost every ride, and ate so much cotton candy my stomach still hurts from all the sugar. It was nice to have fun and forget about everything that had happened for a few hours.

"Come on." I tug on the sleeve of his T-shirt. "The fireworks are going to start soon."

"I don't want to go back to the beach," he says. "It's too crowded."

His hand finds mine, interlocking our fingers together, and I feel a swarm of butterflies in my stomach.

Grayson starts to walk in the opposite direction of where all the people are heading.

"Grayson, we should really go back to the beach," I tell him, trying to slow us down. He ignores me and pulls me forward with his hand in mine. "We've already been gone for hours."

"Trust me," he says, looking back at me. "We'll get a much better view of the fireworks over there." He points over the lighthouse, far, far away from the rest of the beach.

"I'm pretty sure that's off-limits," I say.

Grayson smirks at me, making my stomach feel like it just did somersaults. "Perfect."

I hoist my bear higher up in my arm as Grayson continues to pull me forward with my hand. The lighthouse is empty, and I'm suddenly hit with a feeling of nervousness. I'm here with him, alone. I mean, I'm alone with him a lot, but this is different. This is entirely secluded.

We make it to the top of the lighthouse, and Grayson sits down, letting his legs dangle over the ledge. He rests his forearms on the metal rung and stares into the ocean, the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore filling up the quiet.

I join him and set my bear down beside me. "What should I name him?"

Grayson shrugs, and I realize his mood has completely shifted.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"I'm fine, Layla."

I slide a hand over his back, and he exhales. I continue to rub his back for a while as we watch the waves, trying to comfort him.