folklore | grayson dolan

chapter seven

augustine

"Gray, slow down!" I loudly scream, gripping onto the handlebars while laughing. The wind is blowing through my hair as he picks up speed.

"I am going slow." Grayson chuckles, moving the bike forward.

"I'm terrified of falling off." I continue to laugh as we head over to the bridge. My knuckles are white from squeezing onto the metal handles.

I'm currently sitting on top of the handlebars of my father's bicycle, while Grayson is steering it.

Every time we hit a bump, or he drives over a rock, I have a fear of falling off.

"I promise, you're safe." He continues to pump the petals as we finally make it over to the bridge.

"Okay, you proved your point. I'm hopping off now." I giggle and jump down once he comes to a stop.

"You would never fall. Trust me." He looks up at me while grinning.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I plant a kiss on his lips. "Well, that was a fun activity."

He glances around at the trees surrounding the start of the bridge. Then his eyes shift down to the flowing river.

"This view is amazing. And I guess the water is cool too." He smirks.

"That was cheesy." I laugh as we both look at the stream of water underneath us.

Bushes of roses are surrounding it, and it's a gorgeous sight. It's only a twenty minute bike ride from town, although it felt like forever with me sitting in front.

Grayson wraps his hands around my back and tugs me closer to him. He looks down from the bridge, watching the water flow.

"I'm glad we took the ride out here." He continues to stare.

"We could have just taken the car. That way I wouldn't have a chance to plummet to my death." I tease, bumping into him.

"It's more of an adventure this way, plus you can see I'd never let anything bad happen to you." He kisses the top of my head as I lean against him.

The silence over here is peaceful. Cars don't usually cross this bridge since it's pretty old. Most people in town pass through it by foot, or from riding a bike.

"So, what should we do the rest of the night? Want to grab food from the diner again?" We've been sneaking off to grab milkshakes and burgers downtown. We always share one.

He thinks for a moment, looking at me with a mischievous smile. "I actually have a perfect idea for a date night."

"Oh god, your ideas are always scary." I laugh again.

"Trust me, this one you'll like."

-

"Did you get it?" Grayson asks as I plop down next to him on the blanket.

"Of course I got it." I giggle and pull a bottle of Pinot Grigio out from my oversized denim jacket. I had to sneak it from my parents, since they don't condone underage drinking.

Grayson set up a picnic for us on the beach, right in front of the sparkling blue ocean. I normally hate drinking, but my go-to is a glass of wine for special occasions. Pinot Grigio is Mom's favorite.

"Perfect." He smiles and twists the bottle open, pouring some for us into the two wine glasses he brought.

"This is an adorable set up." I motion toward the wooden picnic basket next to him.