Nothing to lose

Chapter 15: Mia

I felt myself being swept off my feet and swung around our living room.

"GREYSON!" I squealed in between my laughter as he continued to spin us.

I was getting dizzy but catching those glimpses of pure joy etched across his face. How could I tell him to stop? And why would I ever want to?

Grey was spinning me fast enough that I almost felt like I was flying. And that weightless feeling, like gravity, couldn't hold me down. My heart was soaring.

While I hadn't given Grey the exact heartfelt confession that I've kept buried deep within in my soul, I gave him a sneak peek. And that felt like enough for now, but it wouldn't be all that he'll hear from me.

Grey spun us until it looked like he was getting deliriously dizzy himself, then he flopped on the couch, cradling me in arms close to his chest. He placed a kiss on my forehead, and gosh, I was a sucker for those forehead kisses. I was a sucker for everything Greyson-related.

Wow. My life just became a Jonas Brothers song. But we didn't have to talk about it.

My body relaxed against Grey's as I placed my head to rest on his shoulder.

Grey ran his fingers up and down my arms, and it gave me the best kind of goosebumps.

"Can I ask you something?" Grey said out of the blue.

"Hmm?"

"Why have you been so weird the last few days?"

My shoulders instantly tensed.

"Is it because we slept together? Cuddled up? Or has something else been bugging you? And if so, what is it?" I could tell by his tone of voice that he had been worrying about this. "You always like to distance yourself when something's bothering you, and I know that's what helps you think. But that's also what drives me crazy. I try to give you time to work it out alone and let you come to me when you're ready. Other times, I admit that I get impatient, and I find some way to persuade you into telling me."

That dang finger poked my rib and let out a giggle. Sometimes I wished his methods weren't so effective.

"Hmm." I agreed, thinking of all the times he persistently nagged the heck out of me to talk to him. "You could be so annoying sometimes." I scrunched my nose at him.

"Shush," Grey said with a soft chuckle. "Don't change the subject." He continued, "We've always been in this together, so talk to me."

I haven't mentioned my mom to Grey in years. I kept my thoughts of her locked away, and he knew that. But lately, it hasn't been that easy. I did want to talk to him, but it wasn't the right time.

Then there's the cuddling thing. I had woken up in Grey's arms feeling safe and cared for. Grey had one hand cradling the back of my neck as my head was snuggled into his chest, and the other rested on my lower back while our legs were tangled together. I could've stayed like that until he woke up. I could have enjoyed the moment that may have never happened again, but instead, I chose to tell myself to be realistic. My best friend would never want to be with me like that.

I got up from the bed and tried to create the space that I felt necessary to keep my heart safe. Trust me. I hated knowing that Grey was under the same roof as me 24/7, and we weren't spending time together.

"It was the cuddling thing," I muttered, it was the half-truth, but I prayed he couldn't pick up on that little fact.

"I figured as much," Grey said confidently. "What bothered you about it?"

Since our feelings were out in the open, as might as well say it. "I thought it was nice. So nice that I wanted it to be real. I wanted it to mean something more than you just comforting a friend."