What is Home

Chapter Fourteen

The pizza was just as Luca and Lucy spoke of it. It was the perfect mix for a meal, even if it wasn't the healthiest. It definitely felt like a comfort food. Something that you could eat when you were just having an off day.

After finishing the pizza, I texted Grayson to make his way over. Within minutes he was in my room. I now knew if I were going through it I could reach out to Grayson and he would be there faster than anyone else.

"Nice outfit." He said as he sat down on my bed. A chuckle escaping his mouth as he did so.

I posed slightly on the bed showing off the pajamas I had on for the night. Flamingos lined the blue fabric of my pants. They were definitely too small for me but it's all I had to work with. My shirt was one of my tried-and-true white shirts that were not even close to a shade of white anymore.

"Flamingos are just great aren't they?" I laughed. "I swear I've had these things for like four years. Let's just say I've grown like four inches in that time. I'm living that good-old-life-clothes life."

"So that's why Ally is excited about taking you shopping." He went quiet as he thought before speaking again. "Sorry about her last night. She's a sloppy drunk. Don't take anything she says while in that state hurtfully."

Was it okay to bring up her actions toward Pierce? Or would that be weird? I contemplated in my head for a few moments. I didn't want to bring up any suspicion.

"Is she always like that towards Pierce too?"

"She's insecure about her relationships so yes. She thinks everyone's going to leave her for someone better." My heart sunk knowing that one day I might be that person. I glanced down at my bed and played with a loose string on my blanket. "She'll learn one day that the right one won't leave her."

Grayson radiated positivity. He was confident in his every doing. He took the best of every situation. I needed someone like that in my life. It seemed as though Ally tried to appear that way, but was nothing like that in reality. Whereas Grayson actually was like that.

"Your outlook on life Grayson is just," I paused for a second trying to find the right word to say, "beautiful. You take everything and make it good. I wish I were that powerful."

"You're powerful in your own way Charlee. I can already tell that. You have a power much stronger than mine. I might be able to take shit situations and turn them into something good but you, you have something much greater."

His eyes stared deeply into mine. His body was full of this passion about life. He wanted the world to be seen in the way he saw it. He put this glow on everything he spoke about. Any situation he turned into this ray of sunshine. I think he is more powerful than he thinks.

"Trying to butter me up Grayson?"

"I don't need to butter you up. You are going to think whatever you want to think about me or yourself. Nothing I say or do should change any way that you feel. Always stay true to you, my Charlee girl."

My brother walked by as Grayson finished his sentence. "You are gross." He fake gagged and walked away.

Grayson and I pulled our mouths into smiles shaking our heads. Leave it to Reece to be grossed out by affection. He clearly sucked at giving it being that he was struggling so hard to get Harlow to be his.

Grayson and I got lost in conversation that felt like it lasted hours, not that it was a bad thing. Time just seemed to fly when we spoke. We got so lost in our conversation and each other that neither of us realized how much time had passed until the sound of knocking came from my doorway.

"Sweetheart I think it's time Grayson heads home for a night." Both our faces dropped. We didn't want this night to end. We were enjoying each other's company.

"Just a little while longer? Please." I was giving my mom puppy dog eyes. A look that had never worked in my past. But I was hoping and praying my mother had a sweet spot for me and my expression would work.

"A half hour. That's it. Dad and I will check the cameras in the morning to make sure you follow the rules."

"Thank you!" I got up and ran over to hug her. She hugged back before heading off to her room for the night.

Grayson and I spent the entire time indulged in more conversation. It wasn't even deep conversation about our pasts or our families. It was just general talk about things we liked or random stories. It felt good to have an outlet, a distraction, from all the pain of having Pierce with Ally.

I walked Grayson down to the front door for him to leave. He pulled me in for a hug and held me tightly, rocking us back and forth slightly, holding onto every last second he had. I rested my head against his chest as we stood there in silence not wanting to say that one final word.

I pulled my head off his chest and looked up at him with a smile. "Thanks for tonight Gray."

He raised his hand up to move a piece of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail to behind my ear. "My pleasure." His eyes bounced down to my lips and I felt my breath hitch as I breathed in. "May I?"

It felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest. I was nervous. Why was I nervous? I wasn't even nervous when it came to kissing Pierce. I leaned into him, answering his question that way.

Grayson's lips pressed into mine. His lips were soft. It all felt good. His hands were placed on either side of my face as he kissed me. He pulled away and pushed the stray piece of hair behind my ear again.

"See you Monday my Charlee girl."

"Goodnight Gray."

How was all of this happening so fast?