Fragments of gray, p.24
Fragments of Gray, page 24
I don’t think I have any nice memories of just me and Rae. All the nice ones include Cara, and after Cara, well, it was nothing short of devastation.
Emma’s amber-infused eyes peer up at me. I don’t even need to admire the soft expression she wears to know that this gesture was out of the pure goodness of her heart.
She never mentioned what she read in my notebook that had to do with Rae, but I’m beginning to wonder if it was more than just a passing complaint.
“Go get marshmallows,” I tell her, and she smiles. “But I’m not making any promises that I’ll walk back out there.”
She nods. “Okay.”
“We’ll be back in a little bit,” Miles adds.
Emma gives me a peck on the cheek, and before I can blink, the two of them are walking out of her front door.
A mixture of emotions skims across my chest as I pace the foyer. Slightly annoyed Emma and Miles pulled that, but also sort of… okay with it?
Sighing, I walk to the back of the house and glance out the glass door. The fire has gotten bigger, and Rae sits next to it in the sand, smoking a cigarette. She looks perfectly content being alone. Just like me.
I was absolutely fine with being a loner until Emma turned my whole world upside down and made me feel something other than despair and rage. She makes me experience an array of emotions, one of them currently encouragement as I stare outside at my sister.
“Whatever,” I mumble to myself as I open the door before I can talk myself out of stepping back on the beach.
Rae checks over her shoulder and watches me plop down in the sand. “Where are the other two?” she asks.
“Went to get marshmallows.”
“Both of them?”
“Yep. They left us to talk about shit.”
She snorts. “Figures.”
Silence.
Neither one of us knows what to say even if we wanted to.
Instead, we stare at the midnight-blue sky. Zillions of stars flickering through the darkness.
Rae clears her throat. “How are things with you and Emma?”
“Good.” There’s an awkward beat. “What about you and Miles?”
“Good.”
Rae blows out a puff of smoke, and I reach for her pack, needing something extra to endure this conversation.
“You smoke?” she asks as I light the cigarette in between my lips.
“Not usually. But you used to leave them around the house, so I’d take some from time to time.”
“What else did you use to take?”
“I never tried any of your drugs if that’s what you’re asking.” I draw in a long breath and slowly exhale.
“It is.” She nods. “And good.”
The fire crackles next to us as we smoke, still focused ahead of us.
“Do you like Golden Bay?” Rae asks, cutting through the quiet.
“Yeah, it’s cool. Nice scenery, too.” I gesture out at the ocean.
She tilts her head up, taking in the vast sky above us. “There’s an endless amount of stars,” she states.
I do the same, glancing up at the glimmering spots. “Yeah.”
“Miles thinks they’re dead people.”
“That’s weird.”
“It’s comforting,” her voice gets soft, every defense that I’ve known her to embody evaporates with that one sentence.
Immediately, my face scrunches, and I glance over at my sister who’s still admiring the sky above us. The corners of her eyes well up, and she presses her lips into a fine line as if that would be the way to hold back any tears that might be surfacing.
And it’s in this exact moment that I realize she’s changed. For the better.
Something about the comment, or the way she’s looking at the sky, or the way she’s sitting here with me and being vulnerable—something in all of this tells me she wants to reconnect with me.
“I’ve started feeling her around me,” Rae whispers and chills run down my arms.
“Cara?”
She nods, still fixated on the stars. “Do you feel her nearby?”
My brows dip. There it is again, that notion of sensing someone. I thought that sentiment was only made up in books and movies—I didn’t know people actually feel their loved ones around them.
“No,” I quietly respond, the answer yanking at my heartstrings at the painful admittance.
If something like that were to exist, I don’t know if I ever gave it the chance.
We’re quiet once again, but this time it doesn’t feel uncomfortable. There’s a shift in the air between us. We’ve never spoken about the missing piece to our family. And although this isn’t a deep talk about Cara, it’s something.
A truce.
A way of letting the other know that maybe we don’t hate them. And maybe a repair could be possible.
“We’re back,” Emma chimes from behind us.
I take one last drag and toss the cigarette into the fire.
“Got everything we need for s’mores,” Miles states, placing graham crackers, chocolate bars, and of course, marshmallows next to the bonfire. He then wraps his arm around Rae and kisses the top of her head. “How are you and Grayson doing?” he asks while casually glancing over at me.
Rae draws her attention over to me. “We’re good.”
FORTY-ONE
Emma
“I promise there’s no way for you to mess this up,” I assure Grayson as we whisk eggs in my kitchen.
“You’d be surprised,” he states, cracking one more into the bowl. Some of the yolk gets on his fingers so he runs them under the sink.
It was my idea to cook breakfast together this morning. Teaching him how to cook has quickly become a new hobby of mine.
“Now we need to add milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon,” I instruct, rummaging through my kitchen to grab the ingredients.
“I thought French toast was just eggs and bread.”
“Basic French toast is, but I like to make mine a little sweeter. And then I top it with butter and sugar.” I place the milk gallon down on the counter. “Here, pour some in.”
“How much?”
“Eyeball it.”
Grayson’s brows raise, looking at me as if I’m insane. “I’m supposed to wing it?”
“Yep. You watched me toss stuff into our pizza sauce last night. I didn’t measure anything out. I just did a little at a time until it looked good.”
Last night was a blast. If I could have them over every week I would. If anything, the four of us hanging out and having fun without any time constraint or fear of Dad coming home has made me even more eager to leave this place. I can’t wait until I have my own apartment and get to have guests over whenever I want.
Milk splashes into the bowl. “Is that enough?” Grayson asks.
Leaning over to check, I nod. “Good, now add vanilla and cinnamon,” I instruct.
I watch as he carefully drops a few dashes of both into the mix.
I didn’t ask him what he and Rae spoke about last night, let alone if they spoke at all. Maybe I meddled a tad, but they’re both so important to me and to each other—I can’t idly sit by and watch their relationship dissolve.
“Now what?” Grayson wipes his hands on his shorts.
“We start cooking!” I heat up the skillet and saturate the bread in the mix he just made.
Within a few minutes, our stomachs are growling, the sweet scent of the breakfast dish filling up the room.
His face lights up when he takes the first bite, some powdered sugar getting on his lips. “This tastes incredible.”
“Told you! Now you can add it to the list of things you can cook.”
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying I have a list. This and a cold-cut sandwich are about it.”
“And grilled pizza.”
He smirks. “Yeah. I guess that, too.”
My focus goes back to my plate, enjoying the combination of melted butter and sugar over the egg-soaked bread. I get a little too wrapped up in eating. When I’m about to dig into the final piece, I glance up at Gray who’s staring at me.
He’s barely touched his meal despite saying he likes it. Instead, he’s frozen with a starry-eyed expression and a relaxed smile on his face as he admires me.
“Everything okay?” Nervously, I wipe my face with my napkin in case I look like a mess.
Grayson rests his chin on his rounded fist that’s clasping his fork. “Thanks for doing all of this for me.”
“Teaching you how to cook?”
“All of it,” he states.
There’s a deeper meaning laced in those three words. I can tell by the way he’s looking at me, the flicker of vulnerability around his irises. This is his way of acknowledging last night.
“Of course, Gray.” I outstretch my arm, and he meets me halfway, holding my hand.
“You’re something special, Emma.” My stomach flutters. “I want to give you whatever you want. You deserve that. What do you want?”
I smile. “Right now, I just want to continue having fun.”
“I’ll keep making that happen.”
Loud, carnival-themed songs play as we walk up to the ticket booth of Adventureland. “We got too wasted to enjoy the amusement park last time. Let’s go on some rides,” Grayson says as we each get a wristband for unlimited rides.
“Do you want me to pay for mine?” I ask.
“Nope.”
We both placed our small belongings into a locker, which he also paid for. Then he links his arm around my hip. “Come on, let’s find something to go on.”
“The Twister?” I point to the yellow rollercoaster across from us.
Grayson smiles in surprise. “You like big rides like that?”
“Oh, I enjoy lots of big things.” I wink and immediately start laughing.
His other arm wraps around me as he chuckles, bringing me into an embrace. I latch onto him as he whispers into my ear. “I’ll take you on a wild ride later on.”
“Promise?” I grin into his shirt.
“Swear.”
We give each other a squeeze, then break apart, heading to the rollercoaster.
As hours tick by, the sky gets darker as the both of us continue to go on every ride that doesn’t have an absurdly long line. We can’t stop grinning, our hair blown out
from being spun around and flipped upside down.
Flashing colorful lights move around us as we keep hopping from one ride to the next. We get a whiff of popcorn and churros every so often as we pass the food stands. As the evening continues, the more the crowd grows with people around our age.
“I need a drink,” I say, my throat raw from screaming and laughing.
“Want a water?” Grayson asks, motioning toward a nearby vending machine.
I nod, and we head to the locker to get our belongings so we can buy a drink. As Grayson’s stuffing his things into his pockets, something on the boardwalk catches my attention. The memory is hazy, but I fixate on a far bench in front of a bar, and I’m pretty sure it’s the bench. The memory brings a rush of heat between my thighs.
My gaze flickers into a bar where people are dancing.
Craning my neck to look at him, my lips curl. “I’ve got a better idea.”
Threading my fingers through his, I pull him forward, whisking us toward the semi-familiar bar.
He chuckles when he realizes where I’m taking us. “Should I tell Rae and Miles to get ready for our antics?”
“We’re not going to get wasted—we’ll have a drink or two. But we are going to dance!”
“In that case, I’ll need more than two drinks.”
When we reach the bar and maneuver our way around the people dancing, we order a round of shots. Before the alcohol hits us, I drag Grayson near the speakers, in between sweaty bodies and begin spinning around him.
He barely moves his feet.
“I’ve seen you dance before,” I shout over the loud music.
“That was in an empty parking lot.”
“So, pretend it’s just you and me in here.”
I wrap my arms around the back of his neck and wiggle my hips against him. His hands fly to my waist.
“If you keep moving like that, you’re going to cause trouble, Red,” Gray says, bringing his lips to the shell of my ear.
I kiss his neck. “I’m up for some trouble.”
His chest shakes in laughter against me. “Did that shot already hit you?”
“Nope, I’m completely sober.” I grind into his shorts, and he gives me a warning squeeze. “We had fun at the amusement park, now I want to let loose and have some more fun.”
Spinning around, my ass lines up to his growing hardness. I keep moving to the beat of the song, and he finally starts to sway with me.
“Can I tell you a secret?” he asks, and I nod, my heart jolting with anxiety from the question. “I brought the second gift with me.”
Instantly, I stop dancing and spin back to face him. “You mean the gift from the…” I glance around to make sure no one can hear me. “Sex shop?” I whisper.
That devilish smirk appears, and he nods.
My face pinches in confusion, unable to think of what it would be.
He brings his cheek next to mine. “Go to the bathroom. I’ll be right behind you.”
My heart strums faster, not a single beat of hesitancy building within me. Drifting away from him, I check over my shoulder to make sure he’s following and that no one else is catching on to what’s going on.
Stepping into the single-stall bathroom, anticipation buzzes in my bloodstream. An impatient grin tugs at the ends of my lips, and when the door creaks open, I suck in a big breath of excitement.
Grayson shoves himself into the bathroom, immediately locking the door behind him.
“What are we doing?” I can’t contain my eagerness as my cheeks continue to push upward.
“You wanted to have some more fun, yes?” his voice drops.
“Yes.”
“And you wanted to be wilder, yes?”
He stands dangerously close to me. My back hits up against the porcelain sink as he invades my space, the flames of desire sparking off in his hooded eyes.
“Yes.” I wet my lips.
My pulse zips through me, racing faster and faster as I watch him dig into his pocket and pull out a little black box. Opening it up, there’s a similar U-shaped vibrator to the one that he initially bought me, only this one is smaller and purple.
Silently, he takes my hand and places the toy in my palm.
“It’s synced up,” he says, taking his phone out of his other pocket.
“What—”
Before I can finish my question, a burst of vibrations hits my hand. I look over at Grayson, who’s pressing something on his phone with a cocky smirk plastered on his face.
Heat coils between my legs. “Oh my god.”
Taking the toy out of my hand, he hikes up my dress and trails it along the seam of my panties. “You’re going to let me fill your pussy with this vibrator.” He moves the fabric aside. “Then you’re going to sit down at the bar.” He runs the toy over my slit, and I can already sense how wet I’m getting. “And let me get you off in public all night long, like the bad girl you are.”
Instantly pushing the vibrator into me, I gasp. My hands fly to either side of me as they grip onto the sink for support. He lines the outer part up with my clit, causing me to shudder.
He dips down slightly, pressing his lips to my neck. “Does that sound like a good plan, Red?” His words are husky, scraping the back of his throat.
My head quickly bobs up and down, agreeing to this insane, yet extremely hot, plan of his.
“Good.” He rips himself away from me. “You go out first, and I’ll be out soon.”
He clicks his phone, stopping the vibrator. I stand up straight, wiggling a few times to adjust myself. The smaller part of the U is hitting exactly on my clit while the bigger end hitting a glorious spot inside me. I can already feel my panties becoming wet.
“See you out there.” I blow him a kiss and whisk myself out of the bathroom.
When I reenter the bar, I adjust my dress tugging at my hem. It feels as if all eyes are on me, knowing my little secret, but in reality, no one knows.
Rolling my shoulder back, confidence strikes my core, and an overwhelming sensation coaxed with sexiness rolls through my body.
I sway my hips and follow Grayson’s instructions, sitting down on a stool at the bar.
Surveying the space, people are still dancing while more trickle in from the boardwalk. Multiple bartenders are helping out people at either end while I wait here patiently. My gaze flickers to the bathroom and then around the room, seeing if I can spot Grayson, but there’s no sign of him.
Seconds turn into minutes, and anxiety starts to swell in my chest. I begin fidgeting, crossing my legs one way, then the other.
Taking my phone out, I send him a message.
Where are you?
An abrupt buzz shoots off in my panties, and I squeak. A few heads turn to glance my way, and I give them a tight-lipped smile.
Adjusting my posture and bracing myself for the incoming waves, my phone goes off.
Gray
Enjoying the show
My legs squeeze together as he intensifies the setting on the vibrator. My eyes dart around until they land on Grayson’s sexy smolder across the room.
Are you going to come over here and join me?
I will. I just want to make you sweat it out first
My heart pounds, lust pulsing through me at the same fast rate as the toy buzzing against my clit.
Keeping my attention on Gray, he plays it off cool ordering a drink as if he’s not about to make me come in front of everyone. I’m at the mercy of his fingertips tapping against his phone. Just the sheer thought revs me up even more, my breath wavering.
When I shift on the stool I can feel the increasing amount of wetness in my panties. My body temperature rises while I continue to stare across the crowded bar.
