Page 36 of Never Have I Ever
He approaches where I’m standing, but then his eyes land on the bouquet of flowers in my arms, and he frowns.
“Who bought you flowers?” he asks.
“Oh… well, no one. I bought them myself.”
His eyebrows scrunch. “You bought yourself flowers?” he asks me. “Why?”
I avert my eyes from him and look at the flowers in my arms. They’re huge daisies that fill out the bouquet so beautifully, and the sight of them makes me happy. “I love flowers,” I tell him. “And I don’t have anyone to buy them for me, so I buy them myself.” I shrug.
Maybe it’s weird to buy myself flowers, but I love how they look in my apartment, and it’s not like I have a boyfriend to get them for me, so I’m the next best thing.
“I guess it’s a little pathetic,” I tell him, feeling my cheeks start to heat.
I look up at him, and my eyes instantly lock with his. I look into his dark eyes, wondering how the hell this guy with jet-black hair, dark eyes, and tattoos all over his body makes me feel like this, especially when the sides of his lips turn up into a smile.
He’s right in front of me. We’re so close, and I don’t want to look away, so I don’t. I keep staring back at him until he clears his throat and takes a step back, putting some well-needed — but unwanted — distance between us.
His eyes drift to the bags in my hand. “What did you get?”
“It’s girl stuff. You don’t care about this.”
He scoffs. “When it comes to you? I do.”
He reaches into one of the bags and opens it up, laughing at what he finds. “Jeans?” he asks.
I shrug. “If we’re going to be sleeping together on mountains and the hood of your car, I’d better come prepared.” I smile. His eyes widen, and he smirks. Realization dawns on me, and I quickly correct myself. “I meant, sleeping… together. Not sleeping together.”
He laughs, shaking his head. “Yeah, Rosie. I got it. Don’t worry.”
I let out a breath of relief, and his hand travels to the next bag. I remember what is in that bag and snap it closed. “It’s just clothes,” I tell him, not wanting him to see the lingerie that I bought with him in mind.
“Rosalie,” he says. “Let me see.”
I smile. “Hey, that rhymed.”
“What are you hiding in there?” he asks, narrowing his eyes.
“It’s nothing, really. Just dumb stuff.”
“Then you won’t mind if I see it.”
He picks up my hand that’s clamped shut around the bag and holds it in his hand while his other hand opens the bag. I did say I wanted someone to see it, and while I wasn’t really planning on Grayson seeing the underwear in the bag, it’s as good as it’s going to get.
His brows furrow as he looks inside the bag, confused about what it is. His hand reaches inside, and he picks up the bra, lacey and white. His eyes widen when he realizes what it is, and he drops the garment back into the bag. “Oh,” he says, clearing his throat. “That’s why you didn’t want me to see it.”
I nod, and his jaw clenches as he keeps staring down at the bag, looking at the lacey underwear inside it.
“Who did you get them for?”
Did he just ask me that? “Just for myself,” I tell him.
His eyes narrow at me like he sees through my lies. “It’s none of your business, really,” I say. “You said we weren’t ever going there, so I found someone who would.”
“Someone?” he asks. “Don’t tell me it’s Ben Reed.”
He’s angry. His jaw is clenched, and his fists are balled up by his side. He doesn’t like the thought of anyone else seeing me in this underwear, but he doesn’t want to see me in it, either.
I turn on my heels and start walking away from him.
