Chapter 8

8

Grace

I know I was a total brat leaving that note for Benji and then running away like some immature teenager. Oh well. I just can't deal with him. I did exactly what he didn't want me to— consider him as possible boyfriend material.

Come on Grace, you need to get a serious grip.

I check my watch and it's after nine. The library will be closing soon and I'm the only one here. Really though, who hangs out at the university's library on a Saturday night?

Losers who don't have dates— that's who. Ugh.

I slide my books into my backpack and make my way out the doors of the library and onto the sidewalk. The sun is almost set and the haze from the humid day hangs in the air.

I sigh as I ponder what will happen when I get back to the house. Once my brother gets back, I'll be sent back to live with Devyn. I wrinkle my nose at the thought.

I can't get Benji out of my head. I can't stop daydreaming about what happened this afternoon on the couch.

I've never felt that way before. Benji was attentive and caring.

I reach the front porch and take a deep breath. I'm going to have to face Benji at some point unless I plan to sleep on the porch all night.

Maybe he'll be in his bedroom, and I won't have to face the awkwardness.

I open the front door and I'm barely inside when Benji appears at my side.

He raises his eyebrows. "Grace." He lets out his breath. "Where were you?"

"Didn't you get my note? I'm sorry. I went to the library."

Benji rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, I got your note."

I try to move past him, but he stops me. "I'm sorry," he says as he lightly touches my forearm. "I was a jerk earlier."

My throat closes and I can barely swallow. I can barely breathe. My shoulders drop as I stand in front of Benji— the guy who's breaking my tender heart into a million tiny pieces. I close my eyes and bite my lip. "It's fine. I get it."

"I don't want you to hate me. I just?—"

"I could never hate you."

Benji rubs the back of his neck. "I hope we can be friends."

I don't want to be just friends. I want so much more.

"Of course." I try to sound reassuring.

Benji lets out a breath. "Thank goodness. I think you're so awesome and I hope you consider me a friend."

"Any friend of Miles is a friend of mine."

Benji

It's the best of everything. Grace forgave me for being a jerk. Now we can go back to the way it should be before I lost my head and put my hand down her pants… and made out with her… and had all kinds of thoughts about how I could corrupt her.

Who am I kidding? I have it bad for Grace.

If I can get through this weekend, I'm home free and I can forget all this ever happened. By next weekend, I'll have a proper fuck, let off some steam, and send some lucky girl on her way with a smile on her face.

Miles will come home and be none the wiser that I almost wrecked his little sister. At least I didn't ruin her, I just chipped the paint a little.

I enter the kitchen and Grace is on a bar stool with a can of cola. "Did you have supper?"

Grace rubs her arms. "No. Did you?"

"I didn't. I did finish a paper for a business class, so at least I don't have to do it tomorrow."

Her face shines and she gently bites her bottom lip.

Oh Grace, if only you knew what you do to me.

"You still want to get Chinese?" She raises her eyebrow.

Her and that eyebrow. Why does she do that to me?

Grace rises and throws her can in the recycle bin. "I could go for some of Mr. King's fried rice and a fortune cookie."

"He does rule the rice and I know he's open late on Saturday night. I'll run down there and get us some food. Wanna ride along?"

"Sure."

A short time later, we're back in the kitchen seated at the barstools.

Grace takes a bite of her fried rice and smiles. "I love this stuff."

I take a bite of my chicken and point to my plate. "Rice ruler."

Grace digs through the take-out bag until she finds our fortune cookies. She hands me one. "Here. You have to read your fortune this time."

She quickly tears the plastic. "Me first," she says as she cracks her cookie in half and extracts the small paper. "We can add some fun to our fortune cookies. After you read your fortune, you add the words 'with a spoonful of sugar.' Isn't that funny?"

I grin. "Cute."

I've never heard of adding ‘with a spoonful of sugar.' "Hey Grace, why don't you jazz it up a little. Instead of adding ‘with a spoonful of sugar,' why don't you add ‘in bed.'"

She giggles and her face turns a shade of pink. "How did you know about that? My friend Katie used to do that."

I nod to her. "Read your fortune and add ‘in bed' to the ending." I lean back in my chair and grin. "Come on, let's hear it."

She clears her throat as she studies her fortune. She looks at me with those beautiful blue eyes. "The most effective way to do it is to do it. In bed." She winces and covers her mouth with her hand.

I wink. "Definitely more interesting than that spoonful of sugar business, huh."

She grins. "Your turn." She hands me my fortune and I tear open the plastic while she watches expectantly.

I break the cookie and pull out my fortune. "You are your best thing. In bed."

Grace chortles and holds her stomach. "Oh my gosh. That's hilarious."

I smirk. "You think that's funny, do you?"

She grabs her napkin and covers her mouth, still unable to control her laughter. "I think cola just came out my nose."

She's adorable.

Sure, it's funny, but she can't contain her laughter, which makes me laugh.

She pulls the napkin away and wrinkles her nose. "You're so funny, Benji. You make me smile."

"You make me smile too, Grace."

"I'm glad we're friends." She punches me in the bicep.

"Me too."

I am glad Grace and I are friends. Somehow, I can't stop wondering if I could be even happier with more. And then I remember Grace would never accept that I have a child in another state.