"It's right up here on the right," I told him.

He nodded and turned into my driveway. He put it in park and surveyed my home.

"Your windows are low to the ground. I am so sneaking into your room at night," he said.

I laughed. "You are not."

"Why not?"

"Because Tim will kill you."

"Who's Tim?" He asked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hands grip the steering wheel tighter.

"My stepdad."

"Oh." He relaxed. "What, does he have a gun or something?"

"Multiple."

"Sweet," he said, smiling.

I rolled my eyes. "You like guns?"

"Nope."

This surprised me. "Really?"

"Yeah. Why does this surprise you?"

"Well, you seemed like the type to like them," I admitted.

He snorted. "Because of my tattoos and piercings?"

"Hey man, everyone I've met with tattoos and piercings have guns. You can't blame me for assuming that."

He chuckled. "I don't like guns, Genna. If anything, I prefer no violence."

My jaw hit the floor. "You're joking."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Grayson Dolan, the school's bad boy, doesn't like violence? What about all of the fights you've been in?"

He shrugged. "Just because I've been in fights, doesn't mean I have to like violence. Shit happens."

I was a bit baffled. Here Grayson was, sitting in his car on my driveway, sounding like he wasn't a complete idiot. He sounded as if he had some brain cells left in his head, and I felt like an ass for assuming they were all dead.

Guilt rushed through me then. I had done what I promised not to do anymore. I had assumed too much from physical appearances, and I judged too quickly. Grayson was a human being like me, and had feelings like me. They may be different than mine, but he could still bleed and be hurt like I could. Me calling him an idiot all the time was probably hurting his feelings.

Me and my stupid mouth.

"Hey, Grayson?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yeah?" He gave me a concerned look, no doubt picking up on the change of mood.

"Listen, I'm sorry for the things I say. Also for hurting you today. I don't control my mouth a lot, and it's hurt a lot of people before without me knowing until it was too late. Please, don't take anything I say to heart. I'm also a very peaceful person. Today was the first fight I've gotten into in years," I told him.

It was silent for a minute. The only sounds in the car were our breathing, and the engine running. Each seemed like agony. I couldn't see any emotions run across his face; it was a mask. Is he thinking of the best way to tell me that what I did was unforgivable? Is he calling bullshit on my apology and is planning on hating me forever?

His abrupt laughter broke the silence so suddenly, that I jumped. I poured a bit of my heart out to him, and this asshole had the audacity to laugh. Embarrassment burned my cheeks, and I opened the door and began to walk to my front door. "Fuck you."

I heard his door open and his footsteps as he ran to catch up to me. "Wait a second!"

"What?" I whipped around, my face no doubt bright red.

He was still smiling that full smile, and I felt my heart skip a beat. "I wasn't laughing at what you said."

"Then what the hell were you laughing at?"

"I was laughing at your mood swings. I've only ever seen you happy. One second we were talking and laughing, and the next you're spilling your feelings out to me. You're such a sap, Genna."

"There's nothing wrong with wearing your heart on your sleeve."

"I love it."

My eyes widened. "You like me talking about my feelings?"

"Of course I do. Your face has no filter, so I can guess how you're feeling just by watching you. But I could never guess what's actually going on up in that head of yours. I could never actually read your mind," Grayson elaborated.

I blushed more than I thought possible. I held my breath, as if that would kill the butterflies that were flying around in my stomach right now. "You don't think I'm a typical girl who thinks about boys and makeup?"

He snorted. "Are you kidding me? You've had a book in your hand since third grade. You've hardly ever dated guys, and you don't drool over the jocks like everyone else. I'm pretty sure you're different."

I smiled brightly. "Good! Because normal is boring."

The smile left his face, and he gazed at me with his probing eyes. I felt awkward under his gaze, but I stared back. "Like what you see?"

He chuckled. "You have such dark eyes. I wish I could see from your point of view."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"Because if I see through your eyes, I can see you naked."

Way to ruin the moment. "Shut up."

"Keep your window unlocked tonight. I can't pick locks on windows," he said, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes. "Pervert."

"You know you like it," he said over his shoulder as he headed back to his car.

"Hey Grayson?" I called out again.

He stood in the open door, waiting for me to continue.

"Thanks for driving me home."

He smiled. "You're welcome, little one."

I've been laying down in bed for hours now. My phone read four o'clock in the morning, but I couldn't sleep. I kept tossing and turning, my mind chanting the same things over and over again.

What if he actually comes?

What if he does and you're asleep?

Will he text you when he's here?

Should you text him?

I groaned out loud, turning on my stomach and pressing my face into my pillow; smothering myself. Maybe if I did that, it'll drown out the thoughts that kept circling in my mind.

It didn't help one bit. It just made it really hard to breath, and that wasn't fun. I flipped back over and stared at the ceiling. Maybe staring at nothing would give me an answer?

What unnerved me the most was how that small part of me wanted him to come to my window. That part of me wanted him to come sneak into my room and cuddle with me on my bed. It wanted to fall asleep in his arms and to wake up to see his face next to mine.

The rest of me thought that that small part of me was stupid and needed to shut the fuck up.

I sighed, and grabbed my phone. Faster than I liked, I had his number pulled up on my phone. All I had to do was push the green button and I would be calling him at this ungodly hour of the morning.

I hesitated. What if he was sleeping? You'd be the jerk waking him up early in the morning. He might've done something after school and wanted as much sleep as possible.

I bit my lip. What if he's awake and I call him and we end up married a few years later?

Suddenly my phone vibrated in my hand and I squealed, throwing it across the room in the process. It landed with a thump, thankfully not cracked.

I sighed, and got out of bed and picked it up. I looked at the number, and my jaw dropped.

Speak of the devil.

I answered. "What do you want?"

"Why did you scream?" He asked.

"I didn't scream. It was a manly yell." I stopped myself. "How do you know I screamed?"

"I don't kid when I say I'm sneaking into your room at night."

I groaned and went to my window. Sure enough, I came face to face with Grayson's chest. I looked up to see him smirking down at me. He was dressed in gray sweatpants and a black hoodie.

"Can I come in?" He asked through the phone.

"I don't know. This is kind of a 'no boy zone'." I smirked back at him.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not a boy. I'm a man."

"You are a year younger than me. You are still a boy in my eyes."

"Want me to show you how much a boy I am?" He winked at me.

I scoffed. "Please. My dick's way bigger than yours. They don't call it the 'Monster Sword' for nothing."

"Open the window or else I won't have a dick to show you. It's freezing tonight!"

"Fine," I groaned and hung up. I tossed my phone onto the bed and struggled to push my window up. What sucked about old houses is that the windows were extremely hard to push up.

Grayson helped once I had opened it enough to get his fingers in. He kept pulling upwards until he had enough room to step his massive body in, before shutting it behind him.

He smiled down at me once he was in. "Hi, little one."

I rolled my eyes. "Please stop."

"Straight to the point. I like it. I brought extra condoms, because we're going to be busy tonight," Grayson said, wiggling his eyebrows. He took a seat on my bed, but I remained standing in front of him.

I scoffed and sat on my bed. "In you're dreams."

"How did you know?"

"You're such a perv."

"You like it."

"I would like to have a decent conversation with you without something sexual being said," I admitted.

He seemed to actually give it some thought. "I can do that." Suddenly he grabbed me and pulled me on top of him, and I gasped at the sudden movement. I ended up straddling him, and I froze with the close proximity. "We'll only talk if we're like this."

"No no, this is too close," I said, beginning to get off of his lap.

He pulled me closer. "Nope. This is how it's going to happen."

"Can I not be sitting on you?" I asked.

"Fine. But your head is on my arm while we're laying down." He relented, and I eagerly moved and lied on my side.

"I don't want to lay on you. That's what couples do."

"Yes and couples generally consist of a boy and a girl. I'm a boy, you're a girl, we're together in a bed, so lay on me."

I was thankful for the darkness that hid my burning face. "Grayson, please."

He groaned. "Fine." He scooted away from me for a bit, enough for me to breath. I sighed as my body relaxed, and I laid my head on his arm. He flexed his muscles underneath my head, causing it to rise in the air for a second.

"Was that necessary?" I asked.

He smirked. "It was to me."

I rolled my eyes. "So why did you come here?"

He shrugged. "Just wanted to talk."

"About what?"

"Hopes and dreams. Life and death. Ponies. Whichever," he joked.

I snorted. "Let's start off with hopes and dreams."

"What do you want to do after high school?" He asked.

"I either want to become a veterinarian technician or a book editor."

He blinked. "Those are two different ends of the spectrum."

I smiled. "I wanted to be a tattoo artist the other day. It changes a lot."

"You draw?"

"All the time."

"Can I see some drawings?" He asked.

"Absolutely not," I snapped.

"Sheesh, touchy subject?"

I grimaced. I hadn't meant to be snippy with him. My drawings were my own, and I was insecure about them. They often depicted gory scenes or hauntingly beautiful dead girls. Whatever I was feeling that day, is what I would draw. To see my drawings was seeing my bare soul before your very eyes. Showing people that much raw emotion scared me. I didn't need to be criticized on my feelings. "No one sees my drawings at all."

"I'm sure someone has."

"The drawings I have in this sketch book, no one has."

"Would you draw me a tattoo?" He suddenly asked.

I was shocked. He actually wanted me to draw him a tattoo? What would I even draw him? What could he possibly want that he didn't have?

"Maybe. What are you looking for?"

"I'll let you know later." He winked at me, and I smiled.

"What do you want to be Grayson?"

"I want to be your fuck buddy."

I laughed, and whacked his stomach. Something crinkled in his pocket, and I scrunched my eyebrows. "What was that?"

"Nothing," he said a little too quickly.

Bullshit. I quickly reached down into the pocket of his hoodie. His hand tried to grab mine to stop me, but I was too quick. I snatched the things out of his pocket, and held them up in between us.

The golden wrappers of the condoms glinted back at us, and he gave me a devilish smirk. I gave him an annoyed glare. "Really?"

"I'm always prepared."

"You seriously thought I would have sex with you tonight?"

"Maybe."

"Get out of my room Grayson," I sighed in annoyance, dropping the condoms on his chest.

He stuffed them into his pocket, but still laid down on my bed. "But we were having a good conversation!"

"You obviously had other ideas. Go fuck some other girl, Grayson, because I'm not like that. I don't go sleeping around with other guys like you do with girls."

"You don't?" He asked, removing the arm that was under my head to prop his own head up; staring down at me.

Irritation flashed through me. "Of course I don't! What's the point in fucking someone if it doesn't mean anything the next day?"

"You've never had sex before in your life, have you?" He asked.

I blushed. "That's not the point."

"I knew it! I knew you were a prude!" He laughed.

I whacked him again. "Shut up! I'm not prude!"

"Then fuck me right now."

"What? No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I would only have sex with someone if I was in a meaningful relationship with them. I just don't spread my legs for anybody," I told him.

He groaned. "You're no fun."

"You can leave any time you want."

"Your bed is really comfy, though."

"Get your own bed," I said and began to push him out of my bed.

He flopped onto his back and wouldn't budge. He just groaned whenever I pushed him closer to the edge.

I was about to kick him off when I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I froze, and Grayson picked up on it.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"You need to get out now!" I whisper shouted, pushing him with more urgency now.

He caught my meaning, and quickly got up and opened my window like it was nothing. He squeezed his way through, and I shut it behind him as quickly as I could. I saw his body disappear in the darkness before I jumped into bed and shut my eyes.

The footsteps finished their ascent up the stairs, and stopped in front of my room. I heard the door quietly open, and close after a minute.

I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding. That was a close one. I've never been caught with a boy in my room, and I didn't want to start that trend now.

Just then, my phone vibrated. I squinted at the bright screen, and saw Grayson had texted me.

"I'm taking you out somewhere special tomorrow night. Dress warm. Goodnight, little one."